R is for rabbits and roadrunners

We have lots of both these critters in the desert.  Surprisingly, they aren’t predators of each other.  The rabbits eat grass and other green bushes they find in the desert.  Roadrunners usually stick with lizards and other small prey.

The rabbits always find a way into our yard to get at the lawn.  The back is walled in but the front isn’t.  Rabbits eat all day long.  It’s amazing they can eat so much.  They can also make themselves skinny enough to fit between the pickets in the gate and through the Y-block we have as drains.  Their bones must be very pliable.

 He must have been hot

The other day I caught this one in the water dish cooling off.

 

Here's a jackrabbit napping in the front yard

 This roadrunner is hunting in our backyard

 

The roadrunners are predators looking for meat, usually eating lizards, bugs, small snakes and other small prey.  They come by about every month or two and are here a few days before moving on to other parts of their territory.  Usually they come alone, but I have seen them in pairs.  We have some very smart lizards here that must be on the lookout for them because some of them are actually quite big and fat. 

 Roadrunner

Roadrunners have wicked looking teeth, very sharp and fang-like.  They capture their prey in those teeth and then beat it to death on the block wall, or other large rocks.  They roam around the desert freely and have quite a big territory.

We have Babies

Look to the right to see the quail babies.  They're small.

Mom is waiting for the "children" to come through the pickets on the gate.

It’s that time of year for the next generation of wildlife.  We had our first sighting of baby quail last week.  They are so cute and more obedient than human kids are.  The quail make very good parents.  It’s fun to watch the interactions between them and the new “kids.”

Baby chipmunk

Baby chipmunk

I can spend hours watching nature.  The quail and chipmunks seem to have their own language.  The offspring will spend the better part of this year with their parents to guide them.  The only thing left out here is the rabbits, which seem to be out on their own at a young age.

Raven behind my house

 Ravens behind my house

Today I heard all this loud screeching and cawing.  I grabbed the camera and went outside to see what was up.  The ravens make a racket when one of their own is hurt or killed.  This time they were dive-bombing a golden eagle.  They kept this up for the better part of an hour.  I tried to get some good pics but birds are quick.  My husband also decided to call right at this time.  I never did succeed in getting a good shot of the golden eagle, but I bet it was only about twelve feet or so away.  However, this didn’t last long and it took flight.  I know one thing, the ravens look big, but this thing made them seem so small by comparison.  I never did find out what caused all this.  I imagine the eagle was probably hunting one of them and feasted on it for lunch.

Babies in the Yard

 Baby chipmunk - Sunni's Photo's - Isn't it adorable?

 These babies of the animal variety show up this time of year. They are so cute to watch as different groups come all day long to eat and drink from the pans we have placed about the yard.

More baby chipmunks - They are everywhere - Sunni's Photo's

The adults are very protective and go to great trouble to make sure other animals aren’t getting too close. The parents will sit on a high perch, like our wall or a rock, and keep a look out for predators. The male and female take turns. The little quail are very obedient as they follow mom and pop, doing what they do. They are so funny doing the “chicken dance,” as they scratch in the dirt for seeds. It doesn’t take them long to catch on. Adult quail can get quite aggressive with other birds. I saw a papa getting into it with a pigeon today. Neither one wanted to back down.

Baby Quail - Sunni's Photo's

We have little animals in varying stages of age right now. I imagine we get more in our yard since we back up to the desert and their natural habitat.

More Baby Quail - Sunni's Photo's - You have to look closely on this one.

There was no choice but to block off part of the areas where the rabbits can get in because they eat the plants up, not always satisfied with munching on the lawn. However, the little ones still get in and once in awhile a big one as well, which leads me to wonder if they have flexible bones.

I have taken tons of pictures because I take more each year. They all seem to look alike, but I can’t help myself when the young ones are too cute to pass up a shot with my camera.

Spring is here at last!

Finally the Spring Equinox arrives promising warmer weather soon.  It is still chilly here but the birds, chipmunks and rabbits seem to know it's time to get busy, so they spend the day running about and chirping.  Of course this keeps the cats glued to the windows for hours.

We've only been teased by Mother Nature so far, but hopefully we'll be able to leave the windows open soon before it's A/C time.  At least we got rid of the last storm and had bright sunshine today and the leaves will be budding out soon.  Some of the trees are in bloom already.  I hope everyone enjoyed their day.  Spring is a time of new beginnings for all.