Orinda Garden First Six Months of 2009

Here are some photos that I snapped through the first half of 2009 in the garden. The highlight is the red-breasted sapsucker. Also of interest is the Stellar's Jay's that nested. The first photo shows the nest with three eggs in it. I know that all three eggs hatched, but am not sure if all three survived. At least two of the young have been seen with the parents. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of the babies.

Running with the theme of photos missed, I've seen a Cooper's Hawk and Berwick's Wren in the garden, but couldn't get to the camera in time. One of the cutest things I missed was mother turkey walking across the garden with about a dozen chicks in tow. That said, the last photo is of mother California Quail with her little ones ‘cheep cheeping’ along behind her.

We've also had a deer take up residence in the small bit of garden at the side of the house. He comes here on a daily basis to get away from the sun under the bushes there. I think he's probably about a year old. Mummy Doe's also had a couple of babies that I manged to get a couple of pics of.

In addition to those mentioned, there's also some of the regulars with chestnut-backed chickadee, oak titmouse, scrub jay, Nuttal's woodpecker, house finch and Anna's hummingbird.

Oh .... and a flowering William.

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