Do you remember Creedence Clearwater Revival? Have you heard “Looking Out My Backdoor“? I’ve been reminded of the song recently, while out on our back porch.
Looking east across our neighbor’s backyard, we have a view of one of the oldest homes in Alameda, which I’m told dates back to the Civil War era. The owner does a wonderful job keeping his yard in bloom, and this time of year the bougainvillea are blossoming, as well as some form of gum tree (I believe from Australia) which blooms orangey-red:
Here’s a very tiny birdly bonus. If you look very closely, you can see a black phoebe at bottom center of the picture. I’ve cropped and blown up the image so far the detail is shot, but in the middle of the next pic you can see the outline of the little black bird on my neighbor’s garden scarecrow:
It’s been a very dry year in California, and we’ve used gray water to try and keep our garden and yard alive. As a result our garden has been great hunting grounds for a family or two of black phoebes, which love all the little insects, most of which we humans deem “beneficial.”
We do what we can to encourage these, including having a butterfly bush, which has gotten quite overgrown this year:
And sometimes those conical blossoms do bring in the flutterbys:
Fanning his wings while sipping nectar.
Not all of our buggy visitors prefer the daytime. Working in the yard we found this little fellow underneath some acanthus leaves:
But these guys aren’t the black phoebe family’s favorite food. I watch them flitting around the backyard, dive-bombing bugs and flying back to their post — they prefer posts and medium high spots in the yard where they can pick and choose their meals. Once, all the little ones were lined up on the fence between our yards and I went to grab my camera, but quick as they are, by the time I got back they were gone — oh, well. Hopefully I’ll get another chance.
OmbudsBen 
I’d say that was a red gum, which is a long way from home but clearly not suffering from it!
What a lovely view you have! I’ll admit, I do like Alameda quite a bit. Walnut Creek is so much newer, a lot of the housing lacks the character of Berkeley/Oakland/Alameda.
We have ‘gum trees’ outside of our yard, too. Otherwise known, I believe, as Eucalyptus trees. I have heard they tend to drop branches during drought. I hope we don’t get one on our car, since we have no control over the tree whatsoever.
Lovely view you have there! I admit I’m a tad envious. The view out of one of my doors (which in theory is my front door, but since I seldom use it I don’t really consider it as such) is that of the growing collection of my neighbors old heeps. I don’t like those neighbors. My kitchen door is a little friendlier, but not as friendly as when the big ol’ walnut tree was there.
You’re a lucky man.
You’re right, T-woo, it’s a red gum, and J, your note prompted me to look up eucalyptus trees. If one is to believe Wikipedia (and this one gives them the benefit of the doubt) “eucalypts” are the broader group, and gum trees are a much smaller subset.
Years ago when I first arrived out here, someone told me that eucalyptus trees were brought to California by the railroad tycoons, who noted the trees grew fast and straight, and hoped they could be used for railroad ties.
They make terrible RR ties, as they disintegrate qiuickly, but they do well in California, and are now ubiquitous. If you remember the devastating east bay fires of 1991, eucalyptus trees provided much of the fuel.
Thanks all for the kudos to our backdeck view. J, I hope the falling branches miss your car, and LB, somewhere in your future I hope there is once again a lovely walnut full of birds and squirrels, too, to taunt your cats and keep them lively.
Yes, a very lovely view. From my office window i can see trees in the distance, beyond the concrete apartment blocks. No flowers or critters.
That song will be in my head for days now. An earworm, as they say.
You have a wonderful view out your backdoor. 🙂
That really is a stunning view to have from your house. You’re lucky. And, like Robin, now the song is stuck in my head. Oh well… there are worse songs to be ‘earworms’.
Beautiful view! Thank you for sharing. I just published an on-line photography book titled “Out My Backdoor – on the edge of suburbia”.
I’m in northern CA and we get an occasional black phoebe in the yard also. I am working on another book which does include some black phoebes.
Stevo, living in China as you do, I think you have a good excuse.
Earworm! Robin, you’ve taught me a new word.
Karleen, I’ll come check it out, thanks.