Wildlife of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast - Part II

Part II of Wildlife Photos taken here at the Azure Gate B&B since the pandemic started:

Flyby Double-crested Cormorant

Gambel's Quail

Gila Woodpecker

Great Horned Owl with Owlet

House Finch Female

House Finch Male

House Sparrow

Baby Great Horned Owl - June 16

The baby Great Horned Owl spends a lot of time sitting in -- or on -- an empty flower pot, providing some wonderful photos:

Update on Great Horned Owls

We got our first good looks at the baby Great Horned Owl in her nest a few days ago. 

The nest is in an aleppo pine tree in our master bedroom courtyard. It has always been challenging to get a good look at the nest because it is high up in the tree and well hidden. 

It's been 10 weeks since the mom began sitting in the nest. (It was a Cooper's Hawk nest for the past couple of years).

Yesterday the Owlet left the nest and literally landed on our door step. He had "floated" down from the nest into our courtyard, landing on the "Welcome Mat" in front of our door. 

Christine talked to her for several minutes. After I took a few photos we decided to let her be. We checked back a little later and she was sitting in a flower bed.

This morning, the little one was back on the Welcome Mat in front of our door looking in, as if to say, "Where have you been?"

Also of note there was a dead half eaten sparrow in the courtyard next to the tree.

 The courtyard is fairly small, maybe 100 square feet or so. Lots of plants, so lots of places to hide if necessary. It is entirely possible that the owls nested there to provide protection from the surrounding walls for their little ones once they leave the nest. 

We are hoping that the owlet will survive, and will provide updates as they happen.

Great Horned Owl Update

No news to report. The female Great Horned Owl is still sitting on her nest. She's been there since April 2nd. Because the nest is 80 feet high in one of our aleppo pines it is difficult to see any owlets that might be there. 

Typically, the incubation period is between 30 and 37 days, and then nestling 42 days. At this point it has been 63 days so it will probably be within a couple of weeks when we start seeing the young owlets outside the nest.

The male remains about 20 feet below the nest and is there from dawn to dusk every day.

Here are a couple photos I took this morning:

Male Great Horned Owl

Female Great Horned Owl in Nest

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

Great Horned Owls

Having nesting Great Horned Owls across the street from us, and hunting from our Aleppo Pine trees at night for the past 16 years it, shamefully, becomes so common that I don't take photos anymore. I suspect I have a hundred or more "keeper" photos.

It's also been quite a while since I made a post about them, so yesterday I took a few photos:

Female Great Horned Owl

Male Great Horned Owl

Female Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl

Our resident Great Horned Owls are nesting again. This is the 17th year (that we know of). Here the male sits in the Eucalyptus Tree not far from the nest:

Great Horned Owl

New Photos: Great Horned Owl

The Homestead Trail in Saguaro National Park often produces a Great Horned Owl (or two). They are typically in or near the canyon wall at the far end of the loop. Here is one sitting in a "cave":

Great Horned Owl

Saguaro National Park - Great Horned Owls

For several years Great Horned Owls have nested in caves along the wash of the Homestead Trail in Saguaro National Park. Yesterday, Christine's brother and his family and I walked that one mile trail. And sure enough, there were the pair of Great Horns. They put on a nice show for us. Here are a few of the photos:

Great Horned Owl and Owlet

Our Great Horned Owls seem to have just one Owlet this year. Does that mean it will be a dry year?? 

Anyway, the little guy was out of his nest this morning. So here is a photo of him and his DAD:

Great Horned Owlet

Great Horned Owl - Male

Great Horned Owl in Eucalyptus Tree

As I have mentioned before, we have had a pair -- well, two pairs of Great Horned Owls living across the street in our neighbor's (Ursula) Eucalyptus Trees. A few days ago, one of our birding guests wanted to see them so I played birding guide. One of the adults (male) was sitting in such a nice position that I had to come back and get my camera. The GHO is so majestic looking:

Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl: V

Here's a "5" Star Juvenile Great Horned Owl photo I took a couple of months ago. Great detail and coloring.

Great Horned Owlet

Great Horned Owl -- Eucalyptus Background

So continuing with my "5" Star Photos in general and the Great Horned Owl in particular we come to this one that seems more like a Japanese painting than a photo. Sitting gracefully on a limb of a eucalyptus tree, he somehow seems above us all. Owls, unlike other birds -- especially doves and quail -- seem to know when humans do not mean them harm. They don't flitter around nervously or fly off into the wind when they see a human. Makes photographing them fun -- well, when you find them.

Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl - III

Here is another "5" Star Great Horned Owl photo. This one taken at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in Southern Arizona. I like the almost psychedelic background created by the blue sky and green leaves of the tree. 

Great Horned Owlet

Great Horned Owl - II

The second of my "5" Star Great Horned Owls. In this case I love the color contrast between the Owl and the green background of the eucalyptus tree. Also the nice detail of the owl:

Great Horned Owl

Another Great: The Great Horned Owl

There is a Great Horned Owl nest just across the street from us in a 60 year old eucalyptus tree. It has been the home of Great Horned Owls for at least 12 years. During that time two sets of adults have lived there. Both of the original parents died about 5 years ago; about six months apart, during which time the surviving male found a female only to died a few months later. There have been 11 years of offspring numbering between 25 and 30 young in total. Today's "5" Star Photo, the first of the Great Horned Owls, is off two of the offspring four years ago:

Great Horned Owlets

Great Horned Owl and Owlet

I'll get back to the flowering flora tomorrow, but wanted to get a quick post today of a female Great Horned Owl and her Owlet. I took both photos this morning:

Great Horned Owlet

Great Horned Owl Female

Whitewater Draw: the End of Winter

Whitewater Draw was "drawing" down for the winter as well. There were still a couple thousand Sandhill Cranes, but most have left. And, still a couple hundred Snow Geese. Many of the wintering Ducks have also begun their Spring Migration home.  However, a few Green Winged Teals remained, as well as American Avocets, and Greater Yellowlegs. I was also pleased to find the American Bittern and a Great Egret that wanted his picture taken too. Oh, and the usually present Great Horned Owl. Here, then, the best from Whitewater Draw this trip:

American Avocet

Greater Yellowlegs

Sandhill Cranes

Pyrrhuloxia

American Bittern

Green Winged Teal

Great Egret

Great Horned Owl

National Wildlife Refuges

Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona, 1985

The Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge has a landscape of rippling grassland and riparian zones rich in bird life. Established in 1985, the 118,000 acres is flanked by the Boboquivari Mountains to the West, the Mexican Border to the South, and the Sierrita Mountains to the East.  It provides habitat for threatened and endangered plants and animals. Part of BANWR's plan has been the reintroduction of the endangered masked bobwhite quail and pronghorn to the area where they once were abundant. Riparian (wetland) areas along Arivaca Cienega and Creek attract a wide variety of birds (320 species have been reported). Brown Canyon is nestled in the Baboquivari Mountains, where a sycamore-lined stream meanders through oak woodland. It is one of the few areas in the US where Jaguars have been seen (albeit very rarely). I rarely leave without finding something interesting, if not wonderful to photograph. Here are a few of my photos from BANWR.

Checkered White

Young Great Horned Owl

Mule Deer

Pipevine Swallowtail

Pronghorn with Juvenile

Pronghorn in Wildflowers

Red Tailed Hawk

Swainson's Hawk

Turkey Vulture