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”
Tag Archives: Sonoran Desert
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”
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”
Tale of Two Turkey Vultures
It’s a bit weird when turkey vultures show up in your backyard, especially while a pandemic rages. Yet, in late March, a couple of turkey vultures started hanging around on the rocky boulders behind our house. As we sheltered at home, the massive birds loitered, preened and flew. With their bald red heads and hookedContinue reading “Tale of Two Turkey Vultures”
LETS ~ GO ~ LOOK ~ OUT 