.jpg "Bird seed bags in trunk")
Berta and I went to Prescott and bought birdseed at Cosco, 50 lbs at $12 each. So we bought 150 lbs, one bag for her, one for Dolores, and one bag for me. We all have so much fun watching the birds. Even Carson dog lies outside, stage left, within their reach, just watching.
.jpg "Cardinals on feeder Yarnell AZ")
.jpg "Female cardinal on feeder Yarnell AZ")
Mr & Mrs CardinalThe typical crowd includes: a brilliant cardinal couple; a scrub jay or two, or three, or four, shoveling seed to the ground for white-crowned sparrows too numerous to count, an occasional junco, and a clucking chorus line of bobble-topped quail. It’s like a ballroom complete with balconies and mezzanine. Brush oak and manzanitas offer cover nearby making a hedge along the dry wash.
.jpg "Scrub jay Yarnell AZ")
Scrub Jay
.jpg "Gambel quail Yarnell AZ")
Gambel’s Quail
Plus the seed calls to others like the occasional deer and sometimes a javelina.
.jpg "Mule deer at bird feeder Yarnell AZ")
Help yourself
Javelinas—also called peccaries—usually travel at night in family groups of perhaps 15. They can be quite aggressive, although they don’t see or hear very well, and can also run up to 30mph. They are not pigs, but are related to the hippopotamus. Their noses are tough enough to eat cactus without getting stuck.
.jpg "Javelina Yarnell AZ")
Once the javelina discovered the can I store seed in, tipped it over, the lid fell off and three of them crowded into the banquet like they were in hog heaven. (Oops, not pigs.) So now I store the seed in the shed. Lesson learned.