Garden Djinn

Bloom Where You Are Planted

Jodi at bloomingwriter invites us to describe our location with a gardener's eye.  Hmmm. This is an interesting challenge.  I've been in Phoenix for less than a year.  What do I know about Phoenix?

Backyard Birds

I don't get many birds in my yard.  I've added a both hummer and thistle feeders, so I've doubled my backyard bird count in the last month.

Anna's Hummingbird
Pigeon (Rock Dove)
Inca Dove
House Finch
Juncos (both the slate-colored and the red-backed forms)
Abert's Towhee
Unidentified Doves (we have about a zillion species out here - I haven't ID'd the birds that flock with the Incas, I just know they are bigger)

Huh.  I guess that's better than I thought it was.  Still pretty low diversity.  My house has very little in plants, no habitat = no birds.  The ones that do visit use the neighbor's oleander as cover.

Man, I have spring fever but bad...

What do I mean?  I mean I still can't look at pictures of spring ephemerals without choking up.  Snow drops, crocus, anemones, hellebores...  my throat closes and my eyes burn and I have to look away. 

Birding

Moving to the other side of the country provides lots of opportunity to see new birds. 

Right before I was laid off (I mean right before, that Sunday) Mark and I spent a rainy day shopping.  Our last stop of the day was the local Borders, and one of my purchases was Peterson Field Guides Western Birds.    Since then I have added several birds to my 'life list' - among them Abert's Towhee, Inca Doves, and the striking  Zone-Tailed Hawk. 

Today Mark and I had lunch with one of our former co-workers, and I didn't go straight home.  Instead, I ignored the 'patron parking only' sign at one of the hotels on Scottsdale Road, and parked far away from the building, right by their sizable pond.  This naturalized reservoir was hosting several groups of water fowl.

Hanging out on the grass close to shore were a white-spangled Mallard hybrid and some feral domesticated ducks, probably Pekins.   On either side of these where small bands of the ubiquitous Canada Goose.  Is there anywhere on the continental US where you WON'T find these birds?

On the far side of the lawn, buffered from contact with anyone in the parking lot by the more plentiful Canadians, was a group of Snow Geese. 

Out on the water were still more of the Canadians, a few pairs of Mallards, and some Coots.  I spent a good bit of time watching several surface diving birds. These stayed far enough out that my poor vision couldn't get a good view of their field marks.  From what I was able to note - white face, buff necklace, 'mohawk' - I think they were Ruddy Ducks in their winter plumage.  Alternately, they might have been Least Grebes.  I really need to get new glasses. {ed:  I'm pretty sure they were Ruddys, at this point...}

But I didn't need new glasses to see the next arrival.  A large bird flew in from the north, idly buzzing the ducks on the far side of the pond.  White head and tail made the ID a no-brainer.  The Bald Eagle.  I stayed still where I was and the bird flew over and landed in a tree 80 feet or so behind me.  I turned to look as it was casting its eye around and it gave me a direct look.  It came out of the tree, went past me (with another tree between us) at about 40 feet away.  Fantastic! 

This was a nearly adult bird, with just a single band at the edge of the tail proclaiming its still juvenile status.  Beautiful bird!  And what a great way to spend 30 or so minutes of my day.  After the bird continued south, I returned to my car and came home. 

September 2007, sunset

The desert is not stingy with the skyshows. This sunset was taken last September.

Oh. Well.

So I've been laid off, expected, and have some time to get out and read up on things.  (Yes, I'm thinking about getting some real content here, too.   Really.)

But I wander over to Blotanical, checking out gardens with similar climates to mine, right?

I get this:

Am I alone in thinking that if you have your garden listed in the open garden directory, that it might be a bit much to then ask each visitor to ring you up from the locked gate to get permission to come in?

If a body doesn't welcome random visitors, why list in a place like Blotanical?  Doesn't make sense to me.  And puts me all out of sorts about it.  Like a door slamming in my face.