Flutter Me Bad

Brown Clipper

And so the Tucson Botanical Gardens begin another year of Butterfly Magic. On this day I was astounded by the new additions to the greenhouse!  It was fun getting back to the docent work.

Great Mormon Butterfly

We've had some new additions like the Great Mormon and Julia butterfly, but there were certainly more:)  The best part this year is that the Butterfly Magic is included as part of the entrance fee at the gardens. So if you've never been to one of these events, it's worth checking out.

Julia Butterfly

The butterflies of Southern Arizona are quite different from their tropical siblings. In essence, I sit studying charts and names to help me ID these beauties.  I can point out our butterflies here in the desert but I still have a hard time with the tropicals.  So today I studied the Great Mormon butterfly with great interest.

Birdwing Butterfly

Of course some of the popular regulars include the Atlas Moth.  I believe as of this write a Lunar Moth also went into the greenhouse.  Another beauty in the moth world.

Atlas Moth

So while things will hopefully cool off soon, this place will be warm and humid all year round.  As a docent, we rotate out in 3 shifts over 3 hours.  Entrance, educator, and Exit.  This year I have several students volunteering from the high school and I hope they enjoy it as much I do.

If you live in Tucson and are interested in becoming a docent at the Tucson Botanical Gardens, contact (520)326-9686, Ext. 39 or email education1@tucsonbotanical.org for more information. And as always, more tomorrow......

Lacewing Butterfly

Buggin Out

Orb Spider

Today was one of those days that we shouldn't have been on the trails.  In the back of my mind I questioned hiking in the Buenos Aires Wildlife Preserves because of the bugs.  It had gotten cooler so I thought it would be safer.  Wrong.  So this post is dedicated to all the critters who help manage the bugs:)

Kingbird getting that bug

It was a quick run and shoot around the 2 mile path.  The mosquitoes were out of control!  But I wanted that iconic "Kingbird getting the bug shot" so I stood still while 5 mosquitoes landed on me and sucked my blood.   But I got the shot:)  Again, there were many Kingbirds sitting on the tree tops swooping in half circles for the bugs.

Female Anna's Hummbird

And while most of the hummers have fled the state, several stick around like this female Anna's Hummingbird.  Residents of Southern Arizona all year.  Hummingbirds "hawk" for lots of bugs this time of year.

Say's Phoebe

A first photo debut for Las Aventuras, this Say's Phoebe also "hawks" for insects on low perches.

And then there is bug on bug action.  But while on the trails, we ran for our lives.  Above us circled this Turkey Vulture waiting for us to die from all the mosquito bites....well that was Pat's thought.  So while we had a quick jaunt on the boardwalk around the streams and small ponds, it was still a productive outing:)  More tomorrow....

Turkey Vulture

An Active Day!

Vermilion Flycatcher(male) and curious:)

It was El Presidio Gardens 2nd clean up event for this year and thank you to all the homeowners who came to help out on this very important day.  Without your help, our property would grow into a jungle!

Say what you like about pigeons but they do look beautiful in groups flying circles.  In fact, Miramonte Neighborhood has a group that swirls in circles AM and PM.  A signature piece to the Country Club/Speedway corners.

But on this day of write(10/6), something bigger would be revealed.  It has been hot here and now with the cooler temps arriving, it seems everyone has been breathing a sigh of relief!  Even the birds.

African Brown Goose

During our workday, I was overwhelmed by the number of bird species coming to visit El Presidio.  And let's not forget the butterflies.  For me, it was a testament that the gardens are serving their purpose.  Certain plants attract certain critters and for the first time(during the entire day), I was able to see how our property is attracting these magnificent creatures.  The research is paying off.

Black Crowned Night Heron

Certain areas have natural springs and of course, there are the parks......

Which is where I took these photos today.  Two Arizona blocks away is Reid Park.  I needed to get some birding in before our workday because I knew I would be exhausted afterwards. So I got up early and headed to the park where I would get my best shots ever of the Black Crowned Night Heron.

