Returning to the Phoenix area brings us back into the neighbourhood of many old friends.
Some come by the yard.

Gila woodpecker – Why did *I* have to get the bang-head-against-tree ecological niche?

Rosy-faced lovebird – This is such a nice spot for a snooze . . . zzzz . . .
Some insist that I come over to their place, as only befits their dignity.

Anna’s hummingbird – Yes, I am amazing. Thank you, thank you very much.
But when I get there, some refuse to make eye contact.

Black-crowned night herons – Don’t look. Don’t look! DON’T LOOK!!
Some just seem, well, indifferent.

Black-necked stilt – Yeah, yeah, who cares how far you drove?
Some I’ve seen many times before.

Green heron – When I stand perfectly still, I become invisible. Cool, eh?
And some are new, both to the camera and to the camera operator.

Ruby-crowned kinglet – I will pause here for a nano-second, just because.
Adult males flash a brilliant red crown when excited;
otherwise it is concealed.
– All About Birds
I was pleased to get *any* shot of this kinglet: They’re all of three to four inches long, nose to toes, er, beak-tip to tail-tip, and they Do Not Stop. Well, hardly.