The Checkered White Butterfly

In the heart of Tucson during an overcast day, I discovered a white light sight fluttering about the wildflowers along the Santa Cruz river.

I didn't know what it was.  I had never seen it before....until now.  Can butterflies, like birds, be said to be "lifers"?

I was alone.  There was a slight breeze as I stood at amazement of this graceful dancer from flower top to flower top.

People think the desert to be harsh and void of life, but it's not.  Especially not now with the dwindling monsoon storms.  The rain makes everything green and alive.

I forgot about my stresses for the day and was in complete "WOW!" of this butterfly.  In some places this a protected species. And just when you've thought you seen it all......

Checkered White Butterfly

The Chuparosa Challenge-Devil's Play

I think you may have been waiting for an update, yes???  Well this blogger has much up his sleeves:)  How did I have so much time to do all of this?  Well, TV is pretty bad these days and life is pretty exciting. And there's a whole lot more fun outside than inside. What I want to know is how I can do all this walking and not lose weight!!!???  So the Devil???

Well if you haven't guessed it yet, I found another gem in the hummingbird world at Ash Canyon!  The name is Lucifer.  Or another name for Satan.  If this is what Satan looks like, I may be tempted to join in on the fun:)  But come to find out....it has nothing to do with the Red Guy at all.

In Latin, lucifer means "light-bearing" and was applied in Old English to the morning star. Thus, when William Swainson named the Lucifer Hummingbird in 1827 he might have been thinking of the luminous glow of its colors. The male Lucifer's outer tail feathers are hard and narrow, and hum loudly during aerial displays. He performs a zigzagging dance to attract females and repel other males.

One of the distinguishing features of this hummer is the decurved (downward-curving) bill.  Reminds me of a Depeche Mode video or a distant relative the Ibis:)  Another new word for hummer fans to add to their must know lists....gorget, swording, and decurved:)

On this particular day, the hummingbirds were out in high numbers meaning they were EVERYWHERE!!!  Not just the Lucifer but lots of other species. August and September are the high months for hummers to migrate through Arizona to get to Mexico and Central America for winter.

When I saw this guy, I nearly flipped.  I wasn't expecting him as I was looking for the Rufous.  So as you can imagine....it was quite the treat:)

Many times I'll go out on the Rare Bird Alert site for New Mexico and Arizona to help me zone in on the hot areas for birds and then just go.  In fact, I went this day again looking for the Starthroat and ended up with most excellent finds:)  But will I ever find the Starthroat??!!

By the end of this challenge, I feel like I will be able to write a paper on these birds.  It has been a wonderful adventure into a world of exciting and colorful birds. Birding with hummers isn't difficult at all and the people who bird for hummers are always interesting.  The most hiking I have done for a hummingbird mission was in Montosa Canyon for that elusive Plain Capped Starthroat:)

Agave blooms on the hills and in the canyons are the preferred foods for most hummers like the Lucifer.  Plus there is a plentiful collection of bugs this time of year for them to do their "hawking". 

There will be more on the Chuparosa searches.  I'm not done yet:)  Remember I have written these posts back in August and I'm at the high point of hummer season:)  A special "thank you" to Mary Jo for the telephone conversations and info about these hummingbirds.  More tomorrow....

Amar Es Compartir

I always have my camera ready near the birdfeeders because you never know what will go down on a day to day basis:)  Today I was finally able to capture the Verdin and Anna's Hummer together on the feeder!!!  Last time I tried to do this, there wasn't any memory card!  PS.  I'm still catching up with everyone, and I promise I'll be stopping by soon.  Love all your stories and pics but I have to give the eyes a rest each night and time to absorb all your experiences.

The Verdin flies in first.  And then several of our hummers see this guy and say, "Oooh heck no!"  But wait, "He's not a hummer.  I can't chase him off!"

And so "Sharing is loving."  or "Loving is sharing."  Either way, they were so cute on the feeder together.

And of course, lots more to come.  Until next time.....

