A Gila woodpecker peeks out of his nest in an old saguaro along the Jane Rau Trail in McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
Author: boolie
A Rift Between Worlds
Little Lovely
I hope there are little things in your life that bring you as much joy as these tiny lizards bring to me. The common side-blotched lizard is the lizard I see most although they can be difficult to photograph because of their small size. Most of the time I just watch them sunning themselves or scurrying about and am thankful they are there, and I with them.
The Cat Hat
My wife (unseen in the chair) wears a cat hat, courtesy of Trixie who sometimes likes to press her body against your head and neck. Not too comfortable for us but it sure is adorable.
Who Am I?
I am not broccoli.
I am tall, taller than you.
I am rare, doubly so.
I am a double crested saguaro. While most saguaros have tips of the familiar shape, some grow into fan-like shapes know as crests. Crested saguaros are rare, this one has two crests. This is the only one I’ve seen so far, a reader pointed out its location near Granite Mountain where the Coyote Canyon Trail meets the Desperado Trail in McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
Taken for Granite
Granite plays a large role in the Sonoran Desert but there are lots of other types of rocks here too. However since I don’t know my rocks I tend to call everything granite unless it’s something like quartz that even I know.
Where Is Boo Sleeping?
I thought Boo was backing into this box to go to sleep but no, he went in headfirst and turned around inside the box. The remarkable Boneless Boo.
Rock Climbing
An ornate tree lizard climbs up a jumble of rocks at the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail in Phoenix Mountains Preserve.
Bringing Balance to the Universe
Balanced Rock with Brown’s Mountain on the left and Cholla Mountain on the right. Brown’s Mountain and Cone Mountain (out-of-frame to the left) have a nice cone shape, while Cholla Mountain and Granite Mountain (behind me) look like someone piled up a bunch of granite boulders on top of each other. Balanced Rock sits between, a reminder of the strength and beauty in diversity.
Shrike One! Shrike Two!
When I saw this loggerhead shrike on an off-map trail near Granite Mountain I assumed it was my first one in Arizona but not my first one ever, having seen them in Washington. Except I hadn’t, when I got home and checked my notes I realized the shrikes in Washington were northern shrikes so this was both my second shrike and a new species for me. In my defense I rarely saw shrikes there or here.
