It seems on any walk in the desert, I see a Harris’ Antelope Squirrel. Usually the creature runs ahead of me, a tiny tattler scampering off to tell, there’s an intruder afoot! Even in August, when heat lies heavy on the land, the Harris’ Antelope squirrel can be seen skittering toward the shelter of itsContinue reading “Not Your Average Squirrel”
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Hares One For You
See how comfortably the Black-tailed Jackrabbit sits. This is a hare supremely adapted to desert life. Enormous ears swivel, keyed for danger. He keeps a keen watch above for hunting owls and hawks. At the slightest breath of danger, the jackrabbit freezes, and his dun colors melt into the desert hues. If a predator advances,Continue reading “Hares One For You”
Spectacular Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake
A morning in June, hiking in a rocky canyon, my wandering thoughts were broken by an insistent buzz. It sounded like seeds shaken in a gourd. The circular edges of the coiled snake caught my eye. So hidden, yet in plain sight. If she hadn’t warned me, I would have stepped within a foot of whereContinue reading “Spectacular Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake”
Peeking In
I saw the nest from the trail and wandered over to have a closer look. It was tucked up inside a wickedly prickly Jumping Cholla. The nest was only a couple of feet off the ground and when I peeked in I was surprised to see three lovely turquoise eggs, spotted with brown. Curved-bill ThrasherContinue reading “Peeking In”
Warrior Bird
No wonder it fell to Roadrunner to face off with Wylie Coyote. Comic, daring and yes, even brutal, the Greater Roadrunner is not your average bird. Slender and dramatic he is all speed and flash, as he cocks his long tail and ruffs his shaggy crest of head feathers. In great bursts of speed (15Continue reading “Warrior Bird”
Quirky Quails
What’s more charming than a Gambel’s Quail? The male’s ringing call and the constant back and forth clucking of the family group is fabric of the desert. A somewhat comic and vulnerable image is belied by the bird’s regal attitude. A quail family with twelve fledglings has been visiting our back yard to drinkContinue reading “Quirky Quails”
Colorful Kingbird of May
This elegant bird began hanging around the backyard in the middle of May. She surveyed the area from our agave stalk, drank at the fountain, and perched in the Palo Verde tree out back. Never having noticed this bird before I had to check my field guides. We had a Western Kingbird! An acrobatic flier,Continue reading “Colorful Kingbird of May”
Leguminous Trees
Most desert trees are legumes, meaning they produce pods. (Beans and peas are also legumes.) Masses of spring blooms gradually give way to lengthening seed pods that ripen at the height of summer. This is just when most species are scrambling to feed families of babies. The crunchy fare provides sustenance for desert critters includingContinue reading “Leguminous Trees”
