Tucson, AZ – Birds fly in for a drink of water, a dust bath, and a bit of shade. Here are images from June 12 taken with a Browning field camera.
Gambrel quail
Water – Precious to All
Tucson’s post-summer temperatures have been high – think climate change. Javelinas, bobcats, owls, rabbits, coyotes, Gambrel quails, doves all need water. The animals have a water dish available all day and all night. In exchange, I have the option to record their visits.
For images, I use a Browning trail camera (Model BTC-5HD). I wind the strap around a nearby tree, and flip the battery button. The camera eye responds to motion and records every flick of a feather. The six AA batteries store enough energy for several months.
I’m posting images taken at the end of April and early May. Javelina are thirsty creatures and will drink the saucer dry. When that happens, the other animals must wait until morning for a refill. My daytime wish for a hawk to drop in has not happened. However, my powers of wishful thinking will eventually bring a big bird to the dish. In the meanwhile, consider the challenges desert creatures endure every single day. Water is precious to all.
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Sonoran Desert Companions II
More images of animals that live in the Sonoran Desert. Coyotes, bobcats, roadrunners, and gila monsters must have moved along — haven’t seen them in a while. I live in a fairly high-density Tucson neighborhood with vehicle traffic at peak hours. In search of food, wildlife is smart enough to travel the washes and desert trails. They can reach the Santa Catalina Mountains from my area. Coyotes and bobcats will leap walls to grab a small dog or an outside cat. Rattlesnakes will come into a yard and make a deadly strike. Life in the desert, any desert, comes at a price.
♥♥♥♥♥♥
After the Rains . . .
Tucson, AZ – When two inches of June rain drenched our parched landscape, flowers bloomed everywhere. My favorites — pin cushions – tough out life among the stones and crown themselves with a halo of pink flowers. On hot, sunny afternoons quail and rabbits give up the desert. The barrier to lush, cool grass is easy to breach. They hop right in and settle on the lawn as if relaxing at a 4-star resort.
Consider Writing 