Mashabu

American Crows Eat Prickly Pears

To our astonishment, spines of the prickly pear do not deter our neighborhood American Crows from eating the fruit of the prickly pear cactus. Who knew this was a source of sustenance for them? Moreover, might the crows’ digestion of the fruit disperse the seeds to start new plantings? We marveled at how they couldContinue reading “American Crows Eat Prickly Pears”

California Scrub Jay

A frequent birdbath visitor is the California Scrub Jay. In the corvid family, this species appears fond of emitting calls while bathing. Slightly smaller than the American Robin, these western Los Angeles County California Scrub Jays enjoy multiple visits to the bath over several minutes. If you have bird observations from your garden which you’dContinue reading “California Scrub Jay”

California Towhee sightings

Almost every day since putting out our birdbath, California Towhees have visited. We rarely see them drink the water. Bathing is their top priority and we enjoy their antics. After splashing, they fly to the soil for dust bathing. The California chapter of the National Audubon Society published a profile on bird behaviors. Dust bathingContinue reading “California Towhee sightings”