Springtime at The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part VI Blooming

Also blooming are the Hedgehog Cactus:

Hedgehog Cactus

Springtime at The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part V Blooming

Also Blooming are the Ocotillo.  Here is one with a Black Throated Sparrow:

Ocotillo with Black Throated Sparrow

Springtime at The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part IV Blooming

There are an abundance of Aloes on our property and most are in bloom. It's a wonderful sight.

Aloe with Orange Flowers

Aloe with Yellow Flowers

The hummingbirds are often seen taking pollen.

Springtime at The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part III Nesting

We have a pair of Great Horned Owls that have taken over a Cooper's Hawk nest high in one of our Aleppo Pines. It is difficult to get a good view of the nest and what is in the nest since it is 60-70 feet off the ground with pine needs everywhere.

Hopefully, we will see some owlets before too long.

First, the female on the nest:

Great Horned Owl Female

 The male has two favorite spots about 20 feet below the nest:

Great Horned Owl Male Favorite Spot #1

Great Horned Owl Male Favorite Spot #2

Springtime at The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part II, Nesting

We have several hummingbird nests. In the first photo an Anna's Hummingbird is gathering cotton to line her nest.

In the second photo a fledgling Anna's chick.

Female Anna's Hummingbird

Fledgling Anna's Hummingbird

Springtime at The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part I Nesting

Verdins are nesting. They like palo verde trees because they hold the nests in place and offer additional protection because of their long thorns.

Here is a male Verdin bringing food to the nesting chicks.

Verdin

Favorite Wildlife Photos from 2018 - XXXI

And last in my series of Favorite Photos of 2018 is a Wild Turkey who seemed to want me to see how beautiful he was. What a show-off.

Wild Turkey

Favorite Wildlife Photos from 2018 - XXX

Continuing my series on Favorite Wildlife Photos of 2018 we come to the all too common White Tailed Deer. Nonetheless, I couldn't help taken a photo:

White Tailed Deer -- Young Buck

Favorite Wildlife Photos from 2018 - XXIX

Next up a White Fronted Goose. I was used to seeing White Fronted Geese frequently when living in the northwest. However, much to my surprise a White Fronted Goose has been living in Tucson at Lakeside Park, for the past year:

White Fronted Goose

Favorite Wildlife Photos from 2018 - XXVIII

White Faced Ibis is up next.

White Faced Ibis taken at Lake Cochise near Willcox, AZ

Favorite Wildlife Photos from 2018 - XXVII

Next up on my series of favorite Wildlife Photos of 2018 is a beautiful little Verdin photographed here at The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast.

Verdin

Favorite Wildlife Photos from 2018 - XXVI

Here we have a couple of Turkey Vulture photos I really liked (both taken atop Mount Lemmon):

Turkey Vulture

Turkey Vulture

Favorite Wildlife Photos from 2018 - XXV

Next up a rare bird to Southern Arizona, the Tricolored Heron. Usually restricted to the Atlantic coastline from Virginia around Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. It is also found along the Gulf of California in Mexico. But for some reason every couple of years one shows up at a Golf Course Pond in Tucson. Such was the case in 2018:

Tricolored Heron

Favorite Wildlife Photos of 2018 - XXIV

Next up a Spotted Towhee from Mount Lemmon:

Spotted Towhee

Favorite Wildlife Photos of 2018 - XXIII

Continuing with my favorite wildlife photos from 2018 we come to a Snowy Egret found at Sweetwater Wetlands:

Snowy Egret