Bob

Verna thinks that we have had a “bumper crop” of birds and other critters this spring. We witnessed three of these curve billed thrashers as eggs in the nest, hatchlings begging to be fed and as fledgelings just leaving the nest.

We especially note a lot of juvenile Gambel’s quail running around with their parents, sometimes as many as a dozen. I will post photos of these camera-shy little quail when and if I can.

I took this photo of a thrasher atop the crook upon which hangs the block and bell seed feeders. The bird was waiting its turn as another thrasher was on the bell pecking below. Click on the image to enlarge.

I couldn’t positively identify the species of this lizard from the little desert guide book we have. Nonetheless, it just sat on the river rocks in front of the house watching me as I sprayed for weeds in the rock garden. It didn’t flinch when I took out my little camera and snapped this photo. It only moved when I had to climb up on the rocks to spray a weed higher up. Click on the image to enlarge.

I was out by the irrigation box next to the big saguaro cactus out front when I noticed a bird on the top of some of the flower pods. I usually carry my little point-and-shoot camera, so I retrieved it and took several shots of the bird on the pods. This photo was the best of them, so I am posting it here. The bird is a cactus wren, the state bird of Arizona. The flower pod upon which it is perched is going to open and be the state flower of Arizona. Click on the image to enlarge.