Detective Work

I had seen them swooping back and forth across our land but with their constant motion I couldn't know for sure if they were breeding here. One afternoon I heard their familiar strident chirping and looked up to see a family unit using the nearby power lines as a rest stop. My hunt was on - did they use one of the saguaros in our yard to nest?

As the Purple Martins swooped and swirled overhead I walked quietly through the vegetation watching the parents teach the fledglings how to become masters of the air. The male settled again

 

He stared down at me with his intense jet black eyes then the female called to him and settled close by.

 
She was clearly a little upset by my presence which made me think that her nest must be close by. Of course I didn't want to unsettle her so I walked away and let her settle and quieten down. There was a group of three giant saguaros close by and my suspicion was that her nest was somewhere there. I stayed a safe distance away and sure enough when she had decided I was far enough away she returned to her family and I had my perfect photo op'.

Thank you so much Mrs Purple Martin for letting me share you secret and thank you for making me feel so lucky by choosing this spot to raise your family.

Nature Notes hosted by Michelle at Rambling Woods.

A Natural Model

The Thrasher is often overlooked as a rather plain, brown bird but I enjoy them and the very best time to photograph them is in the soft evening light. They have such a dramatic silhouette.

This one was perched atop a dead Saguaro and the light just caught his eye as I raised the camera.

A perfect model.

I Love Monsoon Season

When the rains come to the desert every living thing seems to celebrate. When the fearsome dark clouds finally offload their moisture there is a collective sigh of relief as the temperature briefly dips and everything is refreshed.

We become complacent about the endless days of clear, perfect blue skies so when the rain clouds roll in the novelty is much appreciated.



It also seems to be a time when the more reclusive inhabitants put in an appearance. This was the first time I had seen Ladder-backed Woodpeckers in my yard and a pair of them spent most of the morning outside my kitchen window.

The Cholla make the most of the rains to push out their delicate pink blossoms, quite out of keeping with the rest of their fearsomely spiny structure.

I always go amphibian hunting in the evening after the rain and this beautiful little Red-spotted Toad obligingly put in an appearance to ensure my efforts were not in vain.

 

I remember being so shocked to see a fungus sprouting quite vigorously in the Sahara Desert when I traveled there so I suppose I shouldn't have been so surprised to see this splendid specimen pop up in my yard.

There are always a vast array of lizard species scuttling around but it is unusual for the shy Zebra-tailed Lizard to stay still long enough for a photo. No prizes for guessing why it got it's name!

Of course with rains come numerous bugs of every shape and size and with them the appearance of their predators. This beautiful Arizona Blonde Tarantula lives in my back yard and always appears after rainfall to catch supper when darkness arrives.

And for those of you who prefer furry things that are warm blooded and have a skeleton, this Round-tailed Ground Squirrel sat in front of our office window and did some very thorough ablutions during a morning rain shower.

Yes, I think it would be true to say that I am not the only one who loves Monsoon Season.

Nature Notes hosted by Michelle at Rambling Woods.

Just Passing Through

I posted about my wildlife camera earlier this year. It is a bit like Christmas, you leave it alone for a few weeks then take out the memory card and download the images to see what has passed by when you weren't looking! I love the surprises. Some of them are pretty predictable like the ever present rabbits.

Some are very shy like the gentle deer. Was she looking in through the kitchen window that morning I wonder?

The javalinas almost always come by at night, I've only seen them once in the daylight so without my wildlife camera I would never know they had been here. (Can you see the second one in the background?)

And the cheeky Roadrunner strolls about with his tail in the air just whenever it suits him!

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Delicious!

I have had prickly pear fruit ice, candy, liquor, relish and numerous other forms and have enjoyed them all so I can totally understand why all the creatures around my yard enjoy feasting on these beautiful fruit. In fact I love seeing these voluptuous, colourful fruits so I never pick them, preferring to watch the wildlife enjoy the juicy treat.

At this time of year there are a lot of animals going around with pink, sticky faces! I try to ensure that the various bird baths are kept full and fresh so that they can clean themselves up when they have finished their feast.
The House Finches just can't seem to get enough.................

The Antelope Squirrel climbs carefully around the spines and teeters precariously on the edge of the cactus pad to get to the sweet fruit.

And ends up wearing juice and fruit on face and feet!

The Thrasher with its huge curved beak really digs into the fruit and definitely ends up with a pink flush.

