Fauna of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast: Ash Throated FlycatcherAsh

The Brown Crested Flycatcher is more common to The Azure Gate, however, once in a while the Ash Throated Flycatcher shows up:

Ash Throated Flycatcher

Fauna of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast: Arizona Grey Squirrel

The most common squirrels of The Azure Gate are Harris Antelope Ground Squirrel and the Round Tailed Ground Squirrels. Yet, on occasion a tree squirrel, like the Arizona Grey Squirrel comes around. Here's one taking a close look at me:

Arizona Grey Squirrel

Fauna of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast: Anna's Hummingbird

The Anna's Hummingbird is a year round resident here at The Azure Gate. For several years we had an Anna's - Costa's Hybrid Male, but haven't seen him lately. Anna's nests here between October and April. Below are a variety of photos:

Juvenile Anna's Male

Anna's Male

Anna's Female

Anna's - Costa's Hybrid Male

Anna's Female looking for flowers in the snow covered Rosemary.

Anna's Female drinking from Aloe Plants

Anna's - Costa's Hybrid Male

Anna's - Costa's Hybrid Male

Anna's Female in Nest with Chicks

Fauna of The Azure Gate B&B: American Kestrel

Today I am starting a series on the Wildlife of The Azure Gate B&B, Tucson, Arizona. For the next month or so I'll show -- in alphabetical order -- photos taken here at The Azure Gate.

We start with the American Kestrel, which sometimes nests here in March or April. In the photos today, first a Kestrel flew in and landed on the top of a Saguaro Cactus. Moments later another came by:

American Kestrel

American Kestrel

Santa Cruz Flats - The Alternate Universe

It's winter, so yesterday I was off to Santa Cruz Flats -- as Christine says, the alternate universe. Santa Cruz Flats is an area between Tucson and Phoenix, west of Picacho Peak. It is definitely as the name suggests, flat. Much of it is barren, not even cactus grows there. But much of it is cultivated, mostly cotton and turf farms. As such it is well irrigated and seeded which brings a multitude of birds, including waterbirds and raptors.

Lots of Red Tailed Hawks -- of all color varieties; many American Kestrel's; s a couple Prairie Falcons; a couple Harrier Hawks, and a Ferruginous Hawk. I did not see any Crested Caracaras or Black Vultures which I have seen on previous trips.

I did find a large flock of Mountain Plovers although too far or "flighty" to get good photos. Lots of Ravens too.

Here are a few photos from yesterdays trip:

Yellow Headed Blackbird

American Kestrel

Canvasback

Prairie Falcon

Ferruginous Hawk

Ferruginous Hawk

Horned Lark

Coachline Gravel Pit, Southern Arizona's Wintering Birds

The Coachline Gravel Pit is a relatively new birding spot here in Southern Arizona. It's about 20 minutes north of Tucson in Marana -- what used to be a golf course has now been flooded to create a lake of about (this is a guess) 100 acres. 

The first photo is the lake. The second photo, a resident Great Egret that was showing off.

Coachline Gravel Pit

Great Egret

Bringing in 2015 - The Azure Gate Style

Our first snow in three years; about an inch. The ground was a bit too warm for it to stick much. But the plants and trees held their own -- until about 10:00 am. After that, no evidence whatsoever.

Happy New Year, from The Azure Gate

Saguaro Snowfall