Happy Halloween

Here are this years selection for the Halloween theme. Of course, you know me, I don't think any of these beauties are scary or spooky. The only species I find to be the stuff of nightmares are homo sapiens and thankfully there aren't any of those in my yard (yours truly excepted, and hubby too!) 

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?

The Best of 2013

Better late than never, here is my traditional 'Best of'' post for 2013. As usual I was completely incapable of selecting one critter for each category but I guess that just means we saw lots of cool stuff throughout the year which can't be a bad thing.

So first off, the wonderful plants that surround us. During April and May the desert bursts into bloom in an entirely flamboyant way. Each sub-species of Prickly Pear produces a different colour.

 

In August it is the turn of the Barrel Cactus to stun



And as if the blooms weren't beautiful enough, the fruit are not too shabby either.



In the Invertebrate section, an old favourite puts in another appearance, we seemed to have so many tarantulas this year, we love having them around.



From a slightly higher elevation, this outrageous Caterpillar made quite a dramatic appearance. It will eventually turn into a Hubbards Small Silkmoth but this is most definitely it's 'big moment,'



There was one particular amphibian who demanded to be acknowledged this year. The diminutive Red-spotted Toad has a HUGE voice and this individual set up shop by our pool this summer and made his presence known every night, very loudly. So it only seems fair that he should represent the amphibian group.



A group that I don't usually include but, lets face it, is hard to ignore, I will call 'scenery.' And my goodness, is it dramatic!



If you have a moonrise, it seems only logical that a sunset should be part of the deal too.



We have had some lovely mammals around this year. The Rock Squirrels decided to overcome their usual shyness and move into our back patio area to raise there babies.



And it is always a huge treat when a Bobcat drops by to say hello.



We have had a great reptile year with all kinds of firsts, not least of which was this magnificent Western Diamondback that curled up peacefully beside our house one evening



I had a long chat with this next reptilian visitor. How could I not when presented with such an expressive face? Another very relaxed encounter which allowed me to take numerous photos...



Of course, by far the largest group of photos belongs to our avian friends. I just couldn't decide which were my favourites. Well lets face it, they all are!
For imagery this Cardinal really got himself set up perfectly.

But not to be outdone, his close relative, the Pyrrhuloxia used the same technique to ensure inclusion in the year end review.



For sheer entertainment it is hard to beat the goofy Roadrunner with its crazy antics. This one sat in a tree next to me, chattering and scolding me while I took its picture.



This Great-horned Owl however seemed rather less engaged in his photo session!

Our resident Coopers Hawk, never fails to provide a little drama at the unfortunate expense of numerous quail and doves.



But the loss of life is balanced by the creation of new life and it was a delight to watch a pair of Thrashers raise this pair of chicks in a Cholla Cactus.



But before I finish the bird section, I couldn't possibly move on without including 'the boss.' Twigman continues to rule the land with a steely glare and a fearsome chatter. Ignore him at your peril!!



And so on to a new year. Lets hope it is filled with 'all creatures great and small.'
Happy New Year everyone.

Part of the Scenery

All the herps on our land are very special to me because they don't appear too often so I consider myself very lucky to have seen two beautiful Horned Lizards in as many months. While this one was not quite as 'up close and personal' as the last one, it did give me a perfect demonstration of its amazing cryptic colouration.

Happy Halloween

Those of you who follow this blog on a regular basis know very well that the only species I find remotely scary is Homo sapien. So the concept of any creatures being horrifying to people makes me sad. I want everyone to see the amazing beauty in the diversity of species around us. That being said I am prepared to enter into the spirit of the Halloween holiday with some of my most beloved 'terrors' from the past year.
Have a wonderful Halloween everyone.