Phainopepla

Phainopepla
Phainopepla

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Blowing Into May

Hummer hovering over flowering saguaro

Springtime in the desert often brings gusty winds caused by pressure ridging across the southwest.  Today is especially nasty with the strong winds bringing dust so intense that we cannot see the mountains only a mile away.  So, it must be a day to work on the blog.

The end of April was crazy busy with preparations and company in town for my niece's wedding.  So there were bridal teas, dinners, brunches, garden tours and more.  Although my niece, Amy, and her new husband live in Tucson, everyone else was from out of town, including all of my family. My house thus became the base of operations. It was wonderful to see them all, but stressful too.  Especially having 13 people at the bridal tea sitting at my dining table, with room for half that many.  On the weekend, the weather looked to be questionable, but turned out perfect on the day of the ceremony.



In the garden, the torch flowers have begun to bloom, the prickly pear continue their flowering and the yellow of the palo verde flowers enliven the landscape.









Nesting and migrating birds fill the yard and the neighborhood.  Up the street, the Harris' hawks have chicks in the nest high up in a big eucalyptus.  Harris' hawks are a social species, living year around in family groups.  All the members participate in the nesting process by guarding the nest and helping to feed the chicks.


By my front door, an Anna's hummingbird chose this location for her nest.  Apparently she didn't really think it through, as all the traffic in and out of our front door caused her to soon abandon the nest without laying eggs.

Tiny Gambel's quail chicks scurry after mom and dad very soon after hatching. Precocial is the term for ground-nesting birds who are ready to travel almost immediately, with feathers and eyes open.   I don't think this brood was hatched in the yard, but it might have been.  Often, there are up to 13 or 15 chicks in a brood, but with a high rate of mortality, perhaps 2 or 3 will survive to adulthood.


The saguaro cactus are now in full bloom, the sweet flowers attracting pollinators such as cactus bees and white-winged doves.  It was a first for me to see this hummingbird feeding repeatedly from a saguaro flower.


Migrators are making their way to their summer homes, stopping for a rest in my yard.  Right now I have several black-headed grosbeaks hanging around the nut feeder before heading for higher elevation.  In this shot, there is a male on the left and a female on the right.



I've also had broad-tailed and broad-billed hummers stop by for sustenance, but they are much too quick for my camera to capture.

Between all the wedding events, my sister and I found time to do a little hike to some ancient petroglyphs, and then to the adjoining Saguaro National Park.





The rain clouds were gathering and the temperature dropping when  we made it back to the parking area just as the first drops were falling.  The light was not good to capture the lovely color of the blooming ironwood trees.



The rainstorm that ensued was all too brief to quench the parched desert, but we welcome every drop.  Soon our beautiful spring will feel like summer and the rain will be a distant memory sustaining us until the summer monsoon arrives.

Here's hoping all your spring days are filled with color and beauty!

12 comments:

  1. Your place is lilke a sanctuary! Very nice photos....and I'm loving the nesting Harris's Hawks!

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  2. HAHAs and Grosbeaks are fantastic! Gorgeous photos.

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  3. Your spring is much more enjoyable than ours. I still have the heat on.

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  4. Too bad about that cute little hummer by your door.

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  5. Your cacti floral photos took my breath away!!!
    Box Canyon Mark from Lovely Ouray, Colorado

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  6. Weddings can be stressful but happy times. Your birds and cactus flowers are beautiful.

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  7. The desert seems to come alive during spring time. I'm not sure which I prefer more; the flowers or the birds. Lucky we don't have to choose. Beautiful photos!

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  8. What gorgeopus scenes reminding me of my life in Tucson! However, I do not miss those dust storms! I love the flower pics and the cute hummingbird on her nest! Great info and congrats to your niece. She looks just lovely!

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  10. Such beautiful photos! And that shot of the bridal dinner looks like a Norman Rockwell!

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  11. WOW! What a busy schedule you have. Love all your pictures but especially the hummer nest. Bummer for the hummer, though.

    I've delighted to find this but now realize I need to start reading my blogs in Feedly from the bottom. Seem to never quite get there otherwise and that's where I found your blog.

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  12. Hi Carole, I just came home to CO from a visit with my friend near the McDowell Wilderness. It was very windy, but I sure enjoyed the blooming cacti and the warmth. When I got back to Breckenridge (still snow on the ground), I found a black-headed Grosbeak dead on our deck. I'm wondering if a hawk got it. I've never seen that bird before at our high elevation. I so enjoy visiting the Sonoran Desert! Your photos are wonderful.

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