Dead Heat

The heat.  The hot, muggy, wet monsoonal heat. It's part of the contract we mentally signed when we agreed to live in the desert.  Anyone who says it's a dry heat, needs to visit Tucson in July through September. In fact, if you say "dry heat" to an Arizonan, they'll probably smack you:) No matter what.  It's hot here. 

The anvil builds and it's a sign that there will be a storm!

What an amazing show from Mother Nature though!  I won't lie.  During this time of year, I lock myself inside the house and watch it all from my windows.  You'd be surprised how much activity is going on out there!  But when temps are 105 degrees at 80 percent humidity, one tends to shut the curtains and imagine the possibilities of tomorrow. 

Not unlike the cold snowy winters of the north or eastern states of the US, our time of misery is now. I sit at my desk and research, crunch data, money, and plan.  Sometimes I wait for a big break in the weather to go outdoors.  And eventually, I get one!

Greater Yellowlegs

I get in my car and drive!  Migration is upon us and that means there are a lot of cool birds coming through the state.  The rain cooled air feels so good.  A cold breeze touches my skin and I discover that my goose pimples are still present.  I just stand outside, free from my chains, and breathe.  I'm birding again!  There's nothing worse than being a caged bird inside your own home!

Baird's Sandpiper

The birds seem to be happy as well.  They sit up and pose for the camera.  No sun.  No heat.  Just a wonderful moment.  That is until a Peregrine Falcon flies over and reminds everyone that they still can be eaten. 

Scaled Quail

I knew it wouldn't last forever and so I just tried to absorb the moment.  And sure enough, the next day, temperatures were on the rise as was the humidity!  The cloud cover was all but gone. 

But after the storm left, we noticed many Wilson's Warblers in our area!  During migration, storms are known for helping birds move from one area to the next!

Wilson's Warbler

While the temps are high, the birds still amaze!  Best time out here is early morning and yeah....early morning:)

Hummingbirds, peeps, warblers and so many other birds are beginning their journeys back home. May they endure the heat and long trek.  Until next time.....

Squint

Do your eyes ever "shut down" after long hours on the computer?  Or after long hours on the trail searching for life?  Sometimes I have to squint my eyes to catch what it is I'm searching for.  And if I didn't squint, I might miss some of the fun shots that happen all around me.

What's that with wings on a dark shadowy branch?  What's that glistening thing sticking out on the twig?

Or that rustle in bushes?  Will it bite me?  Is that a lizard or a dinosaur up ahead?  How big do these guys get anyway?

Desert Spiny

And the birds off in the distance......like this American Avocet below.  You can definitely strain your eyes trying to focus on the shot.

During this shoot, I was by a thorny mesquite tree.  I cleared the branches away so I wouldn't poke my eyes out.

Would I get these Black Neck Stilts finally?  Was the lighting finally going to work with the shot?  It was all so far away.....

So my question to you is, "What do you do when your eyes get tired?"  or  "Do your eyes get blurry after many hours of using them with your camera?" 

Spring Awakening

Texas Mountain Laurel and a Black Carpenter Bee

Spring started early for us here in the Old Pueblo.  Here is another photo shoot taken on February 23 in the desert focusing on our beautiful spring show. How do you know it's officially spring?  The Texas Mountain Laurel sets forth the early signs with purple fragrant blooms. This Carpenter Bee(so named because it can burrow in wood) enjoys the nectar.  The purple flowers smell like Grape Kool Aide!!  I miss my Lilacs from home, but this plant replaced that need with it's similiarly looking purple blooms and fragrance.

We also know spring has arrived when summer hummers join in with our nesting Anna's and Costa's Hummers.  I really looked stupid waiting for this above shot.  But I got the darn thing:)

Bugs also indicate that summer is just around the corner.  I found this Pipevine Swallowtail hiding.  It appeared to have just come out of hibernation as the wings looked freshly unfolded.  The color is off because it was in the shade.  These rare beauties shimmer blue in the hot summer sun.  Count yourself lucky if you find one:)

And ohhh.....let's not forget our cacti friends.  The first signs of the cacti blooms happened this year to show up on the Pincushion Cactus.  Small delicate flowers on this personal favorite of mine:)  I'll have more cacti flowers for you coming up....

