Tucson, once again....

Well, we just got back from our semi-annual trip to Tucson to see my sister and to enjoy all the nature that the west has for us to see.  I have posted most of my photos in Facebook, but wanted to put some of the nature shots here as well, for those that don't look at Facebook.

Red-brested Nuthatch, which I can see at home, so I don't know why I put it first! 

 White-winged dove.

 Curved-billed Thrasher.  The eye on the other side of its head is badly scared and possibly missing.  We saw it at Sabino Canyon and I didn't get very good shots.  It was bobbing around under the trams.  

Cooper's Hawk stopped in for a drink from the fountain 

 The female Phainopepla

 House Sparrow nesting in a cactus hole.  He was lining the nest with fibers pulled out of palm trees.

The botanical gardens had a "Origami in the Gardens" exhibit, so I had to include a couple of my favorites. 

Can't ID any of these exotic butterflies that were in the butterfly exhibit, but this large one has blue on the top side of the wings and they were flying all over the exhibit.  Very large butterflies! 

More butterflies.  They were beautiful to watch! 

A local Butterfly that was not on display.  Not sure of ID 

 Had to put in at least one cactus picture.  I took lots!

Round-tailed Ground squirrel

Verdin eating the flowers ... which does not make my sister happy 

Lesser Goldfinch...hiding 

Phainopepla guarding the top of the tree.

Dove talking to the donkey :-) 

One of the hummingbirds....very colorful, but hard to capture the color when they are way up in a tree.  Broad-billed Hummingbird. 

 Quail male

Thrush....Hermit's Thrush, I think 

Pronghorns.....new for me to see in the wild! 

Herd of Pronghorns in the wine country area. This area is really different from the other side of the mountains around Tucson.

A warbler ....not sure which one

Abert's Towhee....a very colorless bird.  Very dull looking.  Like a washed out Cardinal. 

 Bunny in the yard.

There are lots of House Finches and the color ranges from the usual pinkish red to orange and yellow.  This one is eating the buds on her tree. 

One of the two hummingbirds I saw.  It had a twig it liked to perch on and I got hundreds of shots of it there, but the light wasn't right to pick up the color of the face mask....which is purple.  This is a Costa's Hummingbird.   In the photo below if you bring it up large you can just see the purple a little bit.

Phainopepla male. These are around my sister's yard every day and are territorial.  Sort of like I have cardinals every day at home in my yard.  They seem to think they own the yard and chased away a lovely Black-headed Grosbeak that I had never seen before and wanted a photo of.  It never came back. 

Gambel Quail male in the tree 

Verdin....I love this little yellow faced bird 

White-winged dove.  Larger then the Mourning doves 

Harris Antelope Squirrel

Gila Woodpecker male
Well, I think that is enough of the Tucson wildlife!

Blue Jay and other friends.....

I know that I haven't posted regularly for awhile, but the snow is giving me lots of bird activity to photograph.  I've missed doing this.  Yesterday I focused a lot on a Blue Jay that would sit in the little crab apple tree next to the front door....giving me a good place to get photos of it.

This Blue Jay sat in the tree all puffed up most of the day guarding the seed area below. 

 The Blue Jays really like peanuts and the large sunflower seeds and he would get one and hold it between his toes while he ate on it.

I swear that I'm going to go outside and pick that one drooping crab apple!  I have dozens of shots with it right in front of the birds face.  I like the touch of red, but otherwise, it is a nuisance to photography! 

I put in this shot because it shows the pretty feathers on the birds wings. 

One curious little downy would sit on this limb and look back and forth trying to decide if he could get on the suet before someone else chased him away.  More looking then eating! 

I don't get many good Junco shots, so I was very happy to get this one. 

A pair of my Cardinals taking turns on the hook perch. 

The Mocking Bird does not look very happy! 

 A more flattering shot :-)

A Pine Siskin.  I only see them in the winter. 

One of many squirrels. 

The Titmice and the Chickadees are my favorite birds and they move so fast that I can't seem to get good photos of them.  This one is a little "fuzzy", but I still liked it. 

Kiwi has spent so much time in the house this winter, that we have decided to adopt her and give her a chance at being an indoor cat.  We didn't think she would like it but she seems to be adjusting pretty well and enjoying all the bird activity from a warm place.  If we move to a condo we can't have an outdoor cat, so we have been hesitant to officially adopt her.  We won't really be able to tell if she can give up the outdoors after all these years until it gets warmer.  She is such a sweet cat and an excellent mouser!