March 6 -- The Javelina Return To Faranuf

The predawn colors were again fleeting, but as I was refilling the bird trays and water features I was keeping an eye out to the east, and managed to get a closeup before it all faded away -- 

After breakfast I did a quick check of the well house to see how the mothballs were holding up -- and everything looked fine. I attempted to crank off the water filter container again so I could replace the filter, but it's still on too tight so I gave up again. I'd asked the water softener guy who came out to inspect my softener system about 2 weeks ago if he could give me the size of the wrench to take it off; my water filter is larger than most of the other ones around here. He never responded to my e-mails, so I think I'll call the company up today (the 7th) as it's getting way over the every 3 months that you're supposed to replace it. I can order the wrench on Amazon, I just need to know the right size to ask for. Then I put a small wire fence around the artemisia I'd planted the day before just in case any critters got it in their head to munch on it. After that I relaxed and watched the bird action in the back yard. It was a little breezy, so Mr. Pyrrhuloxia's head crest blew up straight --

The of the Black-throated Sparrow residents was having a rest from his turn at the feeders --

Then I saw a flash of red -- and Mr. Cardinal had returned, after an absence of nearly 4 months!  

I was going to put some more black oil sunflower seed out to entice him to stay awhile, but it was at that point that the javelina herd made a return appearance in the back yard -- 

 Shoot. Mr. Cardinal flew off, and I never saw him again that day. As on the previous visits, the javelina were completely calm, even lazy. I think part of the trick to keep from from getting agitated is to avoid any sudden movement, so I moved slowly and deliberately on the back deck. They were eating up all of the bird seed that I'd placed on the ground and in other spots that were within their reach. And I sure had good timing, putting that fence around the artemisia as they probably would have eaten that, too. They sniffed around the fence but otherwise left it alone --

Mom and her baby were back and they all seemed pretty comfortable and very relaxed -- 

Even Junior decided to lay down while getting some liquid refreshment --

Then Mom did her wallowing thing in the water feature --

Lazing on a Sunday afternoon -- 

The javelina wandered to within 10 feet from where I was standing on the deck --

Scratch that itch, Mom!  

After they'd vacuumed up all of the bird seed, they ambled back into the brush past the well house -- 

There was on straggler left who was finishing taking apart the brush pile that I'd constructed for the birds --

Once they left, I headed down the back steps to restock what the javelina had plowed through -- and saw some feathers underneath the steps. It looked like a Cooper's or a Sharp-shinned hawk had plucked a bird there --

There wasn't a carcass or any leftover body parts, just feathers. A friend later ID'd them as belonging to a White-winged Dove, which won't be missed. Now if it had been, say, one of the Black-throated Sparrows, then that would have been an entirely different matter. But it's another example of there's always something happening at Faranuf; there's almost never a dull moment...