On the nest

Two and a half miles east of Quitobaquito on the South Puerto Blanco Road is a tall Saguaro with a nest.



If you stop to look, you will see that it is occupied.  Someone is sitting on the nest even in these warm days so there must be eggs.



What is it?  Much discussion has been had among rangers and volunteers about the identification of the bird. 

Large bird.  Large ears sticking up.




Some say a Long Eared Owl





Some say a Great Horned Owl.



Could be either one.  What do you think?

Mountain Lion

Mountain Lion, Cougar, Puma    Different names for the same animal.  All of them are rarely seen.  Before last Tuesday, I had never seen one.  Then, at 11am on Hwy 85 just before exiting the monument, a mountain lion bounded across the road in front of the truck.  It took three bounds to clear the distance from the left side of the road to the bushes on the right.  It happened so fast that I only got a short imagine of it.  In fact I only remember the front half.  I initially thought it was a bobcat because they have been seen this year and it was about that size.  But I remember the head and it did not have fur tufts on it's ears and it was solid tawny brown.  He was there and gone like the wind.
   "Did you see that? !!!"' I yelled to R.  "See what?', was her reply.  She had been looking elsewhere, searching for buds on the Saguaros and there are a few.  (see previous entries)  But the key item was that she did not see this wonderful creature. I have downloaded this photo to show you what I saw.  Seeing animals on TV or in zoos is one thing.  Seeing them in person, in their environment, is totally another.

Friends

These are a pair of Turkey Vultures.  They are one of our favorite birds.  R and I do an evening program about vultures and have learned a great deal about them.  They are very important creatures because they remove dead animals that would cause diseases in animals and man.  

Next time you see a vulture sitting on a roadkill, tell it, "Thank you for being that clean up crew."

The first Saguaro blooms

Yesterday we heard from a visitor that they saw a Saguaro that had started to bloom.  I knew which one it was because it always is one of the first to show off.  Almost immediately, Lee and I walked out to get a closer look.  And here you see what we saw.  These three blooms came out last night and will be gone by early afternoon.  Tomorrow a few more will bloom and so it goes until all of the buds have opened.  The Saguaro flower show will build and build until the entire dessert is filled with blooms.  With the Organ Pipes and Saguaros and all the other cacti,

April will be spectacular!

What's blooming

The heat has come up this week.  We are seeing temps in the low 90's.  it is bringing the flowers to bloom early.  Here are some.



Flowers on the blue Palo Verde





 
 The Rare Acuna Cactus

The Hedgehog Cacti are exploding !

Tuesday Night Supper

Tuesday night is the night we get together for supper.  It's not a pot luck, but rather a time to bring your own fare, whether it be a salad or spaghetti, and eat it with friends.  We talk business ( the park activities), we joke, we talk politics, we tell stories, we laugh, we just enjoy each others company.  It is one of the reasons that R and I volunteer; for the relationships that we have built here and at other places we been.

Desert Bighorns