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The cabbage white is usually one of the first butterflies to be seen in the Spring. Their caterpillars feed on brassicas notably nastertium, conveniently enough one of the first crops to grow in a garden, often as a sacrifice crop. The mustard grasses, which are related, are one of the first "weeds" to appear, often before the frosts have finished. Cabbage whites have few predators. Firstly, because of the time of year they are around, but also because of the bitter compounds they ingest as caterpillars. Some other blogs have documented their growth very closely. Pesticides do not work well on butterflies that are already toxic and reproduce several generations in a summer, so others on the internet have become very creative using basic biology concepts. This particular insect is well studied in high school biology classes, as it is around long before school is over for summer.

The vertical, stiff tail of this northern red shafted flicker shows its woodpecker heritage. These birds use the feathers to brace against the tree bark while they hunt for bugs up and down the trunk. They feed on fruits and seeds during the winter. They forage on the ground a lot more than a typical woodpecker in the summer. Some birds, including flickers, perform a behavior called "anting" which is still unexplained.

The trail cam on the bird bath often gets more visits than a bird feeder, partly because the grey squirrels regularly clear out the feeder, and also because there are many other feeders around for the feathered fiends to go to. Flickers have their own personalities and seem to mingle quite well with the doves, with whom they share a similar interest in winter foods (fruits and seeds). This picture shows the black throat patch characteristic of the flicker plumage.

 

This flock of bluebirds seem to be a little wary of the flicker. It is lifting the bill to dribble water down that long beak into it's throat which must seem very bold to the more effete blue passerines. Kind of like a biker in a bar with a beer mug being watched by a group of college kids.

 

Turkeys were once eliminated from the Sandia mountains but reintroduced in 2004 and are thriving by all accounts. Corrales has a small flock that is pretty well known, but these are "feral" and descended from domestic stock, at least according to local lore. Reintroduction programs are not always how people expect them. There seems to be a lot of details that can lead to unexpected results due to hybridization.

 

 Many birds in the bosque are putting on breeding plumage. Many birds handle this change to the breeding season in different ways. On this heron, you can just make out the blue skin around the eyes (lore), the long black "strings" (feathers) hanging down behind it's head, as well as some markings and extra feathers at the front of the chest. Feathers do all sorts of jobs for a bird, but breeding plumage is arguably one of the most important.

 

There are many fish eating birds that come and go in the bosque but this character is a little odd to see. The shaggy crest and hook on the narrow beak show this is not a mallard. It also acts and moves much more "flighty" than the more sedate mallards; think more race car than family sedan. It is a diving duck and is a called a common merganser. They are more commonly seen on larger lakes but are also often found in mixed company.

I originally thought the kestrels preferred the open slopes of the western sand dunes (bajada) in Corrales bu this one is not looking for a nesting site like I thought. Watching their behavior, this individual at least, was looking very closely at the new gopher holes along the edge in the interior drain along Andrews. I seen it before on the telephone lines. For such a small bird it certainly has an oversized attitude.

 

The daily bird migrations for the flocks continue, but change is in the air. The sandhill cranes and Canada geese are preparing to leave and head north. The numbers in each migrating flock are getting bigger and most evenings some groups are traveling to new places with more water that they can raise a new generation to continue the cycle. I have also noticed a sharp drop off in flock vocalizations as if their moods have become more sombre.

The recent wind and cold has released yet another flood of leaves that will have to picked up to keep family members happy with the state of the garden. Most of these piles will be playing host to crickets, beetles, and other insects soon. Just about everything smaller than a mouse relies on fallen leaves for at least part of it's basic needs of food and shelter.

Few people spend more than a few seconds in the presence of coyotes, which is a shame. I am slowly getting a mental map of the various packs in my neighborhood. The vocalizations are very complex but are basically song-dog texts that signal intent. They keep close track of their different groups, and it is possible to guess what they are after with their communications. Most seem to be adolescents trying to figure out where there is space for them to be welcomed. Where food is good (like Corrales) strangers tolerate each other pretty well, allowing easy travel up and down the river. This large adult is watching me watching her as the sub-adult is loafing in the longer grass waiting for something interesting to happen.

This hawk is being still and well hidden in the mature cottonwoods. I think it is actually worried about being mobbed by crows because it is being very still and staying hunkered down.

The robins do not seem as numerous as they were a week ago, but I have not heard about their migrations, I always assumed they stayed here year round.

I admit I have trouble identifying small yellow birds, but I'm pretty sure these are goldfinch. This is a couple, with the male on the left with the black head. The female is on the right. The bird bath is really just the location for their courtship, kind of like a singles bar.

Infrared photos are a little difficult to get a picture with, but occasionally I get a night visitor. The two feathers sticking up like ears show this is likely a screech owl as it is too small to be a great horned owl, which are the most common ones seen and heard at this time of year as they are already starting to build nests nearby.