Javelina Visit

My apologies for not getting a post daily these past two weeks. I am in the process of revising my book on Butterflies of the World, trying to get it finished by the holiday. In the meantime, though, late yesterday afternoon (and for a couple of hours after dark) about 20 Javelinas visited us. It was difficult lighting at best -- and even more difficult to move around to find better lighting. The first photo is a female with two piglets that continued to walk away without looking back. The second was a Javelina that was very curious about me and actually walked slowly toward me-- and seemed to want to "hang out" with me.. Much later we heard some commotion outside and it was the Javelinas trying to get into our garbage cans (I tie them together for just this purpose). This morning I went out to survey any damage. They did manage to break a very nice bird bath and chew up some recently planted Indian Fig Cactus. They also dug several "beds" to rest/sleep in. And, in the process of doing that expose some underground electrical wiring. Oh well, life in the desert.

Javelina with piglets

Javelina

Julia Longwing

One thing about doing my "5" Star Photos alphabetically is that you jump around from animals to birds, to plants to .............  now butterflies. This gorgeous butterfly, Julia Longwing, is found as far south as Brazil, but also common up through Texas and Florida. It is also called the Julia, The Flame, or Flambeau. It loves lantana which thrives throughout the southwest. As with many butterflies, it is a real treat for the photographer:

Julia Longwing

Allen's Hummingbird

I took this photo yesterday at WOW Arizona, a wonderful little wildlife heaven just east of the town of Catalina, Arizona. Christopher Vincent with the help of 27 hummingbird feeders, an assortment of various seed feeders, and flowering plants has created a paradise for hundreds of hummingbirds and other wildlife. We don't see a lot of Allen's Hummingbirds here in Arizona, but Christopher has several. Here's is an exquisite immature male Allen"s photo:

Allen's Hummingbird

Joshua Tree

Sometimes a "5" Star Photo can be a landscape or plant or most anything. Today's is not an animal or bird, but a Joshua Tree photo taken in Joshua Tree National Park. What I love about this photo is the magnificence of the Joshua Tree itself, the much smaller and more distant one in lower right corner, and the coloration due to the sun setting. 

Joshua Tree

Javelina Nursing - II

When you live in the wilderness, often you don't need to go far to find wildlife. Now, while I wouldn't say we lived in the "wilderness" we have 5 acres of sonoran desert which attracts wildlife  -- especially Javelinas. The last of my "5" Star Javelina photos is again a mother nursing. This time two (a little older) young ones:

Javelina Nursing

The Rare Lucifer Hummingbird

Yesterday I got the day off to go photographing. I was again looking for the Yellow Billed Cuckoo in Las Cienegas. And, again I struck out. But I continued on to Ash Canyon to find the Lucifer Hummingbird --- with success.

The Lucifer Hummingbird is one of those very rare hummers to be found in the US. The most reliable place to find the Lucifer is at the Ash Canyon B&B. It's been spending its summers there for several years. They don't arrive in the US in large numbers, and they don't frequent hummingbird feeders like the Black Chinned, Anna's, and Broad Billed. Early in the season, it might come to a feeder once or twice a day. This time of the year it is a little more often, maybe once every 30-45 minutes. A couple of things make them special beyond their rarity. First they have long decurved bills. Second, the male has a very long and brightly colored gorget. From time to time they will be seen in the Santa Rita and Chiricahua mountains, as well as the Huachucas. They are sometimes found in the Southwest corner of New Mexico and Southwest Texas. 

Here are a few photos from yesterday:

Lucifer Hummingbird

Lucifer Hummingbird

Lucifer Hummingbird

Javelina Nursing

Here is another "5" Star Photo of a Javelina, this time nursing its young. The photo was taken just outside my office. I like the nice green color in the background and, of course, the fact that the baby seemed unaware of my presence. As you can see, mom kept a close eye on me, however.

Javelina Nursing