Verna and Bob's Weblog

Critters

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

Joys of Dog Ownership

Joys of Dog Ownership

When I say “Dog Ownership,” I actually mean the DOGS OWN US. Verna took this photo of me coming down Gloria’s Driveway today holding a bag of the puppies everyday contribution to the perpetuation of the ecology of the planet. These bags go to the landfills and eventually decay so that the nitrogen cycle of the contents can be released, thus completing the aforementioned contribution.

We had rain today, badly needed in the desert and there is more forecast for the week to come – April Showers/ May flowers. Click on the image to enlarge.

April 10, 2016 by Arizona Critters Family Leisure Photography Retirement

Mallards

Mallards

There is a large pond in the RV resort very near where we were parked during our recent visit to see the kids and grandson. These ducks seem to be part of the landscape when we visit this park.

The baby and his parents were feeding Cheerios to these guys as they came very near our camping spot. This was very entertaining for the six-month old boy who laughed and made noises to try and attract the ducks to come closer, which, of course, they were wise not to have done.

Click on the image to enlarge.

February 17, 2016 by Critters Family Leisure Photography Vacation

Desert Critter Camouflage

Desert Critter Camouflage

It doesn’t matter what the season might be, but the cardinals are always visible. Unlike many of the other desert critters that blend in with the colors of the desert (some changing with the colors from season to season), the vivid coloration of the wide ranging Northern Cardinal (cardinalis cardinalis) is always bright and easily observable.

From Wikipedia:

The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a North American bird in the genus Cardinalis; it is also known colloquially as the redbird or common cardinal. It can be found in southern Canada, through the eastern United States from Maine to Texas and south through Mexico. It is found in woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and swamps.

The northern cardinal is a mid-sized songbird with a body length of 21 cm (8.3 in). It has a distinctive crest on the head and a mask on the face which is black in the male and gray in the female. The male is a vibrant red, while the female is a dull reddish olive. The northern cardinal is mainly granivorous, but also feeds on insects and fruit. The male behaves territorially, marking out his territory with song. During courtship, the male feeds seed to the female beak-to-beak. A clutch of three to four eggs is laid, and two to four clutches are produced each year. It was once prized as a pet, but its sale as a cage bird was banned in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

Click on the image to enlarge.

February 5, 2016 by Arizona Critters Home & Garden Photography

Keeping Watch

Keeping Watch

Sometimes the Mama or the Daddy lets me jump up on the patio spa so I can keep watch for the critters that come here. When I see a road runner or a rabbit, I bark at it. When I see a javelina, I REALLY bark at it. Or them.

When I am done watching, I go in the house and someone gives me a treat. Click on me to make me bigger.

February 1, 2016 by Arizona Critters Photography

Goldfinch Watering Hole

Goldfinch Watering Hole

This little bucket which sits under the rain spout by the patio serves to not only collect rain runoff, but to provide a reservoir suitable for our little winged friends to get a drink of water. There generally are no places where water stands for very long in our arid environment, so we’re happy to provide a place for the birds and other critters to get water.

I had a birdbath set up out back for quite a while before the monsoon winds and showers totaled it out. This bucket takes the place of the fragile glass fixture that we still find shards from, while not endangering the critters that take advantage of it.

We have no direct evidence of it, but we suspect that squirrels, roadrunners, bunnies, coyotes, mule deer and other assorted local critters take advantage of the water. Someday, we might get photographic evidence of that and post it here.

January 24, 2016 by Arizona Climate Critters Home & Garden Retirement

Avalon 1998

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