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Winter Flowers Feed Bees

About 1000 different species of bees live in the Sonoran Desert. Most are solitary and nest in underground burrows or the hollow stems of pithy plants. The majority of these bees are herbivores, subsisting on pollen and nectar. Upwards of 80% of native flowering plants in the Sonoran region are pollinated by bees, as areContinue reading “Winter Flowers Feed Bees”

The Very Small Verdin

A thief has been at work in the chuparosa patch! Verdin does not have a beak long enough to access the sweet nectar at the throat of the bloom, so makes a slit at the base of the flower and sips straight from the source. Feeding avidly at the chuparosa, Verdin does not contribute to pollination. Continue reading “The Very Small Verdin”

More Than a Common Songbird

Northern Mockingbird is a fancy, flamboyant song bird. With a sleek silhouette, and elegant grey plumage, Mockingbird has an outsized attitude, and you’ll know if you’ve wandered into a mocker’s nesting territory. Mockingbirds defend their nest aggressively, dive- bombing people, dogs, other birds, snakes, you name it. But Mockingbird is also impressive for his song. Clear liquidContinue reading “More Than a Common Songbird”

Butterflies of the Desert

On a recent trip to Desert Botanical Gardens I visited the butterfly tent. Inside butterflies fluttered about lazily or perched on flowers and leaves. Seen up close, their colors were dazzling. Butterfly wings are covered with thousands of overlapping scales, each a solid color, creating lovely hues and the distinctive patterns of each species. ManyContinue reading “Butterflies of the Desert”

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

In our neighborhood grows a beautiful Cascalote tree. When I walked by on a chilly morning recently I saw hundreds of showy yellow blossoms had unfolded at the ends of the branches, and that the tree was alive with tiny birds. Usually tiny birds around flowers are hummingbirds or Verdins, both of whom eat nectarContinue reading “Ruby-crowned Kinglet”

Wren With A Swagger

A bird with a swagger? Yes, that’s the Cactus Wren. This brash songbird makes no effort to conceal his busy occupations about the desert. Nest building is nearly a full-time job, but plenty of hunting is done as well, and Cactus Wren is always on patrol in his territory, singing from a cactus top or scolding intruders. CactusContinue reading “Wren With A Swagger”

Boo Draws a Glance

This Red-tailed hawk perched on the rocks out back and watched Boo the cat, who was enjoying a supervised breath of fresh air. Boo was oblivious to the predator, intent instead on a wily lizard hiding in the chive patch. What a plump and juicy treat Boo would be! Red-tailed hawks eat mostly rodents, but also squirrels,Continue reading “Boo Draws a Glance”

White-crowned Sparrow

Lately I’ve noticed flocks of these striking birds foraging on the desert floor, and singing in trees. White-crowned Sparrows hop around, kicking at the soil, uncovering seeds to eat. During breeding season in spring and summer, they establish and defend territories, hunting insects, caterpillars, wasps, and beetles, for themselves and for their young. White-crownedContinue reading “White-crowned Sparrow”