TexasCobra

Thanks for the confirmation Seanbirds. I have seen as many as three at a time; Mama and Papa feeding Junior from the suet feeder.

He was probably laughing so hard that he shook the camera or messed up the focus setting!

My wife and I own four and one half Bouvier des Flandres dogs. Striga is co-owned with our oldest son. Striga earned her AKC Champion status before she was 18 months old. The breed name translates from the French as "Ox-driver of Belgium". Y'all would think such a critter would take little notice of an animal that weighs less than several hundred pounds. However, the bouvier is dedicated to protection of home, family, property, and livestock. One is reputed to have bitten, on first introduction, the hand of Adolf Hitler. Millions of lives might have been saved if the dog had gone for the throat! Rudi "der Fliegende Hollander" (at seven months and 67 lbs) appears with his foster mother "Whatever Lola Wants" (83 pounds of lean muscle at 4 years of age and an AKC Champion) in order to dispatch a particularly sassy and obnoxious squirrel. Rudi was the first pup we purchased from the Netherlands. He arrived with a Dutch canine passport and full documentation of his pedigree and health certificates. Mom he's teasing me!

Wanna race?

I am not beady eyed!

In my previous reply I meant to say Guadalupe rather than Colorado River. The Guadalupe is the northern border of my residential community.

I had to look up Pyrrhuloxia, never having seen one before. The distribution map for them includes the San Antonio area where I reside. I definitely think these were Pyrrhuloxia! The birds did not behave like female cardinals of which I have never seen more than two of a kind and usually accompanied by an easily identified male companion. The birds I saw were 5 or 6 in number and hopping around on the ground beneath a feeder stocked with cracked corn. I thought they were female cardinals at first, then I thought they might be house finches, then I rejected both of those identifications. AllAboutBirds says "Pyrrhuloxias live in upland deserts, mesquite savannas, riparian (streamside) woodlands, desert scrublands, farm fields with hedgerows, and residential areas with nearby mesquite. When not breeding, some Pyrrhuloxias wander into urban habitats, mesquite-hackberry habitats, and riparian habitats with Arizona sycamore and cottonwood." That would be a good description of my environs. The Colorado River borders my exurb. Mesquite, hackberry, and cactus are abundant. I am surrounded by exotic game ranches and cattle grazing. Thanks for the comments.

What do you see here?

Central Texas - Comal County backyard photo

My favorite comedians such as John Cleese and Jack Benny never laugh at their own jokes. Red Skelton would be the exception to my rule. Thank you for the film clip, Kevin. That movie is approximately my age and I and my wife have enjoyed it for many years. We met in the theater when performing "The Gondoliers" by Gilbert and Sullivan.

My favorite comedians such as John Cleese and Jack Benny never laugh at their own jokes. Red Skelton would be the exception to my rule.

Make 'em laugh!

Chorus Line!!!

Grackle