On the prowl

Even the desert critters are avoiding the heat!

Our resident bobcat can usually be seen heading out in the evening hours, once the sun is beginning to set. I've seen him (or her, not sure) cruising in our backyard early in the morning as well, scouting out breakfast before settling down under some shrubs for the day.

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Taken a break in the shade

Summer is here in my eyes.

The temperature reached 103 degrees today, and it felt every bit of it. This little fella decided to take a break from the heat and rest in the shade for awhile. He's hard to see since he blends in so well with the landscape.Hard to believe that summer doesn't officially start for another 11 days. At least it's a dry heat! Read more!

Ewwwww a snake!

Clients always ask me if I've ever had a problem with snakes while living in Tucson. My reply has always been no because I could honestly say the only place I've seen a snake is the zoo or Desert Museum. That was until today!


I saw this little beauty by the side of the road as I headed off on my morning run. It wasn't alive, but was still a bit intimidating! According to my National Audobon Society Nature Guide this snake is a Coachwhip, which can actually be found in several different colors depending what region it's in. A pure black coachwhip is not that common. It's not a venomous snake and it has an average length of about 5 feet. This particular snake was a long one at about five feet. I'm guessing on that; even though it wasn't alive I didn't want to get too close!

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Tucson's newest residents

About this time every year Tucsonans begin to see signs of our city's newest residents. The warm Spring temperatures bring lots of new life, including baby birds, coyotes, rabbits and more.

Just yesterday I saw a baby bobcat running across a street, fleeing his den as the road construction crew demolished his home to widen a roadway. He was headed to the local golf course so it wasn't all bad. I did get a picture of these quail eggs that I found in one of our potted plants. The mommy quails like to lay eggs in the elevated pots because they're high off the ground, making it difficult for snakes or rodents to get to her little gems. I'll be keeping an eye on these eggs and hope to get more pictures once the babies have hatched.

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Great time of year to visit the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

Whenever I meet people that are visiting Tucson for the first time, I always suggest they check out the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum before they leave. The desert museum is a great place to really learn about Tucson's environment and wildlife in the natural setting of the Sonoran Desert.

I visited the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum last Saturday and took lots a great pictures that I've included. The Desert Museum is located in Saguaro National Park, on Tucson's West side, so it's a bit of a drive, but the views are incredible so the time really passes by quickly. Following the winding road to the musuem makes most people feel humble and small as they gaze up at the saguaro covered moutains.

I don't want to fill this blog with too much talk so I'll just include some great pictures and a link to the Desert Museum website. Tucson's winter months are great for visiting the museum because the animals are more active and visible in the cooler temperatures. During the summer they all disappear into their caves by 9am to avoid the heat.

Mountain Lion during his morning nap time

(looks like sombody else was hoping for that sleeping spot!)

Native Arizona wolves

These Arizona Ground hogs are my favorite exhibit!

This little Ocelot found the perfect spot for a sun bath!

Check out some of the beautiful minerals and stones on display

The Desert Museum has an incredible enclosed bird sanctuary where you can sit back and watch birds in their natural habitat

The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum has a number of educational programs in which volunteers teach visitors about animals native to our area

This is only a small sample of what you'll find at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. I only touched on a few of the animals, but you'll also find a reptile exhibit, a hummingbird exhibit, a display showing the evolution of the our planet and Arizona's Sonoran Desert, a butterfly garden, an art gallery, and several restuarants. Just plan on making your visit an all day event. There are all sorts of educational classes for kids as well as adults, and studies ranging from meeting the museum animals to ecological research and promotion of habitat conservation.

The Desert Museum opens at 8:30 am in the Spring, so I always recommend going early. As the sun rises it can get warm, so make sure to where comfy shoes and carry a bottle of water. Have fun and don't forget your camera!

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Just hangin out....

I spotted a neighbor of mine in search of breakfast this morning, but I didn't see the kids at all. I know she has three young ones, but they must still be sleeping!

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More little signs that Fall has arrived in Tucson

There are several signs that it's Fall in the Tucson area. Besides the gorgeous night time temperatures (low 50's), November brings several clues that better weather (then the rest of the nation anyway) has arrived -

- Out of state license plates are everywhere, so that can only mean the snowbirds have arrived! Snowbirds are what those of us living in Arizona and California call our seasonal residents that move to the area for the winter. Yesterday I saw plates from New York, Wisconsin, Quebec, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and Oregon all within an afternoon's car ride. The arrival of snowbirds is a sure sign that winter is on it's way!

- No matter where you are in town, right now you'll see cyclists gearing up for the El Tour de Tucson race that takes places here on Saturday, November 17. From August to mid November everyone has got to watch their step to avoid colliding with the packs of cyclists on the roads. I encounter this a lot when I'm running in the morning. Running in Oro Valley you'll come across several cyclists for each block of roadway. Most cyclists are friendly enough if you're courteous to them and get out of their way, but you've got to be careful; I've come across some that scream obscenities at anyone in their path. Must be fatigue and overexertion from training!