El Sr. Papagayo

Northern Mockingbird

Hello everyone!  I'm back and catching up with you all. It has been an amazing weekend with a lot of finds and I can't wait to share those posts with you all. Although, I'm done with these chigger bites.  They are terrible this year!  So don't look at the bird bath.  It's disgusting and has since been cleaned.  But apparently, the wildlife doesn't care.  In fact the more algae, mosquito larvae, and less water it has....the better!

Once common at El Presidio, this Northern Mockingbird stopped by for a quick bath and drink. Residents called this bird "the Papagayo".  I have no idea what that meant but it stuck.  El "Sr. Papagayo" made lots of exotic and tropical bird noises in our courtyard at the end of May and into June right before monsoon. It was the most beautiful sound to hear and many residents left their doors open to listen to the comforting and continually random calls he learned from other birds over his lifetime.  Which begs the question, "Who were all those interesting characters he met?!"

He was indeed a "Sr." because he was looking for a mate.  When I first met him in person, I was, how shall we say, underwhelmed by the appearance.  Then our pool was removed and el "Sr. Papagayo" never returned.  Perhaps it was the water, but for two seasons his voice was not heard at El Presidio. They flew around in our neighborhood but never stopped by our gardens.....until now.

You don't realize how precious something is until its gone.  When this Mockingbird made a return to the gardens for the first time, my heart leapt.  I constantly look out my window for the new birds and when I saw our newly returned visitor, I had to contain my excitement and slowly grab the camera.

The secret?  We need to get our fountain into the courtyard and then perhaps, "El Sr. Papagayo" will return on a regular basis. So welcome back my feathered friend:)  More tomorrow.... 

Cool Potting Ideas for Tucson

Keeping it "LIVE, LOCAL, LATEBREAKING!", I'm reporting from around Tucson.  Today I'm presenting some fun potting ideas from the Tucson Botanical Gardens.  (And my aspirations as a plant lover to create better potting arrangements at my own home. )

Of course, the hot plants that explode in our summer heat are beginning to produce some nice fruit.  Pomegranates grow here in Tucson very well.  This fruit is really expensive in stores and is taken for granted in the Old Pueblo.  Many times the fruit will just fall off or dry up on the trees because people don't know how to eat them.  They can be messy to eat but they do taste good.

But we're talking about potted plants today.  Several of my favorite plants utilized in filtered shade are the Caladiums.  Mix them up for that "WOW" effect.  Also notice the ice plants below.  In my opinion, I'm not sure that that particular plant is good to put with Caladiums as it requires a little less water but it seems to work for the TBGs.  I would substitute the Ice Plant with a purple Sweet Potato plant to hang over the pot.   Remember to think, "Thriller, Filler, Spiller"  The spiller would be the Sweet Potato vine, the "Thrillers and Fillers" are the Caladiums.  Also keep in mind, when placing annuals, etc in their pots, that you should always keep plants that require similiar watering and lighting needs together.  I learned much of this the hard way and continue to make an occassional blunder now and again as most of us do in our gardens:)

Remember to keep plants that require more watering near the entrance to your home.   Here is another example below of some potting fun with cacti.  In Tucson, you can buy planters like these from local artists, nurseries, and at events like the 4th Ave St Faire.

And check this piece of magic out.  This was my favorite set up.  Let's go closer......

Oh heck yeah!  Brilliant use of succulents with this tea set.  In fact, succulents are fantastic to use in garden art pieces.  Here the artist captures an English tea moment with some fun succulents like the "Crassula argentea 'E.T.'s Fingers'" on the far left in the tea pot. Blow the pic up larger and look at the tips of this plant.  Use your imagination, but if you've seen E.T., you can see why the name applies:)I think what makes this group of plants exciting are not only the choices and shapes for each plant but the names are fun and so are the artistic things you can do with them!  Here in Tucson, succulents require morning light with shade protection in the afternoon during the hot summer.  And don't forget to water regularly...but don't overwater.  In winter, protect from freezing temps.  They can be tricky to grow here....especially this group below but when utilized in art like this, they make a spectacular presentation.  

