Verna and Bob's Weblog

Happy Semiquincentennial!

The Founding of the United States of America
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, formally declaring the 13 American colonies free from British rule. Drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the document proclaimed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and listed grievances against King George III. This bold act of separation led to the Revolutionary War, which ended with victory at Yorktown in 1781 and formal recognition in the 1783 Treaty of Paris. The foundation was solidified in 1787 with the drafting of the U.S. Constitution, creating a federal republic with a system of checks and balances. These events marked the birth of a new nation dedicated to freedom and limited government ideals that continues to shape the world today.

Happy 250th Anniversary, America!

July 4, 2026 by Holidays 0

Summer Quail

First day of summer – 06-21-2026 – Wickenburg, AZ.

I snapped this photo this morning in the little wash behind our lot. These are Gambel’s quail, a female adult and three juveniles running across the open area back there.

Taken with a Canon EOS R10 camera with a 55-210mm lens.

Gemini AI:

The birds captured in 20260621 quail and chicks.jpg are a family of Gambel’s Quail (Callipepla gambelii), a signature desert species native to the American Southwest.

Breakdown of the Group

  • The Adult (Left): This is an adult female Gambel’s Quail. She features the characteristic blue-gray plumage, chestnut-and-white streaked flanks, and a prominent, dark, comma-shaped head plume (topknot). She lacks the stark black face mask and black belly patch of the adult male.
  • The Chicks / Juveniles (Center and Right): These are older, semi-mature chicks (often called juveniles). By June, earlier spring hatches have grown quite large but retain their mottled, buffy-brown camouflage plumage. If you look closely at their heads, you can see their small, spiked topknots just beginning to develop.

Behavior in the Desert

Gambel’s Quail are famously ground-dwelling birds that prefer running over flying. They form tightly knit family groups during the summer breeding season. At this stage, the chicks are highly active, foraging alongside the adult for seeds, vegetation, and insects under the desert brush.

June 21, 2026 by Critters Photography 0

Juvenile Male Cardinal

I asked SuperGrok to identify this bird:

This is a juvenile (first-year) Northern Cardinal, likely a young male.

  • Age: The bill is dark/grayish, which is a key juvenile trait. Adults have bright orange-red bills. Juveniles also tend to have slightly looser plumage and less intense colors overall.
  • Sex: Young males often show more red in the crest, wings, and tail than females at this stage, and they’re starting to develop the warmer reddish tones seen here. Females stay browner longer. The amount of red on the crest and body in your shots points toward male.

These birds molt into more adult-like plumage over their first fall/winter, so this one is probably in that transitional “formative” stage right now in mid-June. Cardinals at the feeder are always a treat in our Arizona garden!

If we spot this bird after the first of next year, he will probably look like his Dad (below), seen “hiding” in the nearby mesquite tree out back. Click on either image to enlarge.

June 20, 2026 by Arizona Critters Photography 0

White Tailed Antelope Squirrel

I took the above shot this morning when this little guy came out to beg for a peanut. Here’s what the SuperGrok Lite AI had to say about him:

That’s a great close-up shot of a White-tailed Antelope Ground Squirrel (Ammospermophilus leucurus) in your Wickenburg backyard! These are classic Sonoran Desert residents, and your high-desert location (around 2,100–2,500 ft) is perfect habitat for them.

Key Identification Features (matching your photo):

  • Size & Build: Small, about 7–8 inches long (head to tail tip), weighing around 3–4 ounces. They have longer legs than many other ground squirrels, giving them a nimble, jerky running style.
  • Coloration: Grayish-brown or buff back with fine grizzling, white or cream underparts, and a distinctive white stripe on each side from shoulder toward the tail. The most diagnostic trait is the pure white underside of the tail, which they often flip up and curve over their back while running — creating a flashing “antelope-like” signal.
  • Face & Eyes: Large dark eyes, small rounded ears, and a somewhat pointed snout. They look a bit like chipmunks but lack the bold head stripes of true chipmunks.

Your photo nicely captures the grizzled fur texture, alert posture, and those strong claws for digging.

Photo details:

  • Camera: Canon EOS R10
  • Exposure: 1/400sec
  • Aperture: F7
  • ISO: 250
  • Focal Length: 210mm
  • Lens: Canon RF-S55-210mm F5-7.1 IS STM
  • Copyright: (C) 2026 VBI All Rights Reserved

Click on the image to enlarge.

June 15, 2026 by Arizona Critters Photography 0

Palo Verdes in Bloom

Image: Close up of a Palo Verde flower – Camera: Canon EOS R10 Lens: Canon RF16mm F2.8 STM

Our Palo Verde trees are all in bloom again for the third time this spring. This is not unusual according to literature on this species of tree (Parkinsonia microphylla). There are two trees out front and one on the west side of the property – all are having open flowers.

This Palo Verde blossom is a perfect example of why these trees are so beloved in the Sonoran Desert. The vibrant yellow petals with that beautiful red-orange speckling in the center (around the stamens) is classic for the genus Parkinsonia.

For the above image – Camera: Canon EOS R10 Lens: Canon RF16mm F2.8 STM for which Grok proclaims the following:

Why this lens nailed the shot:

  • Close focusing distance: The RF 16mm STM focuses down to about 13 cm (5.1 inches), letting you get right in tight on the flower for that macro-style detail on the crinkled yellow petals and red speckles.
  • Wide field of view: Even at close range, you get nice context with the stem and blurred background bokeh, which works great for desert flower photography.
  • Lightweight & stabilized: Perfect for handheld work in the garden, especially with any breeze moving the blossoms.

The R10’s subject detection and Servo AF probably helped lock onto the flower center nicely. The color rendition and contrast look spot-on too—those yellows really pop against the blue sky hints in the background.

Click on the image to enlarge.

June 14, 2026 by Arizona Climate Flowers Home & Garden Photography 0

Avalon 1998

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