- The Javelinas have been attacking our pumpkins again! Javelinas are present throughout the year, but you really begin to see them around Halloween when homeowners leave pumpkins out. Just last night a Javelina knocked over our patio table and broke a potted plant in his (or her) attempt to confiscate the decorative pumpkins we had on the table. It was quite the site as my husband ran out the front door and screamed when he saw the 150 pound creature staring up at him!

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Tucson Wildlife; Always Exciting!

It's amazing the different wildlife you'll see on a typical day in Tucson. Just going out for a walk in the early morning gives you the opportunity to see so many different types of native animals. The local wildlife really seem to like our backyard in particular. Every year we have at least one family of quail living in a planter, and we currently have a rabbit making its home in another. Our yard also attracts lots of butterflies and hummingbirds. We have a LOT of landscape plants and a couple of waterfalls so the environment seems to attract all the desert critters, good and bad. This past Fourth of July we were walking home from viewing fireworks and spotted something running out of our courtyard. As we got closer we counted 14, YES 14 javalinas racing away after quenching their thirst in our front pond. Javelinas can be very aggressive, especially when they are with their young. Needless to say I now keep our courtyard gate closed!

This year was also exciting as we had a bobcat family make their home in our back side yard. Our planter was dense with Rosemary plants and other assorted vegetation so it made the perfect cover for their little den. Considering we had some extremely heavy rains, and they stayed under cover through the storms, I'm assuming that Rosemary plant is some strong stuff! Anyway, it was really difficult to get close to them; mommy was very protective and would growl fiercely when we came into view. I did get this picture out my back window as mommy was nursing in the early morning. The picture isn't very clear but there are 3 babies, and they were ADORABLE! Our morning entertainment consisted of peaking out the windows and watching the kittens as they explored the world. At one point they wanted to try out their climbing skills so they would claw their way up our stucco chimney. It was a very sad day when they learned to climb up and over the wall and disappear into the desert forever.

As I said before we always have quail in the yard. Usually they lay their eggs somewhere elevated off the ground so that predators can't reach them. This Spring a family of eggs were located in a potted plant on our patio. We watched daily as mommy quail sat on her nest, guarding her young from pack rats, snakes and other birds. When they finally did hatch, they weren't around very long. We saw them trotting down the street, single file as they looked for another home.

The "bad" critters I mentioned include a few pests that I could not get pictures of because they seem to only lurk at night. Packs rats can be a problem, as they leave little holes all over in a nicely landscaped front yard, spitting dirt onto clean sidewalks as the dig furiously. Still I'm an animal lover and they are cute, so I generally let them slide. Black Widows on the other hand, I dispose of as soon as I spot them. Black Widows love our yard for the same reason as the "nice" critters do, the waterfalls have lots of stone crevices for hiding. It's always a good reason to have a trusting relationship with a local exterminating company!

As you can see the desert is an exciting place full of interesting animals if you know where to look!

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When Desert Critters Come A Callin....

Maybe it's my imagination, but this has been one wet monsoon season for Tucson, and I've seen the critters to prove it! Tucson recorded 5.22 inches of rain for the month of July, and that's still only the sixth wettest July since records have been kept. Throughout the year most Tucsonans will see the occasional cricket or earwig (yes that really is an insect) scurrying across their floor, but when heavy rains make their way into the area, it's an insect free for all. On more then one occasion I've contemplated wearing a breathing mask for my morning run the day after a heavy rain so that I can breathe without inhaling a termite cloud. Understandably, desert natives like roaches, ants and scorpions head for higher and drier land when the ground gets saturated. Monsoon rains also increase termite activity. Local pest control companies have had a 20% increase in business as heavy rains flush insects from the desert floor. This is a good reason to have regular pest control treatments; it's better to take preventative measures before they become a problem. Also make sure to eliminate cracks around doors so that insects don't have a way in. And remember, these little critters are native to the desert and here to stay; just bear with them!

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On the Prowl

As I sat in my backyard enjoying my lone cup of java this morning I noticed our friendly neighborhood bobcat was making his (or maybe her) rounds. Actually once he saw me he decided to take a header right off the wall.

After you have lived in Arizona for awhile you begin to take these sightings for granted, but I thought I might post for those that aren't acquainted with Arizona wildlife. Most animals you run across in Tucson will avoid you with their life. You'll see bobcats and coyotes running across the road in front of traffic, or see a pack of javelinas cruising in one of the many Tucson washes for food. In some neighborhoods you can even spot a mountain lion or two lounging around a homeowners pool.

These critters generally run if they see or smell a human within 50 feet, so there's not a lot to worry about. They're actually fun to watch if they are going about their daily activities and don't know you're observing. A mama bobcat gave birth to three kittens in our back yard last year, and it was exciting to watch them grow and develop (through the windows of our home of course!) Still, it's always better to keep your distance from the animals you encounter. Wild animals generally fear humans, so by nature they will run from or confront a perceived threat. Mama bobcat was very unfriendly as she was protecting her young at all costs. Needless to say our back yard was off limits for about three months!

A general rule is avoid the desert wildlife as much as possible. Also remember that feeding any animals, including birds, draws larger predators. In the past I fed quail, which in turn drew the bobcats and hawks to the neighborhood. Now if I'm in the mood to see wildlife I visit the Desert Museum and see them in their native environment.

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