I was floored!  Never had I expected to find these magnificent creatures up in this tree.  In fact, there seemed to be an entire rookery up there!  But even stranger was this Great Egret on the adjacent branch!!!  Between this one bird and the many herons, I was snapping off shots for a half hour!  Even better was that I was finally able to get a nice shot of the Egret.  If you've tried to photograph these birds in the wrong lighting, you know what I'm talking about:)  In Tucson, our sun is intense and this bird glows on the shots because the white feathers reflect the sun!  Not today:)

But then, I nearly crapped myself.  And I almost missed it but thanks to my constantly evolving "bird sense", I spotted my first Kingfisher for the year!!!  The cherry on top of that delicious ice cream sundae.  This is the Belted Kingfisher.

I hope to get better shots of this wintering bird this year so we shall see.  But this bird is like spotting an owl....it makes me go "Ooooooo":)

Reid Park is my recommendation for those wanting to spot the Vermilion Flycatcher.  They are numerous here and seem to love the bandstand area.  Look at the trees around the building.  If this is on your life list and have limited time in Tucson,  head here early in the morning.  I spotted 5 pairs.  My female shots weren't so good.  She's yellow and has that black band around her eyes. 

While the pic below isn't up to snuff, I wanted to help you find where these birds like to perch.  This fence held two species.  The Gila Woodpecker stopped in for some fun.  It's one of the most reliable birds to see in the landscape.  You may not see the billion birds out there, but you'll always spot this Tucson favorite. And hear them as well:)

Like the Great Egret, this bird can also be difficult to get on camera because it's so small and if the sun hits the red feathers right, you may get blurry images.

There's plenty of water for these birds in this park.  I got there before the humans arrived with their dogs.  It was quiet, peaceful and the birds were happy.

Birding is definitely something to do bright and early.

Surprisngly I felt recharged and refreshed for some great gardening afterwards.  Although today as I type, my hands are full of cacti spines!  Yes, I wore gloves but none of that matters because our place looks fabu.

I came back and everyone was ready to work.  I pulled out my mental list.  Trees that needed pruning.  Weeds that needed pulling.  Plants that needed planting. Etc etc.

And while we were having our HOA meeting outside, I had a difficult time concentrating.  Because of the amazing life around me in the canopy of the trees.....the Curve Billed Thrasher, House Sparrows, House Finches, Cardinals, Verdins, Mourning Doves, Anna's Hummingbirds, Northern Mockingbird, etc etc.  They were all there and it was incredible. Truly incredible. And the butterflies hovered and clung to many of our leaves.  There were Queens and Swallowtails galore.

And I realized that once we add a water feature to the courtyard, we will have the perfect storm for maximum critter activity. Who knows?  We may become an EBIRD hotspot:)

And yet another shocker for me......this Starling.  They have invaded Tucson.  I thought I was seeing things but no....indeed, this was the Starling that gets everyone all angry.  But for me it was a life bird like the Belted Kingfisher so I kind of looked at this bird differently:)  Pretty scary looking.

And vocal!!!

To finish this post, I thought I'd end with a Swallowtail on Lantana shot.  Look at the wings of this beautiful butterfly.  You may notice that they aren't in great shape.  This is their last hoorah for the year and I will be sad when they disappear.

Anna's Hummingbird

Female Anna's Hummingbird

I wanted to share with you our hummingbird magic at El Presidio.  The hummingbirds have headed south except for our year round residents.  These were hummingbirds raised at El Presidio by their parents.  She sat and waited for me to get home and change the nectar.

I can stand literally inches away from her because I was with her when she hatched from that egg.....or during that crazy monsoon storm when they all hovered around me during my lightning photo shoot.  Her brother also flies near me and hangs around while I change the feeders.  He's not as trusting but he hangs in the air only inches away from my face sometimes:)  I always smile at their lack of patience.

If the feeder is low, they'll sit on the branches early in the morning and wait for me.

I'll be setting up a 3rd feeder again and I'm hoping no one steals this one.  Over the past year, we've had human attacks on 2 hummingbird feeders and one on the regular feeder in the courtyard.  A glass feeder was shattered, another stolen, and the regular seed feeder was yanked out of the ground.

But for the most part, these Anna's hummers have a nice life here on the property.  Protected.  Safe.  And secure up in their oak trees and other secret places that only their gardener friend knows about:)

This male Anna's was taken at Ramsey Canyon this summer but I wanted to show this guy again to help ID if you come and visit Arizona.  We have two males living on the property at El Presidio.  This past year, we had two active nests.  What will this year bring?

