Violet Crowned Hummingbird

Patton's Hummingbird Station in Patagonia is open so I have been a frequent visitor the past month. Although I hear from one of our regular guests and friend that not only is Madera Canyon now open but a male Berylline Hummingbird has been seen (and photographed) at one of the feeders. So, I am going to try to get out this afternoon or tomorrow to check it out. In the meantime, more hummers from Patton's. (There is some wonderful color in these so click on each to enlarge.)

Violet Crowned Hummingbird (tongue extended)

Violet Crowned Hummingbird

Violet Crowned Hummingbird (tongue extended)

Broad Billed Hummingbird

Broad Billed Hummingbird

Broad Billed Hummingbird

Patagonia Creek Preserve

The Arizona Wildfires are now out. Several days of monsoons have finished the process that 4000 firefighters had been working on since early May. In all, the three wildfires burned 1,250 square miles (about one million acres).

Most of the National Forest Service land is still closed, but should start opening up this month. In the meantime, looking for wildlife photo opportunities is restricted to private lands and public city parks. (Hence the Brown Pelican and Black Crown Night Herons at Lakeside Park here in Tucson).

But, Patagonia Sonoita Creek Preserve, owned by the Nature Conservancy has been opened. So, a little trip there was rewarded with a Coues White Tailed Deer. The Coues (pronounced "cows") is a small subspecies of White Tailed Deer found only in Southeastern Arizona, Southwestern New Mexico, and Mexico). It is a very elusive deer -- a big prize for hunters. Since I only shoot with a camera, maybe they are more curious than afraid. Anyway, I always feel fortunate to spend a few moments with any large mammal.

Coues White Tailed Deer

Black Crowned Night Heron: Lakeside Park

Just a quick photo today of a Black Crowned Night Heron I photographed at Lakeside Park the day the Brown Pelican was there:

Adult Black Crowned Night Heron

Brown Pelican at Lakeside Park

I realize that in some parts of the US (or world) certain birds and animals are so common, locals think nothing of it. I remember about 8 years ago going to Columbus Lake here in Tucson and talking to all old fisherman sitting in his folding chair by the lake. He was so excited because a Bald Eagle had flown overhead earlier that morning. It was the first one he had ever seen in the wild. I didn't have the heart to tell him I just moved here from the Northwest where Bald Eagles are as common as Gambel's Quail here in Tucson (well not quite but ...) Anyway, I went to Lakeside Park (a couple of days ago) hoping to find the Black Crown Night Heron and what to my surprise ---- just where I arrived stood one Brown Pelican. Brown Pelicans are rare to Arizona. In fact, they are supposed to be reported to the Audubon Society's Rare Bird Alert. Brown Pelicans are pretty much restricted to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and the Gulf of California and Southern California coasts.  They are not inland birds. Yet, here was one in the 110 degree desert of Arizona. Now, of course, a map will disclose the little know fact that the Gulf of California is less than 175 miles from Tucson. I wished it was an adult in its breeding plumage, but I am happy with the photos nonetheless. It starts when the Pelican spots something in the water, walks to the water's edge, gulps something down, then sits happy and fulfilled:

Brown Pelican (Juvenile Plumage)

Brown Pelican (Juvenile Plumage)

Brown Pelican (Juvenile Plumage)

Brown Pelican (Juvenile Plumage)

Post Note:  I remember one limerick that I learned many years ago:

A curious bird is the Pelican

His beak can hold more than his belly can

He can hold in his beak

Enough food for a week

And I'm darned if I know how the helican.

Mothers with Babies (or sometimes dads): White Tail Deer

Males compete for the opportunity of breeding females. Sparring among males determines a hierarchy of dominance. Bucks will attempt to copulate with as many females as possible, losing physical condition since they rarely eat or rest during the rut. The general geographical trend is for the rut to be shorter in duration at increased latitude. There are many factors as to how intense the "rutting season" will be. Air temperature is one major factor of this intensity. Any time the temperature rises above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the males will do much less traveling looking for females, or they will be subject to overheating or dehydrating. Another factor for the strength in rutting activity is competition. If there are numerous males in a particular area, then they will compete more for the females. If there are fewer males or more females, then the selection process will not need to be as competitive. Females enter estrus in late October or early November. Sexual maturation of females depends on the density of deer population as well as availability of food and water. Females can mature in their first year, although this is unusual and would occur only at very low population levels. Most females mature at 1–2 years of age. Most are not able to reproduce until six months after they mature.

