![pigeons line up on lamp post (c)David Ocker pigeons line up on lamp post (c)David Ocker](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijB-xDytPQf5hX2cbzDZwQBC-LLOWDmlRaMY-pheU5yhlcf0zUkR7IX2R2Uim-xcgooUeRc187KX062GFZvxJMUQeUclSH8oIE42f2dWPxzdpYhwXBx0UifVGGIdvz1fciLZ7lhA/s320/Pigeons+on+a+Street+Light.jpg)
I've also wanted to use the camera for pictures of the crows because they won't let humans get close to them. I haven't seen many around lately. It would be really cool to capture a flock of wild parrots flying in bright sunlight. All those flashes of green are impressive. Probably never happen.
![a hawk on a traffic signal (c)David Ocker a hawk on a traffic signal (c)David Ocker](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8j01PC173K3Bck8nzsPGrug9jrrMLaI6Bsrt-QaNRse592xvYrBwBzmILEbawjibU0CFA1z4mRoBITbwr1OIW7jQuiA3nPTQIPcAaZmgzZ3WvIijWyESyhVGeJPRVERQ50aJYA/s320/Eagle+Eye.jpg)
Yesterday I saw a hawk fly out of a tree, cross a street and land on a traffic signal pole. It ignored me, right below it, as it scanned the area for a juicy pigeon. I waited for a chance at another of my most-wanted pictures - a hawk in flight.
![tail of the hawk in flight (c)David Ocker tail of the hawk in flight (c)David Ocker](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwwVvL9Yjtdg5xipfJrIF1sfI7siQZnYnjA3Qa48z7laFpJIxVcxMLMCtEodtgj99IHFg1hXMPfZrF2HaUF7oOTrUKDu9C13otxxgocBq7B0kMPnI4vd5ydC-7LA0287MJtj6gA/s320/Eagle+Tail.jpg)
I was lucky to get just the tail. Maybe I'll get the whole bird next time.
The bricks in the picture below are actually painted plywood - a phony facade to hide cellphone antennae. The fake owls are to keep pigeons away. Certain pigeons, however, are fearless.
![fake owl and stupid pigeon (c)David Ocker fake owl and stupid pigeon (c)David Ocker](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtpH8NIKv8gfnzf3d7OTkmAik626QfZnkq4DKOXnH4kpwJsD4wEz3XheNq0WX9wx8bZwNEsxiwts3bvZSc9F_DV2zAr0G7ucq0zvHFRMR1tjWz9uZmovn9tLUwAb8ktLH0-qDyA/s320/The+Owl+and+the+Pigeon.jpg)
Several days ago I noticed this little colorful ball of fluff in a small lawn sprinkler excavation next to the sidewalk. I stopped to take a picture of it.
![ball of feathers next to the sidewalk (c)David Ocker ball of feathers next to the sidewalk (c)David Ocker](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFoX5F0DGTpqYbhOdLX1IaumNdDayvvym4fdjDI6vjtmoiVSPjN84nefB7KlrnsqwSEQ5_TzYbiQbCDZ5ynD5DNNBZngjEbzl-9IFQEi41Wlm9yhJ4eh2k31r6p1mcXNbcLwVHiw/s320/Floundering+Finch+1.jpg)
To my surprise it moved and out popped a head. I thought it was a parakeet but Leslie says it's a Lady Gouldian Finch - obviously an escaped pet. A trio of these birds is the logo for Viewsonic (as displayed on my own computer monitor.)
![Lady Gouldian Finch on ground (c)David Ocker Lady Gouldian Finch on ground (c)David Ocker](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbNf8dd3pdLc2R0i6K21UM1wATTjw1zK2_TSqlAQyiJwQjBW8uw_Gjt5bFjVuI8S-rYs1eGymXjFfRrmbnawhk65tQk4mcWyi_xcJapvxrCJznxk-OO_Rqvtq93unbK3mN8K2Ag/s320/Floundering+Finch+3.jpg)
This tiny bird was somewhat the worse for wear - lethargic and missing a lot of red head feathers. I suspected it was on the ground because it couldn't fly. While pondering whether I should leave it to its fate I stepped back as a gaggle of high school students passed by.
