In the Sonoran Sun: Spring is Coming

Monday, March 16, 2009

Spring is Coming

This young gopher snake was out sunning himself on my driveway last week, a harbinger of warmer weather arriving. the lizards have been active for some time now, but the snakes are slower to come out of hibernation. Gopher snakes are common in this area and are excellent rodent controllers.

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Daily Notes

6.27.17 We set several heat records this past week. No relief in sight.
11.30.16 Had our first freeze last night. Hummingbirds are going crazy at the feeder.
6.6.16 After a 'cool' spring, we have now broken heat records 3 days in a row.
5.11.16 Two unusual bird sightings around the neighborhood - western tanager and greater roadrunner.
4.25.16 Gila monster visiting for the 2nd day in a row!
4.10.16 First baby quail of the season!
3.30.16 Blue palo verdes are in full, glorious bloom.
3.14.16 Saw a male broad-billed hummer at the feeders this week.
2.26.16 Hummingbird traffic has dropped off significantly.
2.24.16 Two roadrunners in my yard this week.
2.16.16 Today and tomorrow will be 20 degrees above normal. Too hot too soon.
2.8.16 The cold has disappeared and now daytime temps are in the 80's. Saw the first white-winged dove of the season.
1.14.15 Foggy morning. A rare treat in the desert.
11.17.14 First time in the 30's for many months. Bats are finally gone.
5.9.14 - Another visit by the kingsnake
5.9.14 - Lucy's warbler nesting in the yard.
5.1.14 - Black-headed grosbeaks visiting the yard. 2 males, 1 female.
4.15.14 - Baby quail! Around the neighborhood and in my back yard.
4.1.14 - The white-winged doves have returned to Tucson.
3.31.14 - Two exciting yard visits yesterday. Mikey the kingsnake and a male broad-billed hummingbird.
3.12.14 - Baby house finches have hatched in the gourd hanging in my courtyard.
3.10.14 - The Harris' hawks are active again in the neighborhood. I saw 3 birds near the nest, one actually in it. Yay!
12.18.13 - Participated in two area Christmas Bird Counts this year - Avra Valley and Tucson. Fun people and so many cool birds!
9.17.13 - Just returned from travels. Filled the hb feeders and the bats came right back to them. At least one hb has returned also.
7.18.13 - Spotted both a male and female phainopepla today, but adults.
7.13.13 - Nine torch flowers blooming in 4 colors. Male rufous hummer and male broad-billed hummer both visited briefly.
7.1.13 - Lots of thunder, lightning and wind, but only a few drops of rain. Fire in the Catalinas.
6.29.13 - Mega-heat today. We see clouds but no rain in sight.
6.24.13 - Watching that big moon rise over the Rincon Mountains was almost a spiritual experience. Wow!
6/20/13 - Good views of the red-faced warbler, and clouds of butterflies in the cool of Mt. Lemmon yesterday.
6/13/13 - Seen every evening: lesser nighthawks, bats, western screech owl family.
6.6.13 - Early this morning a bobcat came strolling through the yard, stopped for a long drink, then casually walked off.
5.30.13 - Spotted another coyote on my morning walk. The second one this week.
5.25.13 - By the light of the full moon, a Western screech owlet fluttered around the yard, watched closely by a parent.
8.1.12 - Still seeing large families of quail, even with very tiny babies.
7.15.12 - A record rainfall at our house - 3.25"
7.11.12 - spotted juvenile phainopeplas in the neighborhood.
7/7/12 - It's been an active monsoon week. Rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, cooler temps.
5/5/12 - Coyote and gopher snake on my walk this morning. Lots of baby quail in the yard. Bought two new agaves at the Weird Plant Sale.
5/2/12 - Virginia's Warbler in the yard. Also, lesser nighthawk, ladderback woopecker.
4/29/12 - Tiny quail chicks visit the yard today with their parents. Empress Leilia butterfly nectaring.
4/27/12 - Nashville warbler, black-headed grosbeak, black vultures, Wilson's warbler, Western tanager and so many more cool birds at ASDM..
3/27/12 - Birding along the Santa Cruz River yesterday. Counted about 45 species including many gray hawks and broad-billed hummers.
3/22/12 - Wonderful morning of birding at Sweetwater Wetlands with a friend. Highlights were painted redstart and sora.
3/21/12 - Our last blast of winter is over and spring is returning.
3/20/12 - Recorded .66" of rain yesterday. More on the way today.
3/18/12 - It's RAINING!
3/16/12 - Today I saw the first turkey vulture of the season.
3/13/12 - the baby hummingbirds have fledged.
2/19/12 - Planted the garden today; tomatoes, peppers, squash.
2/14/12 - Finally, some rain! Snow in the mountains. Very chilly here.
2/10/12 - Kestrel pair courting on top of a utility pole in the neighborhood.
2/8/12 - While trimming agaves, Jay found a sleeping rattlesnake. The snake never moved a muscle, but he may be annoyed that some of his nice cozy den is gone.
2/5/12 - I discovered a hummingbird sitting on her nest in a palo verde tree in my front yard! So exciting.
1/31/12 - Sometimes Blogger can be a royal pain in the ass! Very inflexible and difficult to world with.
1/30/12 - first visit to the Gem and Mineral show. So much to see!
1/28/12 - Ladderback woodpecker in the back yard. He stayed a long time.
1/25/12 - Hike to Wasson Peak w/Marilyn. Glorious Day!
1/23/12 - kestrel eating lunch on a power pole just below my house.
1/18/12 - Sharp-shinned & Cooper's hawks in the yard today - not at the same time! Picked broccoli from the garden. Beautiful, sunny day.
1/16/12 - Rain today, so birding trip cancelled. .42" so far, perhaps more coming.
1/13/12 - Desert Museum birds: spotted towhee, Abert's towhee, verdin, Gila woodpecker, lesser goldfinch, phainopepla, black-tailed gnatcatcher, cactus wren, curve-billed thrasher.
1/12/12 - Birds on my walk today: verdin, Gila woodpecker, phainopepla, Gambel's quail, lesser goldfinch, and a number of uid's. I don't carry my binoculars on my walk. Maybe I'll start. Cooper's hawk in the yard flushed all the doves & quail.
1/8/12 - Cooper's hawk in the yard today. Cauliflower and broccoli now heading up in the garden. Full moon tonight, hopefully still surrounded by the magnificent winter circle.
1/6/12 -- Among the many birds at the Desert Museum today were a spotted towhee, yellow-rumped warbler, orange-crowned warbler, ruby-crowned kinglet, phainopeplas, and all the usual suspects.
1/4/12 - Another beautiful winter day in the 70's. Ladder-backed woodpecker (female) stopped by. A red-tailed hawk sat on a nearby utility pole.
1/3/12 - Home from holiday travels. Feels like spring here in Tucson - 80 degrees yesterday! Bluebirds visited again.
12/19 - Received .3" of rain yesterday. Still cloudy today.
12/17 - More rain today. Cooper's hawk and Sharp shinned hawk both visited.

In the Sonoran Sun

Phainopepla

Monday, March 16, 2009

Spring is Coming

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