My best ideas always seem to come from others and that's why I'm thankful for botanical gardens like our own Tucson Botanical Gardens. More tomorrow...

Aloe Groundcover

Aloe vanbalenni

Desert gardens and shade.  Sometimes it can be difficult to find a balance between the sun loving plants receiving too much shade from the canopy of trees. So I had this idea.  I love how people from Wisconsin place Hostas around the base of their trees for a little eye candy punch.

Hosta love at the Green Bay Botanical Garden entrance

So I shot this pic from the Green Bay Botanical Gardens in June to spice it up with some desert garden thinking.  We do have plants here that can resemble this pattern and shape.  For new people who move to the desert from the East coast, they miss their Hostas and other shade loving plants that act as low shrubs or groundcover. Instead of wasting your money on something that will need constant watering and shade, why not think about planting something from the Aloe family?  You could plant a billion types of Hostas back home and you can plant the same amount from the Aloe group here in Tucson:) So I took off for the Tucson Botanical Gardens in the heat of the summer to show you examples of what I'm writing about today.  If you're looking to achieve a similiar feel(but not exactly the same), might I suggest this wonderful plant.  Here are a few samples of this "clumping" plant beneath your desert trees.

Aloe brevifolia

Many people who first arrive to the desert confuse Aloe and Agave (and I do admit I was one of them back in the 90's....so don't be embarrassed, we all do it:) Botanical gurus still have nerdy discussions about Sotol and Agave. But that's a whole other topic.  You just need to know that both make nice alcoholic drinks:)   Landscaping between WI and AZ is quite different.  Many of the plants were alien to me.  The differences between Aloe and Agave?  Well there are quite a few actually.  Agave are mainly quite large and take a lot of sun with little water once established.  Some Aloes, on the other hand, need a bit more shade.  There are a few varieties that can handle full sun, but most like shade out of the direct sunlight.  And they can handle a tad more water but NEVER let them sit in water.  Most Aloe varieties are smaller in size and make great plants for groundcover.  Put some rock mulch around the space and you've got a snazzy desert look.  Check out how the blue rocks were used with this Aloe variety below.  Incredible!  I have Aloe growing around the property at El Presidio.  Someone apparently figured this out because I will find occassional leaves cut off around the base.  The sap from most Aloe plants acts as a very soothing treatment for sunburn(which during this time of year we have plenty of:)

Aloe fosteri

Or maybe they were attacked by one of our huge lizards here.

However, I couldn't find a body nor would I stay around long enough to do more investigation;) For more great ideas on gardening or landscaping in your own areas, visit your local botanical gardens.  More tomorrow....

From Start to Finish

While the project isn't completely done, we do have some updates to record from the El Presidio gardens.

This project started in May and continued through the month of June. 

The rotted wood was replaced and re-stuccoed.

It was painted.

The wood removed.  No more tree litter on beams.

Some of the danger is gone.  The fear of wood falling onto one's head around the shed is no longer a threat:)

The pillars would be cut in half.

In early August, I would receive money for the pots to finish up the spaces.

And of course the doors will need to be replaced.....and the fun part? 

 The Imperial Blue pots.  The posts cut down in half open up the area to the canopy of the Oaks.  The rotten wood is gone and that expense will no longer be needing replacement.

 Plants placed into the pots are hardy annuals here in Tucson.  Phlox, Vinca, Salvia, and Dianthus were chosen for the 4 pots this summer.  Other choices include Pentas, Ice plants, Sweet Potato vine, Dahlia, Gerbera Daisy etc....

 I will be moving that Bamboo out and putting it with the other clumps.  The garden is constantly changing or being modified as work is done.  We do need to paint around here soon, but for now it is what it is.  I'd like to wish you all a great Labor Day weekend.  I'll be back commenting again either Sunday night or Monday.  I'm on more epic adventures this weekend with some friends and will be out of town. Hope you all relax and have a wonderful 3 day.