Mt. Lemmon Part 1.......

On our last day, Mike wanted to drive up Mt. Lemmon....something we had never done before. It is a 9000+ mountain in the Santa Catalinas. I'm splitting this into two posts to get everything in and finish up my Tucson photos! This was a nice house right before heading up the mountain. I meant to take more photos of the houses and buildings in the southwest, but never got around to it. I also took a whole lot of cactus shots I was going to identify....sigh.....too much going on!
The drive up the mountain begins in a cactus forest.

We were too early this year for the desert wildflowers, but I saw this purple bush at one of the vista areas.
This is only about 2000 ft. looking back towards Tucson.

I thought the grasses and cacti were pretty together.

I can tell by the trees that this is out of order, but I wanted to show one of the many bikers we passed going up and down! I cannot imagine biking up a 9000 ft. mountain!!!! It is around 20 miles of road.....uphill!

The land begins to change to low trees and shrubs with less cacti as you go up.

We marveled at the stacked rocks and wondered why many of them didn't topple over.

At one vista area we saw a Rock Wren....a new bird for me. I wish my shots had been a bit better.

I didn't get him identified until I got home. Luckily he was in my eastern Sibley, because the pictures in it are so superior to the guide book my sister has! You can see the stripes under his tail and the slight marks on his chest.

This is a wonderful vista area called "7 Cataracts" (put that on your waterfall list Betsy and George :-) I know that I could see at least 4 of them looking down.

A closer view of two of them.

A really nice one.

The pool at the top of that one.

Another.

While I was busy photographing cataracts.........

......Mike was looking up!

He saw them as they were disappearing over a ridge. He thought they looked like eagles, but we have no idea for sure. I've never had flight photos with the legs hanging down like that.

Tomorrow......Part 2 of Mt. Lemmon.

Sabino Canyon.....

Sabino Canyon is a wonderful place that is not very far from where my sister lives, so we go there every year. There is a low desert area with trails you can walk (where I saw the rattlers last year) , as well as trails up through the canyon for the hardier hiker. There is also a tram ride you can take on a paved road several miles up the canyon. I always see something interesting near the visitor's center while waiting for the tram ride. This little round-tailed ground squirrel was very cute, but was very wary of me watching him.

He wasn't about to get very far from that hole in the ground, which I assume is his home.

This is an idea of what the desert area looks like before you start up the canyon. Mike took this and the next 2-3 photos. We tend to be looking at different things, so I like to use his photos if he has something I like. He is a better photographer then I am :-)

A beautiful big saguaro cactus.

This should fall later in sequence, but if I move it you can't click on it and make it bigger. I love the water that runs through this canyon at this time of year. The first year we were there water was so heavy it was over the road in spots and we waded through it. In 2006 they had a huge washout of the road in several spots and you could not take the tram ride at all for two years while they rebuilt the road. I believe it just opened back up this year.

The sides of the canyon are covered with cacti and scrub.

The rock face with trees and cacti.

Looking up! I tend to look down mostly at the water areas, so I wanted to include a few shots looking upward!

There are huge rocks in the water areas that are very beautiful to look at.

This is the road fairly early before you really get in the canyon very far, I think.

Beautiful rock, beautiful setting! The tram ride will take you up several miles to a turn around and back down. Or you can get on and off as often as you want....all day if you choose....and get back on at any stop. We usually ride to the top and then choose a place to get off coming down and walk several stops depending on how my knee feels. We like the water areas :-)

The water may flow through rocks, or sand, or trees .....a constantly changing view.

This shows how the road snakes around and crosses over the water areas. In some places the water is almost at road level and very shallow. People wade around in it and in the sand.

You can see all the new concrete where they rebuild this area.

Looking away from the road up or down the waterways is beautiful in any direction.

Love the rocks! So white looking in places.

A sandy area with low bushy plants and grasses.

I think they forgot to dig out the picnic table :-)

I liked the grass tufts.
This doesn't begin to do justice to Sabino Canyon and I show no birds although we did see them flit through the trees here and there. I'm sure hiking in the canyon would find plenty of interesting things. If you want to see more of this canyon, Kathie at Sycamore Canyon has featured it many times and shows more of the wildlife.

I have one more Arizona post from Mt. Lemmon and maybe by that time my birds will realize that the lady that feeds them is back. The whole feeding area was picked cleaner than a whistle when I got home! Not a stray seed anywhere......I think a raccoon or possum might have helped.

Bobcat Sunday.....a special treat :-)

You may never be happy with my squirrels again, after this post :-)

These are photos that my sister took last summer of the bobcats in the backyard. I'm just amazed that these beautiful animals come to her yard! A little scary....but I could live with it just to get to see them. Mike says the coyote that visits, bothers him a lot more.Just a kitty laying in the grass!
Looking around

Look at the ears laid back in submission on the one.

Sniffing around. I like the color of their coats and that cute tail!

Lazy kitties. She says there were once 3 out there and she thought they might be sibilings.

"Are you looking at me?"

"Ah, I'm just being friendly"

"Sure, you are....want to fight?"
They look like a couple of house cats playing around.

This one appears to be bigger and heavier to me. Look at the tail curl :-)

That is probably my first and only "Bobcat Sunday".

Will finish at home....

We leave tomorrow for home and I will post the rest of the trip after I get home. We went up Mt. Lemmon today. It's been a good trip!

Aqua Caliente Park....

Aqua Caliente Park is a beautiful place! The lake near the front is lined around one side with huge palm trees giving shade and beauty both.
The lake is full of water fowl and the mountains in the distance make a lovely view.
I know most of you see these duck species where you live, but I was thrilled to see such a mixture and so willing to pose :-) How many different species do you see in this photo?

American Wigeons

The feathers are so pretty on this bird.

The Shovelers spent all their time going in circles together.

A closer view of the heads.

Ring Necked Ducks

I love the black and white color and the bill.

Pintail

Pintail again.

There were lots of Mallards and several had "funny" tufts of feathers sticking up on their heads.

A new hairdo?

But this duck took the prize for the "slept in" look.

There are trails to hike and another lake further back.

Another new bird for me! It is either the Red-Shafted form of the Northern Flicker, or a Gilded Flicker.

Which ever one it is, it is new to me and the red "mustache" is a feature for both.

A beautiful bird, it was way up in a tree entertaining all of us down below. There were about 7 of us watching this bird. Another birder in the group was from Michigan :-)

The walking area led through an area surrounded by Mesquite trees....you see lots of those out here. They are hard to photograph birds in.

We saw this sparrow on the ground below....a group of 3-4. I do not know which sparrow it is. Very plain chested, light grey, stripe through the eye, small brown stripes on crown.

This shows the top of the head. Not a solid band of brown.

This was a really wonderful park to visit and not crowded.

We also went to Sabino Canyon and I will post that eventually. Did not see much wildlife, but the scenery is so beautiful.

Not sure of our plans for tomorrow....our last full day. I have developed a real stuffed up head/allergy problem that is making me pretty droopy.