![Lady Gouldian Finch missing head feathers (c)David Ocker Lady Gouldian Finch missing head feathers (c)David Ocker](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODs0Xs140FyEf1E2Uvf0WkNYH5eaGvpgvWk6a6qKPx3KBNeDlHeiDyK_5j5Na3bNKQMeg0PsAGWlrWY2AdmZmKWpPWAfgkx66cBJCHxUpOZpX5Yr0bxwqkzx37amPJsrMvPdsbw/s320/Floundering+Finch+2.jpg)
One student (the absent-minded tall one) noticed the bird. Another (I guess a future mass murderer) said "Kick it." There was a small chorus of female voices saying "No". The gaggle walked on forgetting.
![Lady Gouldian Finch on ground (c)David Ocker Lady Gouldian Finch on ground (c)David Ocker](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCvI8CgY_dFU0pH-5cUcj2aiF7MQVN3D8tw0T__7D_MPVJzG57ErLr4HRr2rgOP08dvi_MX3sbT2-NACDnfNmgp1KwL2qHTkpk6XDoZSvupdl3qxnD19Qvb4wSpTlauefsaAYWQ/s320/Floundering+Finch+4.jpg)
I poked birdie with a small stick and was relieved that it had functioning legs and wings. It flew into a nearby tree. Here's my last view of it, blending into the surroundings but almost certainly just waiting to be some predator's dinner. When I looked at this picture I noticed bands on its legs - white on the left, black and red on the right.
![Lady Gouldian Finch in tree with leg bands (c)David Ocker Lady Gouldian Finch in tree with leg bands (c)David Ocker](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0GKVmG1wMENMQNZvihlI-2ArLbqlJwIwAkOh9gGa-7NS75VRpMqWsNNHm7opajeyWqbocw7ve-ZvQgOI3sP7Y1KgpFWgNYWrVDL7c1nFScMygtvFIG_Fqh2AK4Awdl9cF6r0dQ/s320/Floundering+Finch+5.jpg)
Our outdoor cat, MacTabby, has never brought us presents before. But this dead bird appeared on our front porch recently. A few hours later it disappeared. I don't want to know.
![dead bird on our porch (c)David Ocker dead bird on our porch (c)David Ocker](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPY4FNTXl_1sP6PxJpUqyz7HAU0oY3nIOMiWaOHkJ214RL4MwF86_kbVe3gL0nGsXp2fU5gHIQo4-TlOPKJdns8Eez8SWtHy_inWRQEvldbxq-OK43p39yvqy7QghqlkwVjVhESA/s320/MacT's+Dead+Bird.jpg)
Finally a bird inside our house: a statue of a pelican with a bromeliad growing on the base. Leslie won this at a meeting of LAUPS. I liked it enough to add it to our Kitchen Kitsch Korner.
![Kitchen Kitsch - pelican statue (c)David Ocker Kitchen Kitsch - pelican statue (c)David Ocker](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1JDCwRIomLghlOryOA03Du0_omvAJovWqbQx_slhePeuqDcu2P5lfuPhhRtJUzxEAmLWQG3-w9HyPVKFDNyMgymaVa0SO-6BiYZykq8rViYT5uDj1Z-iBKSXoXBFVQXRu6iV_Q/s320/Pelican+in+the+Kitchen.jpg)
The pictures all get bigger if you click on them.
Pasadena may have birds, but not the dumbest birds. Here's an amusing bird brain post at Alex Shapiro's green-colored blog about making music with seaweed.
Here, here, here and here are previous M.M. posts with pictures of birds. Here's my first and only backyard hummingbird picture - posted last August on Mixed Messages.
Brain Tags: birds. . . pigeon. . . hawk. . . Gouldian Finch. . . Pasadena fauna. . . Kitchen Kitsch
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