Wildlife of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast

NOTE:  Today we have a new visitor to our Blog. Uzbekistan has joined 141 other countries in visiting The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast blog. Today's visitors included: United States, Hong Kong, Germany, Bahrain, France, Japan, Uruguay, Turkmenistan, Russia, Ireland, Portugal, Chile, and Uzbekistan.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people around the world, it is nice to know that there is still a common love of wildlife.

Over the timeframe of the pandemic, Christine and I take time each day to wander around our property. Here are some of the photos from those walks:

Broad Billed Hummingbird

Cactus Wren

Cactus Wren

Curve-billed Thrasher

Curve-billed Thrasher

Curve-billed Thrasher

Favorite Wildlife Photos of 2018 - V

A female Cactus Wren with her juvenile sitting on a Century Plant stalk here at The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast:

Cactus Wren

Birding The Azure Gate

We are fortunate to have quite a lot of birds around. In terms of number of species, it's 75 -- certainly not as many as might be found where there is more water -- Sweetwater Wetlands, Santa Cruz and San Pedro Rivers, and the various mountain canyons.

But in terms of sheer numbers, you'll see as many birds here as in just about any place -- certainly the desert birds.

We have had our share of oddities -- Wild Turkeys, Band Tailed Pigeon, and Western Wood Pewee, Inca Dove, Scott's Oriole, Gilded Flicker, Rivoli's and Black Chinned Hummingbirds -- birds more associated with the surrounding mountains.

It's been difficult for me to get out to some of the birding sites the last couple of weeks. So I try to walk around our property every day. Yesterday I got the following photos that I particularly like:

Cooper's Hawk Adult

Verdin

Cactus Wren

Gila Woodpecker

Cactus Wrens of The Azure Gate

Whenever I walk around our property without my camera, invariably I end up running back to the office to grab it. Yesterday was no exception.

As I walked I found a pair of Cactus Wrens that didn't seem bothered by me and seemed to want their picture taken.

Here are a few of those photos:

Catching Up: Cactus Wren

Many birds are so common I don't think about taking a photo anymore.  Obvious examples are Mourning Doves and Gambel's Quail that wander our property by the dozens. Even the Cactus Wren has become one of those birds. Yet, occasionally, the setting or the lighting or some unconscious impulse begs a photo. Such is the case with today's photo of a Cactus Wren taken in Sabino Canyon:

Cactus Wren

Flora and Fauna of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast: Cactus Wren - IV

And one last Cactus Wren, up close and personal:

Cactus Wren

Flora and Fauna of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast: Cactus Wren - III

Still another Cactus Wren. This a young one waiting -- no so patiently -- for mom to come with some food:

Cactus Wren

Flora and Fauna of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast: Cactus Wren - II

Another look at the Cactus Wren:

Cactus Wren

Flora and Fauna of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast: Cactus Wren - I

First a welcome to Fiji, visiting our Blog for the first time. That makes 124 countries that have visited since we started five years ago. We thank you.

I am in the process of an alphabetical series of photos all taken at our Bed and Breakfast -- The Azure Gate in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

We just finished the Bull Snake, and now to the Cactus Wren, a curious and saucy little bird:

Cactus Wren

The Saucy Little Cactus Wren

Cactus Wrens have a personality all of their own. They are curious and mischievous. They always seem to like sitting on the arm of a wicker rocker outside the office. However, once I came over to my office and found one inside, walking around on the window sill.  I guess I left the door open a bit too long. They typically build their nest in Chain Fruit (or Jumping) Cholla. You can easily watch them for an hour as they build their nest. They eat insects, ants, beetles, grasshoppers etc. And, will occasionally eat fruit or nectar. 

Cactus Wren

Chiricahua Mountains - another trip

Christine gave me the day off yesterday so I headed down to the Chiricahua Mountains, crossing over the top and back down into Cave Creek. Still recovering from the fire and flooding of last summer, birds along the South Fork of Cave Creek were scarce. I thought maybe the Elegant Trogons might have arrived since it has been a very mild winter. Also thought maybe a bear might be out and about. But, no. However, as is often the case this beautiful area did not disappoint. Here are some photos from yesterday's trip:

Young Coues White Tailed Deer

Bridled Titmouse

Cactus Wren

Female Cardinal

Curved Billed Thrasher

Dark Eyed Junco

Female Pyrrhuloxia

Slate Colored Dark Eyed Junco

Western Bluebird

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Birds of The Azure Gate: Part Three

The Cactus Wren and the Curved Bill Thrasher are more commonly found here at the Azure Gate, although not abundant like the doves, quail, finches, and sparrows. I have put them together here because the best way to describe them is "saucy." In ways similar to the Gila Woodpecker. They are  into everything. Very curious and bold. And, if you disturb them, they fly off (the handle) into a nearby tree and just squawk and squawk and squawk. 

Cactus Wren

The Cactus Wren is found in the southern parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in open and arid brushland or desert. It is the largest of the wrens.

Curved Bill Thrasher

The Curved Bill Thrasher is found in Southern Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and up into Southwestern Oklahoma. They too, like open and arid brushland and desert, although primarily thorny desert. It is hard to distinguish it from the Bendire's Thrasher which also appears at the Azure Gate, although less frequently.

The Saucy Cactus Wren

Cactus Wrens are quite common, though not abundant like quail, doves, goldfinches, and sparrows. They are usually solitary or in pairs. They seem to be explorers, checking out every crack or crevice for bugs. Occasionally they will jump up on the window or on the bird seed container (outside my office) and look in at me sitting at my desk. A couple of weeks ago I left the office door open for about two minutes and when I came back a Cactus Wren was checking my office for bugs. Cactus Wrens build their nests in various cholla cacti. You can watch for hours as they painstakingly fetch the perfect twig to build their nest. You wonder in amazement how they aren't skewered in the process. The first and third photos above are Cactus Wrens perched on the end of a dead cholla. The middle photo is a young Cactus Wren waiting for her mother to bring her some food.