Finally, some rain

This year's monsoon season has passed us by, or so I thought. Through July and this month it seemed to rain everywhere in the valley but only sprinkle at the WD. Then yesterday we got half an inch or so in the afternoon, and today it was about one inch! In about twenty minutes!

It brought all three families that live in visible proximity from each other out to celebrate the, as one called it, "yearly" event, and to assess any damage sustained. Nothing major, just a lot of sheet flooding well away from the house.

One muddy Oregonian horse. At least all of them had sense to stand under cover during the storm.

Busy birds

I generally do not spend a lot of time at the kitchen sink, but this morning I was there long enough to see that the cactus wrens, who have been living in either one or the other of the two nesting boxes across from the window, have another brood about to fledge. It will be this coming week for sure. I can see two young ones, and in the past there have been three chicks in each edition. This is their third brood this year!

I watched the parents bring bugs in and take fecal packages out, and then noticed a cactus wren nearby with nesting material in its beak chasing another one. MMMmmm ... Then a parent arrived with a tuft of dog hair in its beak, but, thankfully, instead of stuffing it into offered open mouths, thought the better of it and deposited it in the nest box next door. Are they really thinking about starting over again? After already successfully hatching 9 cactus wrens this year?

Precarious as the original road runner nest appeared, it must be quite sturdy after all because Roadie decided to reuse it to also raise another family. The nest is close to the walk to the coop, so it is easy to check up on them. Dan had already reported that there were 5 eggs and this morning, with Roadie looking for breakfast, he was able to take a photo of the fledgelings. One egg will probably remain unhatched with these birds already so big.

Oh, oops

I have been setting the live trap in the potting bench the last couple of weeks and have caught, and released, some wood rats that had visions of spending the winter in good shelter with an abundance of mesquite beans nearby. But this morning it was a young bunny girl that sprang the trap; no harm done.

She was most anxious to leave but when the doors were opened, she was not sure which way to go.  Once out, she was off like a shot.