Umm, it tastes so good!

Nature Notes hosted by Michelle at Rambling Woods.

A Kill!

When we have had a rain storm our exterior lights become a magnet for a veritable parade of weird and bizarre insects. If I am lucky some of them will still be there in the early morning so that I can photograph them. I noticed this adult form of the Antlion and the light was just right to get a shot.

I then went out to check the bird feeders and when I got back to the front door I noticed there had been a kill!

Not exactly a pride of lions pulling down a Cape Buffalo but pretty remarkable none the less. I think the lesson learnt is don't hang around the light too long - you might become someones breakfast!

Keeping Cool

Of course it can get very hot in the desert but all the animals are designed to handle it. Most of the birds will pant with an open beak to cool down. This young Coopers Hawk hid out in the shade of a Mesquite Tree during the heat of the day.

The Cactus Wrens don't seem to slow down when the temperatures rise, they continue to scold anyone and everyone!

The Roadrunner whiles away the hottest hours under the shade of our car port with all his feathers fluffed up to assist with cooling.

But the winner for chilling out and enjoying a siesta is this sweet little Antelope Squirrel who carefully dug himself a hole in the soil, just deep enough to get down to the moist earth, under the shade of a tree.

Where he sprawled out with his belly touching as much of the damp soil as possible and dreamed away the hours. Do you notice something next to him?

Well being a highly organised little guy, he had even remembered to bring along a snack so he didn't have to go out into the sun when he got peckish. He has definitely got things well sussed out!

Nature Notes hosted by Michelle at Rambling Woods.

Lifes Little Surprises

I was sitting outside having eaten dinner, the evening was warm and humid and the crickets were chirping whilst the bats flitted overhead. As is my habit, I took my Maglite to see if I could spot any nocturnal visitors going about their evening business.

The Arizona Blonde Tarantula was in her usual spot under the Prickly Pear, a Tailless Whip Scorpion was just sidling under the gate and then I noticed this little treasure hunting amongst the rocks. I love geckos! This little Western Banded Gecko was enchanting. No sooner had I spotted this one, which was my first ever in Arizona when a few feet away I noticed another smaller one.

I wondered why it was I had never noticed these beautiful little characters before so I did a little research and discovered that they, rather like the Gila Monsters, spend very little time above ground and they have a very narrow temperature and humidity window that sparks their above ground jaunts, which made this particular sighting all that much more special.

The Bounty Continues

I seem to write endless posts about the majestic Saguaros but they are such magnificent desert monuments it would be hard not to. I posted recently about this years abundant crop of Saguaro flowers which provide food to a vast array of insects, birds and mammals.

Now the flowers have withered away and the equally precious fruits provide more sustenance to the desert inhabitants.

The bulging pods burst open to reveal their luscious red interior in their star shaped splendour.

And the harvest from the mighty Saguaro continues to sustain many through the harsh desert summer.

So Hard to be Impartial!

I have observed the cycle of life in many permutations, having lived in Africa for ten years I know first hand that nature is a harsh mistress where you have to fight hard just to survive and I have certainly seen endless creatures killed and eaten by other creatures. But that doesn't stop some kills being harder to come to terms with than others.

I was happy to watch this young Coopers Hawk feasting on a hard earned meal whilst perching low in a tree at the front of the house. Like many predators raptors tread a fine line between success and starvation.

Many young predators never hone their hunting skills quickly enough after leaving the care of their parents and perish during their first year of independence.

But this young hawk had killed successfully and was tucking into his meal with great relish so I was careful to make sure that I didn't disturb him by getting too close and scare him into dropping his food.

Thank goodness for the joys of modern technology and cameras with massive zoom capacity :)

So it wasn't until I was putting the images onto my computer that I actually got the chance to look at what he was eating. I had assumed that it was one of the numerous doves or quail that breed so profusely that they seem to be a food source for everyone and still maintain a massive population but no. Look at those feet and that hooked beak. This was another bird of preys chick! I have a bad feeling that this bad old Coopers Hawk might have raided my beautiful resident Kestrels nest and that makes me so sad. I know, I know, I shouldn't discriminate between Doves, Quails and Kestrels but somehow it just took the edge off my enjoyment of watching nature take it's course.


Nature Notes hosted by Michelle at Rambling Woods.

No Words Needed