And then there are the wildflowers.  First the African Daisies, then the California Poppies, followed by the Globe Mallow, then the Desert Lupine....and so on and so forth.  The yellows and oranges appear first followed by the pinks of Parry's Penstemon, the whites of the desert Primrose and the dark blues of the California Bluebells.

The yellows of sunset as a bee gets a fill to bring back to the hive.....

And for my birding friends....well, check out this Sparrow calling from the Saguaro Cactus.  It's nesting time for a lot of desert birds.....several of which use the Saguaro cactus as their home and nest:)

So long you days of winter.  Your darkness lifts and the days become longer, warmer, and signal a change. Welcome!

Hummingbirds

My first hummingbird pic ever....very exciting.  These guys are quick!

Taking a break before my last series of garden journals, I wanted to take you all to a place that is beyond beautiful....the Boyce Thompson Arboretum.  This is a world class arboretum and I hope you'll enjoy my visit from back in March.  There's too much to cover in one post so I'll break it up into several writes over the next few days.  One of the things you'll notice at BTA is that it is a bird refuge and attracts all kinds of feathered friends to their beautiful garden paradise.  BTA offers several features that birds love......shade, bird friendly bushes, hummingbird feeders, a beautiful manmade stream and lake, and places for birds to nest. Located near Superior, AZ, BTA does not disappoint the desert enthusiast.  Let's take a look at several of the hummingbirds in the area along with several other shots of birds that I found flying around this magical botanical garden.  If you are a birder, this is definitely a place to stop and visit.   So you may ask me what all these hummers are called and I am not going to lie....I haven't a clue.  It looks like there are at least 3 kinds...maybe 4?  The only thing I know is that I was on a mission to snap pics of the hummingbird....and I did.  Next time I will learn to identify. Birding is a serious business as I run into birders all the time while identifying plants.  See if you can name these beautiful birds.  What's even more confusing is that the males and females are all different looking....I'm not a birder, but I do appreciate birds.

Anna's Hummingbird

The throat of that hummingbird in the background is stunning.

Adorable.  Hummingbirds are territorial and will fly right at you. 

While waiting for the shots, a pretty blue hummingbird would kick the rest of them off the feeder to keep it free for its own drink.

 I heard this bird scratching in the leaves and I started laughing.  It reminded me of my cats using the kitty litter.

Cute little thing. Scratch scratch.  Scratch scratch.

I loved the creek that ran along this part of the trail.  It was really relaxing and beautiful to watch all the birds flying around.

This is the hummingbird I mentioned several pics back.  This blue guy was very aggressive with the other hummers. What is the name of this hummingbird?

Below is an example of my shaky hands....to get hummingbirds with a quick shot, I have to keep my camera balanced on a branch or somewhere stable.

Patience patience patience....and SNAP!

Broad billed Hummingbird?

Until tomorrow.....

Sonoran Critters

Mule Deer

I took a walk yesterday at the Sonoran Desert Museum with my visiting brother and his wife and here are some of the critters we came across......

Wolf

Javelina

Whiptail Lizard

Cardinal Torito or Pyrrhuloxia

Tucson during Monsoon

I am not worthy of these photos. Tonight I am waiting for a huge storm to come so that I can see if the window will leak after we just sealed it up.  So passing the time, I went to our local TV website to see where the storms are and on http://www.kvoa.com/ under the weather link,  I discovered their gallery of great Tucson pics that capture why people live in Arizona.  Enjoy!! Again I did not take these pics, but this is a taste of what you'll see here if you keep your eyes open during monsoon:)  The photographers are credited on the gallery listings of KVOA. Here's a snapshot from local people beyond my own work.