More to come....

In Our Deepest Darkness

If only it were so simple,
to cruise through life smelling roses;
but the obstacles blacken the countryside, 
and we unwittingly crush them beneath our boots.

Dreams sustain us through the madness; 
goals give a finish line to our race.
Yet they change with every turn, around every wall,
and remain elusive throughout the quest.

Mistakes are made, and regrets are our luggage;
we will drag them with us to slow us down.
The victories are flashes of light, sudden and unlasting, which allow us
to glimpse the road ahead before darkness descends.

Love is bitter, yet it is the bread that keeps us.
Over and over it fills us up, only to starve us.
The people whom we love shape our destinies and our strengths,
yet leave us cold and alone in the darkness.

There are others trying to race to the end;
occasionally, we bump into one or two.
The bonds we form help us down the path less lonely
but eventually, we lose each other in the darkness.

Alone is not a bad way to be;
it clears your head and focuses you on the journey.
Cherish the short intervals during the quest you have with others,
but be prepared to walk alone in the darkness.
                                              The Darkness by Christiana

Drive By Birding

It was so blasted hot!  And it's October!  But the need to bird is constant and never letting up.  With windows down at 5 mph, Kathie and I take a slow drive through Saguaro National Park.  Can you believe I had never been?  It's desert and I've seen it all before.  But I hadn't.

Antelope Jackrabbit

"Can you turn the radio off?"  Yes.  I'm such a dope.  If you're birding, you need to listen for birds.  Duh!  But I was in my car....a place one normally doesn't bird(in my mind). Yet on my drive to and from work what do I do?  Look at birds. But to bird from the car.....It was strange and so much fun all at the same time.    So we listened and drove slowly.

This is going to be fun.  Kathie and I have had some incredible journeys into the strangest places.  Places that I'd normally overlook.  Drive and bird?  Who does that?  "Chris, can you turn that a/c down more?"  But it's hot Kathie:) As I whine to myself in my brain.  It's like a bazillion degrees outside.  And we're birding......

Black Throated Sparrow

And it's incredible fun.  We see a Jackrabbit and for the first time in my life, I realize that I've never seen one before.  How many years have I lived here?  So I've been seeing the Peter Cottentail types.....but never a Jackrabbit.  And it's exciting.

Eventually we stop the car and begin to walk and bird.  There's activity in the hot desert.  Amazing that anything can survive these temps.  And yet they are.  Soon the sun begins to set and time is limited and there are birds out there.  We see and hear them.  They hide from our gazes.  But we walk sandy washes watching for snakes.  It's a total thrill.  We count many birds which include a Turkey Vulture, Red Tail Hawk, Gambel's Quail, Black Throated Sparrow and oh so many more birds.   For my plant friends, we find a Christmas Cholla and many Hackberry bushes loaded with the orange berries....and popular with the birds:)

I'm going through something in my life.  I can't explain it.  But it's powerful.  It was always there but I've let it come to surface over these past couple of years.  There is a calm and peace from it all.  It's more than just some hobby.  It's a passion.  A calling.  All I have to do is take that first step, but I'm scared. I speak Spanish.  I have a plant and wildlife background.  I have an education background.  But I need to learn to shoot a firearm. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it's true.  That's what is holding me back.  If I can do this, I can make a career change happen.  I did it once when I wasn't so settled and invested.  While "Drive By Birding", we notice a Border Patrol agent checking out something suspicious in the wash.  Incredible wild terrain full of dangerous things.  Over the past several years, one Park Ranger was killed on the job and of course, several border patrol agents and a rancher were shot dead.  As of this write on October 2nd, a border patrol agent was killed this morning. It has hit Southern Arizona pretty hard.....yet again.

Before I pursued education, I sat in a Ranger booth and welcomed visitors to the park in Wisconsin. Then teaching called.

But Kathie pulls me out of my deep reverie and this stupid midlife crisis and we search for birds.  At the end of the night, we sip wine on her balcony enjoying the beautiful night sky of Arizona.  A perfect way to end an amazing weekend exploring Southern Arizona. And speaking of driving, this is one of my songs I'm liking right now on the radio.  There is language so you've been warned:) Stay tuned for more....