Females give birth to 1–3 spotted young, known as fawns, in May or June. Fawns lose their spots during the first summer and will weigh from 44 to 77 pounds by the first winter. Male fawns tend to be slightly larger and heavier than females. For the first four weeks, fawns mostly lie still and hide in vegetation while their mothers forage. They are then able to follow their mothers on foraging trips. They are weaned after 8–10 weeks. Males will leave their mothers after a year and females leave after two.

White Deer Doe with Fawn

Mothers with Babies (or sometimes dads): Pronghorn

Pronghorns form mixed-sex herds in the winter. In early spring the herds break up with young males forming bachelor groups, females forming their groups and adult males living a solitary life. Adult male pronghorns employ two different mating strategies during the breeding season. A pronghorn male will defend a fixed territory that females may enter or it might defend a harem of females. A pronghorn may change mating strategies depending on environmental or demographic conditions.  In areas that have high precipitation, adult male pronghorn tend to be territorial and maintain their territories with scent marking, vocalizing and challenging intruders.  In these systems, territorial males have access to better resources than bachelor males.  Females also employ different mating strategies. "Sampling" females visit several males, remain with each male a short time, and switch between males at an increased rate as estrus approaches.  "Inciting" females behave as samplers until estrus; then they move away from the male, inciting fights and other aggressive competition. Inciting females watch the competition, and they always mate immediately with the winning male.  "Quiet" females move to an isolated, peripheral location occupied by a single male, and remain with that male throughout estrus. 

When courting an estrous female, a male pronghorn will approach her while softly vocalizing  and waving his head side to side, displaying his cheek patches. A receptive female will remain motionless and sniff his scent gland and then allow the male to mount her.  Pronghorns have a gestation period of 235 days, longer than is typical for North American ungulates. They breed in mid-September, and the doe carries her fawn until late May. This is around six weeks longer than the white tailed deer. Newborn Pronghorns weigh 6 to 7 pounds. In their first 21–26 days, a fawn spends time hiding in vegetation. Fawns interact with their mothers for only 20–25 minutes a day and this continues even when the fawn joins a nursery.  The females nurse, groom, distract predators and lead their young to food and water.  Males are weaned 2–3 weeks earlier than females.  Sexual maturity is reached at 15 to 16 months, though males rarely breed until 3 years old. The longevity is typically up to 10 years, rarely 15 years.

Pronghorn Buck (Dad) with Fawn

Mothers with Babies (or sometimes dads): Mountain Goat

In the wild, mountain goats usually live twelve to fifteen years. "Kids" are born in late spring after a six month gestation period. Nannies give birth, usually to a single offspring, after moving to an isolated ledge; post-partum, they lick the baby dry and ingest the placenta. Kids weigh a little over 3 kg (7 lb) at birth and begin to run and climb (or attempt to do so) within hours. Although they are mostly weaned within one month, kids follow their mothers closely for the first year of life (or until the nanny gives birth again, if this does not occur the next breeding season); nannies protect their young by leading them out of danger, standing over them when faced by predators, and positioning themselves below their kids on steep slopes to stop free falls. Mountain goats reach sexual maturity at about thirty months. Nannies in a herd undergo synchronized estrus in late October through early December, at which time males and females participate in a mating ritual. Mature billies will stare at nannies for long periods, dig rutting pits, and fight each other in showy (though occasionally dangerous) scuffles. Young billies sometimes try to participate, but they are ignored by nannies; nannies will also sometimes pursue inattentive billies. Both males and females usually mate with multiple individuals during breeding season, although some billies try to keep other males away from certain nannies. After the breeding season is over, males and females move away from each other, with the adult billies breaking up into small bands of two or three individuals. Nannies form loose-knit nursery groups of up to 50 animals.

Mountain Goat Nanny with Kid