Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you all a 2011 full of health, love, joy, peace and even in these difficult times - prosperity
I have been ill with a cold/flu thing that has been really hard to shake so I've been absent from visiting blogs and from posting but I will be reading between naps.
The closest I've been to any nature in a long while has been my own backyard but it doesn't have as many exciting birds as some of your yards do. I'm continually amazed at the number of bird and animal photos captured that way. I've seen more wildlife from people blogging in urban areas than I ever saw all the years I lived in the country.
These California Quail are sweet little birds that were introduced here to help eliminate bugs in the orchards. I'm sure the first ones were not too happy with all the snow but somehow they've survived and even flourished in this area.
They are such friendly birds that you often have to wait for them to move when driving or walking. Although they can fly, they usually choose to run instead.
For years, I never saw them in the winter and have often wondered where they went but then one day, I purchased a bag of bird feed with a large amounts of ground corn in it and I don't know how they found out but not even 2 hours later a whole flock arrived.
I am so pleased that in spite of the local cats, coyotes, hawks and owls, they are so numerous. California Quail are one of the nicest surprises I discovered in this area.
Well forgive me if there are mistakes I keep reading this over and over to edit it and am not absorbing anything so I'm just going to post it.
Oh I was wondering where you went to!!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a wonderful holiday season...hope you get to feeling better soon!
I love this little "flock 'o birds".....they look pretty pudgy:)
I have ALWAYS wanted to live in B.C.
I never thought of not being able to see the sun set.
You must miss it.....but you have such beauty in every thing else...including warmer weather and fruit on trees:)))
Have a wonderful rest of the week. Glad to see you're back!
I hope you feel better soon.I love the Quail pictures,they are cute.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,Ruth
The quail are DARLING! I'm so glad you posted again...I've missed you.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Can I buy one or more of your products online and have you ship them inside the US?
Beautiful, characterful shapes and colours.
ReplyDeleteHope you feel completely well soon.
Lucy
Do hope you're starting to feel better, what a horrible way to start a new year. The ones I don't like coming into our yard are the starling, they are dirty and they poop all over the place. They also eat anything you throw out, apple peelings, old bread, anything. My husband says they have to eat to. Take care and thanks for your visits.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice surprise to see those. I had no idea that they preferred running to flying. You've captured them quite nicely not only with your camera but with your painting of them.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you're feeling better soon
Very sorry to hear you're unwell, Carole. Hope you'll soon be back to normal!
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely little birds - they look almost 'cuddly'! But then you might say that about the plump pigeons that occasionally land in great numbers on my small patch of grass - until you discovered that they demolished so many of my plants in a few seconds, including my coriander!
The quail look very good on the mug and t-shirt - and I didn't see anything at all that needed editing!
Those quail are just beautiful! I wish they were down here in Texas! They look so pretty in their blue/grey tones! :) Feel better soon!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you with a bug, many are shaking it. I feel better when I go outside, the fresh air feels good.Love the quail, like the mug painting the best.Rose hip tea is my favorite cure.
ReplyDeleteWe had quail in my part of the country when I was a kid. I miss them!
ReplyDeleteThose are beautiful Quail. Our fields used to be full of them but with the population explosion of coyotes in our area they have all disappeared with the exception of Hubbie's pair he keeps in a large cage.
ReplyDeleteHope you are on the mend from your illness.
Blessings to you.
They are ADORABLE!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Carole and hope you are feeling better each day. Rest is always the best cure and hope you are enjoying the blog readings too. The California quail are great and glad you have enjoyed the bird shots from my backyard feeders as well. SOmetimes we don't have to look far to see beauty in nature.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are alright now my friend as I am typing this comment to your blog. I never suspected something is wrong with you because you even commented on my post. I had been sick also before the year ends until New Year due to allergic cough. I got lucky I fully recovered right before the first working day.
ReplyDeleteMy best wishes for 2011!:)
Please take care. I know what it is like to have the flu.
ReplyDeleteThose California Quail are exotic looking to me. Very nice captures!
Love the Quail pictures! Hope you are feeling better soon! Get lots of rest so you can get back to your beautiful artwork! :-)
ReplyDeleteThey are adorable!
ReplyDeleteI don't know for sure but when I was younger, the people around here shot quail to eat and pheasant along with rabbits. I don't remember what they taste like but soon learned that quail will run ahead of hunter along the fence and go through or under fences and never break for flight. I have seen them do that dozens of times. About the only way they could shoot them was if they had dogs.
ReplyDeleteWow these quails shots are wonderful. That's a species i would love to see!
ReplyDeleteI love those fat little birds they are so sweet. Years ago I lived in a street where there was a big ginger cat. He would lie in the middle of the road, and when you drove towards him he would just stay there, staring you out and hissing. He just didn't care, several ton of metal meant nothing to him, he was not moving for anything! Here we have pheasants, they are suicidal, they literally wait until you drive past then leap under your wheels in a panic.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you are recovering from the flu, we have had a lot here, but I have escaped with nothing more than a cold so far this year.
Lovely creations! It's good to know indeed that they survive all the predators around.
ReplyDeleteWebbielady
As always beautiful pictures! Especially, the ones with the plants still growing in the snow!
ReplyDeleteI hope you are well.
Happy New Year!