Tuesday - 1 March 2011 - Hawks, Ducks and a London fog

Woke up at 5 am and was cycling down the hill by 530. It was very dark and I could not figure out how to get the little headlight on the bike to work. I will check the batteries before I go riding in the dark again.

Luckily there was no one on the road at that time of the morning so the only thing I had to fear was running over a javelina.

I got to the Gecko cafe and ordered a London fog.

Charlie was great and signed me up for their card, which means that after so many coffees I get a free one.

There were two people already in the cafe when I got there. One lady was on her computer and one gentleman who was reading his newspaper.

He said good morning, she did not. As my tea was very hot I left it with Charlie and went to Bashaws to pick up a few things.

Fruit, veggies and postcards. I was the first customer there but by the time I left about five minutes later there were already 5 or six others wandering the aisles.

I went back to the coffee shop and picked up my fog and read the now available newspaper as the gentleman had left. at around 7 I departed the cafe and headed up the hill. It is a very long, slow, soft incline up so it was actually not too difficult. Having said that, It is a very long, slow, soft incline up. At one point I saw a cardinal so stopped and took a few photos.(any excuse to stop and rest) then I saw a Gila woodpecker doing a very nice sun salute.

I was home by 730 so decided to go for a little walk and see what would happen this morning.

I thought I heard geese so followed the golf path towards the sound and low and behold there were in fact Canada geese, Ring necked ducks, some Northern Shovelers and some mallards.

Pretty exciting. I think that I shall have to go there earlier in the morning to see what else I can find at that little lake.

On the way back I saw, across the golf course, a very large bird sitting in a tree.

I could not make out what it was but grabbed a few shots hoping that they would turn out well enough for me to figure out what it was.

I think that it was either a female or young Northern Harrier. SO Exciting!

I also got a shot of a Finch? Cassins maybe? don't know for sure.

Of course I did not know any of that until I got home and loaded the pictures on to the computer.

Very good morning thus far.

We are going out to lunch at the Red Sage restaurant so will see if I can get some of those postcards filled out and mailed.