Saguaro Moon at The Azure Gate B&B

After Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Sunset, comes Saguaro Moon. This photo taken outside my office door at The Azure Gate. The sunsets and sunrises here in Tucson are pretty amazing. Because we are surrounded by mountain ranges on all sides, at times it appears as if the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. Here is the early morning Moon to our west, even though the sunrise looks to be coming from the same direction.

Saguaro Moon

The Azure Gate

Just a quick couple of photos today. One a little piece of our cactus garden with a sculpture called "Serene Goddess." The other a sunset from a couple of nights ago.

Serene Goddess

Azure Gate Sunset

Life around The Azure Gate - II

Anna's Hummingbird is a resident hummingbird here at The Azure Gate -- and, there are many of them. They are often seen sitting in branches near their feeders, feeding, or chasing each other at the speed of light. Here are a few photos:

This is my favorite, a male Anna's yawning.

Another male showing how his gorget flares out.

This one taken during the "big" snow of February, 2007

Now the female Anna's

Here a female Anna's is feeding her two babies.

And, every once in a while a photo appears as fine art -- as in this case.

Life around The Azure Gate

There are also things to see around The Azure Gate. Maybe it is a Coyote passing through late in the morning; or maybe a snake or two (Sonoran Gopher Snake, Desert Kingsnake, Western Diamondback Rattlesnake) or maybe one of many Round Tail Ground Squirrels poking their head up out of their burrow --  all of which we've seen here in the past week.

Coyote

Sonoran Gopher Snake

Desert Kingsnake

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Round Tailed Ground Squirrel

Visitors to The Azure Gate

Over the past week there have been a couple of visitors here that got my attention and was able to photograph. I am a little surprised that we have not seen a Gila Monster yet this year. I am most surprised that we have not seen a Tarantula yet this summer. Usually the rains bring Tarantulas out, but so far none. However, two days ago a Coyote trotted by mid morning; and later on that day a very beautiful Sonoran Gopher Snake came by. He was about five feet long.  At first glance you take caution since they look similar in coloring to our Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. But, the gopher snake is harmless -- well, unless you are a squirrel, mouse, or rat. Here are some photos:

Coyote

Sonoran Gopher Snake

Sonoran Gopher Snake Closeup

Birds of The Azure Gate: Part Ten

Staying with the Ground Birds:

White Winged Dove

The White Winged Dove is larger than the Mourning Dove. He is one of our migrants, arriving in May and departing in September. He can be found during the summer in the extreme southern parts of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. He winters in Mexico. In the photo above he is on top of a Saguaro that has recently flowered. The White Winged Dove is easily distinguished from the mourning dove by the white stripe on the edge of the folded wing and by the blue orbital ring and orange iris. The Mourning Dove has a pale bluish ring and black iris.

I like this photo because it is kind of whimsical. The cactus this Dove is sitting on has two new buds. And, the way the bird is sitting they almost look like feet.

Finally, here is a White Winged Dove in her nest (Palo Verde tree) with two chicks.

Birds of The Azure Gate: Part Nine

On to the Ground Birds of The Azure Gate, starting with the Mourning Dove.

Mourning Dove

The most abundant bird on our property is the Mourning Dove. I would guess 100 to 150 on any given day. They nest just about anywhere, like in this Saguaro above. But, they also nest in window sills, the eave of the ramada at our Catalina Guest House, the rafters of the main house, on a wall next to one of our gates ...

Here one has nested in a Chain Fruit (or Jumping) Cholla Cactus, which gives them some protection as you can see.

Here her egg has just hatched, the chick isn't much bigger than the egg. Mom has flown off, but returns moments later.

Here is a different Mourning Dove in a Palo Verde Tree with her young chick.

And finally, here is the young chick just after leaving the nest.

Birds of The Azure Gate: Part Eight

Next up: The Woodpeckers of The Azure Gate:

Gila Woodpecker

The Gila Woodpecker is the most common. It is easily found -- and heard -- every day of the year. It is only found in Arizona, and only in the Sonoran Desert. It's main attraction is the Saguaro. All the holes you find in a Saguaro were made by the Gila Woodpecker. (Unless you live by a golf course, in which case many are made by the little white ball). The Gila Woodpecker "drills" into the Saguaro about four or five inches and then down into the Saguaro about 10 inches. The Saguaro then secretes a substance to line this cavity so that it won't dry out and die. This substance hardens and when the Saguaro eventually dies (of old age or lightning) the "boot" that was created pops out. The Gila Woodpecker is a noisy bird. Sometimes sharpening his bill on the side of the house. He likes to drink from the Hummingbird feeders and will try to get into the Cardinal feeder as well. If you walk by, he flies to the nearest Saguaro and starts squawking because you have disturb it.

Gilded Flicker

The Gilded Flicker is larger and much heavier than the Gila Woodpecker. But, like the Gila Woodpecker is only found in the Sonoran Desert. The male, in the photo above, is easily distinguished by his red malar. In this photo, he is on a branch of a Century Plant. We see him much less frequently, only four or five times a year. We'll see both the male and female.

Ladder Backed Woodpecker

Still even less frequent is the Ladder Backed Woodpecker. We see him only a couple times a year. He's probably here more often when we don't see him, but still not common. When we do see him he is always with his mate. Again the male is easy to identify because of its red crown. The Ladder Backed Woodpecker has a wider range, pretty much throughout the Southwest.

