A Tough Learning Curve

When we moved to this house I discovered we had masses of lizards all over our land. Just one problem, I didn't know what any of them were. There are the easy ones, the Desert Spiny Lizard, the Regal Horned Lizard and of course, the one and only Gila Monster but the rest? There are so many and every one of them looks different.

So it has taken me a while to realise that in fact many of them that look very different are actually the same species. Take for example this handsome fellow, a male Common Side-blotched Lizard.

And this one? Well that is where the problems start, this is a Common Side-blotched Lizard too! This is the female of the species. Is it any wonder that it is taking me a long time to work them out?

The Aliens Are Coming!

Sitting watching the sun set we can get caught up in the wonderful palette of colours that blaze across the western sky. Just occasionally it pays to turn round though, especially when there is an alien space craft hovering behind you!

A Bad Hair Day

This handsome Pyrrhuloxia was looking so great perched on the wire but there was one small problem.

It was a really windy day!

More Charms of the Chollas

The Chollas are bursting forth, they look beautiful this close.

They look even more beautiful when you get this close.

OK that is quite close enough. This little beauty is still pretty fierce.

Signs of Spring

The seasons of the desert are quite distinctive. We don't have the feet of snow or the endless weeks of sub-zero temperatures that other areas of the country have (thank goodness) but we have seasonal changes. One that I particularly enjoy is the reemergence of my scaly friends when the temperatures start to rise. This beautiful Gopher Snake was cruising around our yard on two consecutive mornings - I love spring!

It's Leg of Lizard For Dinner.

Our resident Kestrels romance seems to be going from strength to strength. The male dutifully brings regular gifts to his lady love. Often she takes the whole thing and leaves him looking rather deflated but sometimes he gets to share the feast. In this instance, leg of lizard.

I am linking this post to Eileens Saturday's Critters.

Caught At Last!

I was sitting quietly in my yard, absorbing the sounds around me when I heard a different call. I looked up to see this little beauty perched a top a nearby mesquite. Hooded Orioles are notoriously flighty in our area so I sat very still and slowly raised my camera. I managed to get one shot of and then 'poof' it was gone.

The Watcher

One evening when sitting in our sundown spot watching the evening draw in we got the sensation we were being watched. Sure enough, this diminutive character was perched on the highest twig, keeping an eye on us.

The Early Bird............

Waxworms are a great feeder favourite in our yard whether plucked directly from the feeder or hoovered up from the ground beneath as in the case with this Cactus Wren. Either way it seems, they taste very good!

At Days End

One of my favourite sunset views, everyday is different, unique and magnificent.

Lord of All He Surveys

Is there anything more ubiquitous with the desert than the Gambel's Quail? Except maybe for the dreaded Cholla, the skeleton of which this fellow is perched upon.

Hanging Around

The Gila Woodpecker is so loud and raucous it often overshadows it's smaller, (slightly) quieter cousin. I never tire of watching the little Ladder-backed Woodpeckers hopping about in the trees, chattering away as they forage for bugs and grubs.

Rainy Day Gems

A long soaking rain is rare in the desert so when it occurred a few weeks ago it stimulated a lot of growth of species we rarely get to see. One of which is this beautiful, delicate Desert Hyacinth Dichelostemma capitatum.

The bulbs of this species are deeply buried, dormant until stimulated by soaking rains. The bulbs were also eaten by Native Americans.

Cryptic

In contrast to the previous post, I suspect this image shows the tones that most people think of when you mention the desert. The little cottontail blends in so perfectly with its surroundings.

I am linking this post to Eileen's Saturday's Critters.

Spring Colour

It has been a mild winter with some good rain and now we are seeing the results, early spring blooms. This beautiful Verdin seemed quite taken with the aloe flowers.

Moss?

Being English I am very used to seeing moss growing all over the place. But it is just not something I associate with the desert. That is the delight of watching a natural environment year round, there will always be a surprise tucked away somewhere, waiting to be discovered.

Who Are You Calling Fat?

One of the major selling points for me when we viewed this property years ago was the resident population of Gambell's Quail. They featured on the very first post of this blog and they continue to be a constant source of delight. The quail block on our back patio ensures that these charismatic characters continue to be a large presence in our lives and I wouldn't change it for the world.

I am linking this post to Eileen's Saturday Critters.

Serenity

A while back I promised the House Finches that I would try to include them in this blog a little more. They are such a ubiquitous part of our everyday scenery that they tend to get overlooked. They are far too pretty to be glossed over, don't you think?

Mistletoe.

My goodness, this is proving to be an exceptional year for mistletoe. Our land seems to be covered with it and every sprig of it is smothered with fruit right now. With this bounty of course comes the great dilemma, I know many animals love the fruit and it is quite likely that I wouldn't have seen the Cedar Waxwings or the Western Bluebirds in my yard if it wasn't for the mistletoe but what about the poor old trees that it is growing on? How many bunches of mistletoe can they handle before they start to die? I think I will wait until the fruit is pretty much done and then do a little thinning out. Hopefully that way both the trees and the mistletoe loving species will be OK. Oh the responsibility!

Rain! And Lots of It.

A couple of weekends ago we had almost two full days and nights of rain, a rare thing indeed in the desert. We expect the occasional rain shower at this time of year but it usually over in a matter of minutes so this was quite the talking point as you can imagine.

There is a fine line between good rains that set us up well for the coming hot season and too much rains that cause the various desert plants to start to rot! We will see if we managed to stay under that line in the coming months.
One thing is for sure there were some rather soggy looking characters around during this downpour.