Little Verdin in the Desert Willow by kenne
Little Verdin in the Desert Willow
A tiny pulse of feather—
among the Willow’s green—
the Sky—so dark a Sapphire—
it swallows what is seen—
He flickers—like a secret—
the Morning will not tell—
and leaves the hush of Desert—
more infinite—and still—
Little Verdin in the Desert Willow by kenne
A tiny pulse of feather—
among the Willow’s green—
the Sky—so dark a Sapphire—
it swallows what is seen—
He flickers—like a secret—
the Morning will not tell—
and leaves the hush of Desert—
more infinite—and still—
Verdin Collecting Fungus On A European Fan Palm — Image by kenne
— kenne
Verdin Foraging — Image by kenne
Verdin On A European Fan Palm — Images by kenne
Brushy desert valleys, mesquites. Most common in the Sonoran desert and mesquite woods at lower elevations. Also lives in other kinds of low open brush, including desert stands of acacia and paloverde. Tiny but tough, Verdins are adaptable little birds of hot desert regions. They are usually seen singly or in pairs, flitting about actively in the brush, sometimes giving sharp call notes. — Source: Audubon.org
Verdin In Mesquite Tree — Image by kenne
“In the heat of desert arroyos and scrublands, tiny grayish Verdins flash bright colors—
a yellow head and chestnut shoulder patch. More slender and small-headed than a chickadee,
these restless birds comb the foliage of trees for insects and spiders, sometimes hanging upside down
to investigate hard-to-reach places. They supplement their insect diet with fruits and even nectar,
which they may sip from hummingbird feeders.” — Source: allaboutbirds.org
Verdin In Mesquite Tree — Image by kenne
Verdin’s Nest — Image by kenne
Verdin In Sabino Canyon Riparian Area — Photo-Artistry by kenne
— kenne
Verdin On A Brittlebush in Sabino Canyon — Image by kenne
Brittlebush Blooming in Sabino Canyon — Image by kenne
Verdin In A Desert Willow — Image by kenne
Verdins are very common in riparian areas of the Sonoran Desert and can be found along the Sabino Canyon creekbed where there are plenty of willows, cottonwoods, and Arizona sycamores. On New Years Day there were several in the willows near the Sabino Dam foraging for insects on the willow stems.
This small hardy and adaptable bird is not closely related to any other bird in the western hemisphere. Scientists now believe that its closest relatives are several species of small, plain birds found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Verdins have a plain gray color with yellow on the head and throat. In this image, the sunlight really brings out the yellow against the blue desert sky.
— kenne
Ruby-crowned Kinglet — Image by kenne
— kenne
Verdin (Sabino Canyon, January 3, 2017) — Image by kenne
— Jean-Paul Satre
Verdin In Mesquite Tree — Image by kenne 
Verdin’s Nest — Image by kenne
Verdin Nest In a Palo Verde Tree, Sonoran Desert — Image by kenne
Tosh Lawrence Conducting a Training Session In Sabino Canyon — Image by kenne
Last week I was videoing and taking photos of one of the Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN), Tosh Lawrence, conducting a nature walk training session for new and experienced naturalists. Tosh shared a lot of her excellent teaching techniques, and one point in the riparian area by the dam, we spotted a small bird jumping around among brush on the ground. At the time, I had the video camera going and the following short clip was what I was able to capture. Note the back and forth as to what kind of bird we were watch. Our expert birder friends have got to love it, but remember, some of us are still learning.
kenne
