Category Archive

A red-tailed hawk has used the power pole next to our rv as a perch from time to time over the years. This year, for whatever reason, it is on the power pole nearly every morning. In the past if I walked over to our vehicle parked under the pole, it would fly. This year I have even started and moved the vehicle without effect him. This morning he flew to this nearby saguaro making for a nice perch. He has become my morning buddy.

What is even more interesting is the lack of effect he has on the other birds. Here he is perched right over one of my main feeders and the bird activity is unaffected. There are even quail running around on the ground. He must not be able to catch birds, and they must know it. Now if a sharp-shinned hawk showed up, it is lights out! All the birds are motionless or have flushed.

An iPhone photo from our hike to Seven Falls Saturday.

A mourning dove this week at the reflection table blind.

So Sunday evening it became apparent that water source to my waterhole at the Desert Photo Retreat had completely stopped working. Since the wildlife relies on this water during the hotter months, I couldn’t leave them without water, so I crabbed some airline miles and made a quick round trip to Tucson this week to get everything back up and running.

I guess one thing leads to the other. Look at how small that little baby is – it didn’t show in prior photos, so I assume it is only a day or two old.

The javelina are funny. They quickly learn that water will come out of the ground at 9:00 p.m. each night into my water catchment basin – about 4 to 6 gallons a night pour into it from a tank I have onsite. The first photo was taken at 8:42. It isn’t uncommon for them to show up a little early and lay around and wait. The second photo is them all drinking at 9:01. After the water comes out, the javelina typically hang around for another hour or two or even more to enjoy the mud. However, within 5 to 10 minutes of their departure, other animals such as the fox, bobcat or skunks arrive. Clearly they are laying in wait in the shadows for an opportunity to come in for a drink.