Hawkins Theater and Sweetwater Wetlands Park
After yesterday's outing we thought it would be the better part of valor to take it a bit easier today. We fixed our coffee and sat out on the back patio. We had bought finch food for the feeder and filled the feeder yesterday morning. By today the neighborhood fliers had spread the word and we reaped the reward this morning, watching the little guys flip upside down to retrieve their breakfast. None of the other birdies have the knack and it frustrates them, but tickles us as we watch their efforts. We also see a gila woodpecker and a swallow tailed butterfly and a couple of others, maybe wrens?? Time for a bird book, I guess!
We while away the morning playing with our photos and catching up on our blogging, having lunch and planning the afternoon. There is a near-by theater and we can't wait to see "The Lone Ranger". It lives up to all our expectations! Johnny Depp channels Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. If you enjoyed any of the Pirates movies, this one is for you! While we're in the theater it must have rained. The cars are wet, the air smells of wet asphalt and there are a few puddles. All the rest has evaporated into the arid atmosphere.
From here we visit Sweetwater Wetlands Park, an artificial wetlands area constructed by the city of Tucson as a multipurpose facility, providing clean up for waste water and lots of nesting habitat for local birds. We're the only ones here, listening to the many bird calls and the ribbiting of frogs. There are ducks and coots on the ponds, doves everywhere and after paying a bit more attention, red-winded blackbirds. We even see a family of quail crossing the path.
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| This poor bedraggled guy looks like he shouldn't even be able to fly! |
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| Caped crusader masquerading as a red-winged black bird! |
Life is amazing! This hollowed stump should be d-e-a-d! But look at all the new growth! And there are several examples of this!
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| I miss my cattails! |
As sunset approaches, the little birds come down to the water's edge for a bath and drink. A man who arrives as we are preparing to leave says this yellow guy is a yellow warbler.
Home again and time for dinner, photos, blogging and a bit of mindless TV before bed.
Do you know what kind of bird the bedraggled guy who shouldn't be able to fly is?
ReplyDeleteHe's another red-winged black bird. You can just barely see the spots of red along the tops of his wings. I wonder what his story is!
ReplyDeleteWe're finally home and I have time to catch up on your adventures. It sounds like even your quiet day was pretty busy! What great photos.
ReplyDeleteBetsy, Welcome home! Loved seeing your photos of the kids and especially the videos of you and Roddy teaching them, just like when ours were that age! Glad you like my photos! Thanks!
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