My new favorite flower. These are very complex, small and apparently irresistible for hummingbirds. We now know where all our Canadian hummingbirds spend the winter. In Arizona! This small bush grows along the roadside and is spectacular.
Mockingbirds are everywhere and they are quite capablt of mimicking other birds. Very pretty and a bit smaller than a robin.
The Desert Museum is a must for anyone visiting Tucson. What a day we had. The animals have all the room in the world to wander on their natural descert habitat (except the big cats which have a natural area, but more difficult to get out). There are five coatis in this very large enclosure and there area has a lot of birds because of the water source.
The raptor free flight display was the highlight of the day. This great horned owl missed my head by inches. I tried not to duck and just clicked my camera. The trainers of all the raptors stayed low to the ground behind cacti or dead palo verde trees after placing small amounts of food in the branches. All the raptors could have flown away at any moment as this is their natural home. Each bird had been rescued for different reasons, but could not be released in the wild.
The ferruginous hawk has a wingspan of 4'8". What a sight that is coming low towards you. The birds just skimmed over the watching crowds.
This barn owl has amazing markings and was being shown in a sheltered area of the park. Again, a rescue bird who could not be released. The woman showing her was a wealth of information and a volunteer at the park. Would love that position!
A separate area was a bat cave and there Gord donned his new ears. Another area showed dinasour bones in the rocks. Another showed night insects - some really creepy looking critters in that area.
The Mountain Lion or Puma was stunning in the sun. The light behind the cat is actually a window so you can check out the cave area behind him. They also had an ocelot and a bobcat.
The Harris's hawk free flight demo in the afternoon was very interesting. These birds work together as a family unit to catch prey. Four to five birds can bring down a speedy hare on the desert. Working as a team and using their very long legs they can pull an animal out from under a thorny bush. The alpha female has first choice of the meal, her chicks next, the alpha male and any underlings after that. The trainors threw dead mice (which they buy along with quail parts) into the air (lots of hang time) and you really saw them in action.
Was thrilled to get this shot of one of the Harris's Hawks.
The javelina is NOT a pig. It is related to the peccary. They are very smelly and enjoyed a huge chunk of desert and cacti as their home.
Not sure what type of hummingbird this is, but very pretty and colorful.
This beautiful bird is a male pyrrhuloxia or silver cardinal. We did see a northern cardinal as well, but only briefly. We were very surprised to see cardinals in Arizona, but they do live here. Our day at the Desert Museum was one we'll never forget. We must have walked miles that day. The sunset at the end of the day was one of the best so far. A magical day.
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