Alluring, but not Quite Enough

The pea flower blooms of one of our indicator legume trees, the Ironwood

We're short-timers here, at least so far as the summer goes.  Two weeks from today the house-minders will be in place and we'll be headed north on I-25 to Albuquerque for a quick overnight enroute to our summer abode in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.  The temp here just ticked over to 100.0 degrees this afternoon, though the mornings are still wonderful and you can open the house up at some point overnight to let in the cool night air and sounds of the howling coyotes.

Black-headed Grosbeak eyeing the bird bath (he did) from the creosote

The smothering yellow has faded considerably, being replaced by the more subtle mauve blossoms of the ironwood and desert willow trees.  It seems to be a heyday for birds, either residents or migrants, and we feel like we're being flirted with in hopes of keeping us here.  Tempting, but no -- and some of you, like the gorgeous fresh Black-headed Grosbeak who has visited us as we sit outside in the mornings and the brilliant male Summer Tanager that has flashed by, we'll see at the cabin.

Quail eggs in the petunias...

Others, like the Gambel Quail, we're trying to get our fill of as they are resident to this area.  Our faithful mother quail who sat so diligently on her eleven eggs in a large petunia filled pot in the busy barrio garden, hatched her brood during an exciting haboob (crazy wind storm) we had a few days ago.  They huddled in the pot, easily viewed from our kitchen window, all that afternoon and night but departed sometime the next morning a few hours after dawn.  This morning as we walked out the back gate to get a look at two coyotes passing through I startled some young quail chicks sending them scattering  They were about the right age for "ours" and I was glad the coyotes had cleared off by then.

We're doing our best to enjoy the last couple of weeks here in the Sonoran desert (we do love it, even when it's triple digits), but can't help dreaming of sweaters and wood-fires on chilly cabin mornings and wondering if the aspens will be leafed by the time we arrive or if we'll see the newly resident moose (!!!) around the cabin.  In the meanwhile we'll enjoy our Tucson friends, the early mornings, and our volunteer days at the Desert Museum before saying adios for the duration.
 

Tough love at this time of the year

Just Another Fabulous Friday at the Desert Museum

A Cactus Wren going for an easy insect meal in a prickly pear cactus flower

Bunny bingeing on primroses

I was assigned to lead the Bird Walk at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum today.  These walks are led every morning just as the museum opens, 7:30 AM in the summer.  As I drove into staff parking I passed a woman peering into some bushes in the parking lot, binoculars in hand, and I knew I'd be seeing her soon. Two Canadian couples, unknown to each other, showed up for the bird walk, and yes, one of the women was the one from the parking lot.  We had a laugh about my having ID'd her early on before heading off.  I always preface my bird walks by explaining that while I have a good grasp on the common and obvious birds in this part of the Sonoran Desert -- Gila Woodpeckers, Cactus Wrens, Gambel's Quail, various doves, etc. -- I am not an expert birder, but do know where to take them on the grounds for the best bird watching.  They were fine with that, and then they proceeded to give me the best birding experience ever at the Desert Museum.

Hooded Oriole

We wound our way down to the Desert Garden, pausing at the Pollinator Garden for my first good look at a Green-tailed Towee.  A brilliantly red Cardinal met us at the Desert Garden entrance and then we were off to the races.  Some highlights were the Black-headed Grosbeak, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, a Bullocks Oriole and a Hooded Oriole, and a Lazuli Bunting.  They were thrilled to spot a Costa's Hummingbird, and we were amused by a Desert Cottontail who couldn't get his fill of primroses.  A Desert Spiny lizard in full breeding colors enticed a mate to join him on the garden wall.

Desert Spiny lizard showing his breeding colors

It worked!  She climbed up to join him on the top of the wall

As we left the Desert Garden we had an excellent view into the high elevation Life Zones area with oak and pine.  It was alive with warblers -- Yellow-rumped, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's, Townsend's, and a life list bird for one couple, an Olive Warbler.  There was also a beautiful Western Tanager flitting from branch tip to branch tip.  Moving on to the beaver pond in the Riparian Area yielded a Townsend's Warbler and Black-throated Gray Warbler.

Western Tanager feeding 

One of the couples was desperate to see a Gilded Flicker.  I sent them off suggesting they keep their eyes on the holes in the top three or four feet of the saguaros as the Gilded Flickers like the penthouses.  I headed off on the rest of my morning assignments which included interpreting horns and antlers at the Big Horn Sheep exhibit.  They were out and about, grazing on their morning meal, as was a wild Spiny Tailed Iguana, a lizard from much further south in the Sonoran Desert that we have a wild population of on the grounds where water and lush foliage are available.

This Spiny Tailed Iguana exceeded two feet in length

Spotted after this photo op with a lizard tail hanging out of his mouth

Desert Willow blossom

All in all, just another fabulous day as a docent at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.