Pointed Perfection - Part Two

Well I did warn you in the previous post that I couldn't resist taking photos of Horned Lizards but just look at that face. It demands to be photographed! This particular individual was very focused on hoovering up ants so he was probably giving me the hard stare for disturbing his meal if the truth be told.

Pointed Perfection - Part One

All the creatures on our land make me happy but inevitably there are a few favourites. High up on the favourite list has to be the Horned Lizards. They don't appear very often or, more correctly, I don't see them very often! So when I do see them I am invariably delighted and take far too many pictures. How could I not?

Siesta Time

I love discovering a sleeping Nighthawk hunkered down during the heat of the day in a shady spot. Their cryptic colouration is so perfect, just a feathered rock snoozing away!

A Regal Year

King Snakes are usually a rare sighting on our land but this year we are virtually tripping over them. I wonder how this will effect the populations of other snake species we usually see more regularly. Hopefully they won't all disappear.

A Regular Favourite

The Antelope Ground Squirrels make a very good living from the seeds that fall from the bird feeders and yes, I'll be honest I usually 'spill' a little for them too. How can I resist those stuffed little cheeks?

More Residents Of The Saguaro

Mature saguaros are regular apartment blocks for native species. One of the major excavators are the Gila Woodpeckers. They create cavities in the saguaro which other, less efficient tunnelers can then use too.

I managed to catch a shift change with this pair, the female came in with a juicy green caterpillar and relieved the male of his babysitting duties.

What Makes Me Happy

A tiny little rattlesnake trundling across the driveway, barely bigger than a twelve inch ruler would probably upset a lot of people but it makes me come over all warm and fuzzy.

I love little baby animals and just because they happen to be dangerously venomous, I don't discriminate.

I just hope this sweet little fellow manages to avoid the king snakes. I also hope that it chooses to stay on our land as many of my neighbours kill all snakes indiscriminately. Which is a shame because they are such a vital part of a healthy ecosystem.

Quite apart from the fact, he is such a tiny little thing, he deserves to be left in peace to live.

The Promise Of Things To Come

We have had so many blossoms on so many of the plants in our yard this year and now it is the turn of the king of them all. The mighty saguaro hints at it's moment of magnificence.