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Leftover Lunch

Antelope Ground Squirrel

This tiny Antelope Ground Squirrel is enjoying some of the leftover polenta from our recent Pork Stew dinner. It is our habit to distribute certain leftover food to the wash out back so the critters can come and enjoy.

I took this photo this afternoon using my SL1 camera and telephoto lens. The squirrel came close to me, within about fifteen feet, to get the tidbit. The birds and rabbits are more wary than this little guy, and generally keep a larger distance between us and them. Click on the image to enlarge.

May 24, 2016 by Arizona Critters Home & Garden Photography

Star Cactus Flower

Star Cactus Flower

My Astrophytum (a.k.a. Star Cactus) had a flower open today. We have been watching it since it was a bud a couple of weeks ago and today it opened wide. There are also some more buds that will likely produce flowers this spring. Last year, this cactus had flowers all the way into August, so we look forward to more of them. Click on the image to enlarge.

May 17, 2016 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Saguaro Flower Season

Saguaro Flowers and Buds

This is the time of spring when our Arizona State Flower starts showing up on the saguaro cacti. The image above is of a saguaro crown up the road from us. Flowers are also beginning to appear on our big saguaro out front.

We love our springtime cactus flowers, both in the wild and in our cactus garden. Click on the image to enlarge.

May 13, 2016 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Desert Camo Cactus Wren

Desert Camo Cactus Wren

After I went up on the little hill behind our RV drive to reload the bird feeders up there, I hung around the back of the patio with my Canon EOS to see if I could get some photos of birds that come to feed. It took a while, but eventually a cactus wren showed up and took a nut from the trail mix block; the bird retreated to some underbrush to deal with its prize. I captured this image as it posed with the nut in its bill.

Photo details: Canon EOS Rebel SL1, 1/400sec, F7.1, ISO 100, 300mm Telephoto lens.

May 4, 2016 by Arizona Critters Home & Garden Photography

Lawyer’s Tongue Pollinator

Lawyer’s Tongue Pollinator

I took some photos of a lot of open flowers on and around our lot on Friday. This photo is of a couple of freshly opened flowers on the lawyer’s tongue (sometimes called cow’s tongue) prickly pear cactus at the west edge of the yard. One entrepreneurial bee, seen on the flower on the right, worked the pollen express to the best of its ability as I snapped away with my camera.

Next week, most of these flowers will have come and gone, leaving the pears behind to likely be pecked at by our bird population. Spring is a wonderful time here in the Sonoran Desert. Click on the image to enlarge.

April 30, 2016 by Arizona Critters Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Saguaro Flower Buds

Saguaro Flower Buds

While we were out doing yard work today, I noticed that our big saguaro cactus has several flower buds popping up on three of the cactus arms. That means before long, we will be having saguaro flowers on the big guy.

On our recent outing in the RV, we saw a lot of saguaro flowers in the wild and some on domesticated cacti like ours. We should get them all spring and summer, we’re hoping. Stay tuned and I will get flower pix of ours as soon as I can.

April 27, 2016 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden

Avalon 1998

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