Birds of The Azure Gate: Part Six

Continuing our "Bird Blog":

Male and Female Cardinal

After 18 years in the Northwest, it was a delight to come to Tucson to hear and see the Northern Cardinal. If you were to draw a north-south line starting on the eastern borders of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico you would have the dividing line of the range of the Cardinal -- with one exception. The Cardinal is also found in Southern Arizona. Go Figure! Skips right over New Mexico without a wink. We have breeding pairs of Cardinals here. It is always a delight when the male sits in the very top of our large, mostly dead, mesquite tree and sings his heart out. Once the chicks leave their nest they fly to a branch just above our feeder. The mother then takes a seed from the feeder and gives it to the chick. As I say, it is a delight to watch.

Male Pyrrhuloxia

Female Pyrrhuloxia

Pyrrhuloxias are in the Cardinal family but only found in the extreme Southern parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Southwest Texas. The female Pyrrhuloxia and female Cardinal are very similar in color and difficult to distinguish. The Pyrrhuloxia has a yellow bill while the Cardinal has an orange bill. Also the area around the eye (more noticeable) in the male, is red on the Pyrrhuloxia and black on the Cardinal.

Birds of The Azure Gate: Part Five

Continuing with the birds of the Azure Gate:

Verdin

The Verdin is a very sweet little bird the same length as a Goldfinch (4.5 inches) but with a shorter wingspan (6.5 inches). The Verdin like many birds is restricted to the extreme Southwestern US. Usually solitaire, unlike the Goldfinches. He looks for insects among the twigs and leaves of plants. At our place he is often seen trying to get at the Hummingbird nectar in our "hummingbird only" feeders. He exams every square inch top to bottom side to side, but to little avail. 

House Finch

Every once in a while I take a photo that looks more like a painting. This happens to be one of Christine's favorites. The House Finch is common to all lower 48 states and Mexico. Unlike the Eastern US, it is easy to distinguish from it's cousin the Purple Finch in the Southwest -- because we have no Purple Finches in the Southwest. Typically, you'll find at least 15 to 20 year round on our property at any given time.

Female Lesser Goldfinch

Male Lesser Goldfinch

The Lesser Goldfinch is a bit smaller than the American Goldfinch and is restricted to the Southwestern US, whereas the American Goldfinch is found throughout all of the continental US. The Lesser Goldfinch has a green back whereas the American Goldfinch has a yellow back. Also, the black on the head extends to the crown almost as if wearing a "cap." Goldfinches love our thistle feeders. It is not unusual to count 40 of them at any time.

Birds of The Azure Gate: Part Four

I am off to Colorado. First stop Mount Evans to look for Mountain Goats and Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. Then up to Colorado State Forest in Northern Colorado looking for Black Bear and Moose. In the meantime, I'll leave you with more Birds of The Azure Gate. First the sparrows, which Christine refers to as LBBs (little brown birds):

White Crowned Sparrow

Rufus Crowned Sparrow

Rufus Winged Sparrow

Black Throated Sparrow

Young male House Sparrow waiting for food from mom

Female House Sparrow feeding baby

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.

Birds of The Azure Gate: Part Two

Here are a few more of the birds occasionally found at The Azure Gate.

Black Tail Gnatcatcher

The Black Tail Gnatcatcher is a small (4.5 inch) gnatcatcher found primarily in the lower desert brush of extreme Southeastern California, Southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Southwest Texas. He's probably around more often than we realize. He just doesn't come near our buildings much. Although, he did nest close to one of our guest houses this year.

Western Wood Pewee

The Western Wood Pewee breeds during the summer months in much of Western States. Then they migrate to South America at the end of summer. The female lays two or three eggs in an open cup nest on a horizontal tree branch or within a tree cavity. We don't see them often, yet obviously have tall enough trees to make them feel welcome. Both parents feed the young. They wait on a perch at a middle height in a tree and fly out to catch insects passing by. (This as opposed to the more common desert flycatcher the Pyrrhuloxia that seems to prefer the very top of a tree to perch).

Bronzed Cowbird

The red iris gives the Bronzed Cowbird away. It is found primarily in Southern Arizona, New Mexico,  Texas, and south through Central America to Panama. The Bronzed Cowbird is a "brood parasite" as it lays its eggs in the nests of other birds -- when those nests also have eggs.  In this way the "host" feeds both its own young, plus the young Cowbirds. 

Birds of The Azure Gate

In additional to the occasional Brown Crested Flycatcher, here are a few other occasional visitors to The Azure Gate:

Black Headed Grosbeak

Typically found in hardwood forests, the Black Headed Grosbeak summers in the Western US and winters in Mexico. He was probably just passing through on his migration.

Hooded Oriole

The Hooded Oriole is another summer migrant only found in the extreme southern Arizona and California (and occasionally New Mexico and Texas).

Northern Mockingbird

The Northern Mocking bird is much more widespread found throughout the US except in the Northwest, Montana, the Dakotas, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Like the Hooded Oriole often found in suburban neighborhoods. Unlike the Hooded Oriole is a year round resident. 

Who'll Start the Rain?

(Title Courtesy of Credence Clearwater Revival, well close enough to suit us)
We had wonderful rains in January and February. The result was a terrific wildflower and cactus blooming season. But no rain since. So all the cactus are "shriveled up," like someone sucked all the life out of them. It is monsoon season here in Tucson. For the past three weeks dark and ominous clouds rolled in and blanketed our sky for two hours late every afternoon. Other than three or four drops no rain here. The Catalinas got rain. The Rincons got rain. The Santa Ritas got rain. The Huachucas got rain. But not us. So, Christine suggested that today's blog be asking for rain. Maybe some of you folks in Seattle wouldn't mind letting us have some. So, here are a few photos from last year's monsoon:

From our rooftop looking East

From the office looking out into the flooded driveway

From the office looking out back through one wet trail

In the meantime, I'll have to be content photographing some amazing skies.