Ernie's Great Outdoors

Soft whispering of quail a sign property has come a long way A male quail being a lookout. (ERNIE COWAN) ERNIE COWAN  Outdoors I could hear the whispers and it sounded juicy. If only I understood quail. It was an intimate moment with nature like I had never experienced before. Sitting motionless at the edge of the flowerbed I was listening in to the whispered conversations of feeding quail just a few feet away. The murmurings were hushed, almost inaudible. I’ve written before about the “muttering army” of quail that pass my bedroom window at dawn as they emerge from native cover and march to a nearby seed feeder. Their not-so-subtle cooing then is an almost daily alarm clock. This was the same sound, but I could almost not hear it. Had there been a wind or other noise the sounds would have vanished. The feeding quail were obviously close to each other with no need to be speaking loudly. This became an impromptu sit-and-see moment. I was out enjoying the morning sun and had pulled u...

Column: Got some sugar, water, oranges or grape jelly lying around? Residents are encouraged to share their images and videos of oriole visitors on social media using the hashtags #birdfromhome #weloveorioles and #sdorioles. (Ernie Cowan) Ernie Cowan’s Outdoors column By  ERNIE COWAN COLUMNIST  FEB. 20, 2021  5 AM PT The kids are coming home and I’m excited. OK, they’re not really my kids, but I feed them and provide a place for them to stay, so they might as well be. In the next few days, the brightly colored hooded oriole males will begin straggling into San Diego County from their winter homes in Mexico. They have made a long, challenging journey and will welcome the energy provided by orange slices, grape jelly or nectar feeders filled with fresh sugar water. By mid-March, local gardens will be buzzing with both males and females as they delight birders with their comical antics, bickering and nest building activities. Over the summer they will construct delicate...

Spirits fly high with comforting appearance of red-tailed hawk The red-tailed hawk is the most common hawk in the region. (ERNIE COWAN)  ERNIE COWAN Outdoors For a few brief moments I could fly. My mind and heart were soaring on the spread wings of a red-tailed hawk as it floated by at eye level. Without a single wingbeat, the hawk’s tail feathers flared as he banked to the right and the crisp morning sunlight ignited the brilliant red plumage. With awe and childlike imagination I was right there, at one with the hawk, floating on gently rising air currents. A leftover raindrop dripped from my patio roof into the fountain and snapped me back to reality. As is often the case, the sunny morning following a rainstorm is a special time. Nature seems to go on as usual, but there is a sense of rejuvenation in the air. The morning sunlight was warm and refreshing, a relief from the previous cold, damp days. My hawk sighting was comforting. Nature’s clock is still ticking. This beautiful m...