Zip-per-ooo

Since I'm posting behind again  I should say this was taken on a Thursday and I'm posting it on Saturday.  So Thursday...

When I went out to put water in the dishes, I saw a "speck" of red in my neighbor's bush.  It was a cardinal. I scooted into the house to grab my camera but by the time I returned the bird was gone.  Then I spotted at least four in the short palm on the other side of his yard, both males and females.  But dang, I never got a decent shot of them.

I stood in the middle of my small yard for a while, continually spinning around looking for anything to shoot.  There were a couple of White-crowned sparrows and a hummer or two hiding in the Texas Ranger, and various finches coming and going.  I decided to creep towards the feeder and wait for Zippy.  I couldn't get him in flight but I think this one is pretty decent.

It was an amazing day.  Hot even by our standards for early February.  The high temperature was 91°/33°, a record.  Interestingly, overnight it was 40°/22° lower than that.  So goes late winter in the desert!