Oro Valley Area, AZ ~ WOW Arizona

My stay for the past few days has been at the WOW Arizona Bed and Breakfast booked through AirBnB.  CJ and Mary Ellen have lived on this property for more than 30 years.  When they bought it, the property was all rocks and desert but slowly over time they transformed it into the wonderful nature preserve that it is today.  They have done an incredible job and CJ maintains it on a daily basis.  His days are busy changing out feeders, watering different areas, racking the paths, weeding and a myriad of other jobs that a property of this size entails.  It's a labor of love for them and it shows. It is well worth a visit if you are in the area.  He has numerous hummingbird feeders, seed and suet feeders and some of the birds come to him for food.  I saw 28 species of birds here, lots of butterflies, javelina and more.  I had my best looks of a Zone-tailed Hawk here.  There were some birds here that I heard that would have been life birds for me but I only count them if I actually see them.  Another plus for me was that it was close to Tohono Chul and several quilt shops that I wanted to visit.

The view from the upper patio outside my window.

More of the view outside. 

Black-chinned Hummingbirds came multiple times per day.

This Costa's Hummingbird was also a frequent visitor

The Verdin were everywhere and this one was building a nest.

Verdin make several nests and use a main one for raising their young but others for roosting overnight.

Pyrrhuloxia

Five Javelina came up near the house to eat.

Large Desert Spiny Lizard was a cool creature I saw there.

Morongo Valley, CA

Lot's of Costa's Hummingbirds coming into the feeder's

Costa's Hummingbird

Costa's Hummingbird

Say's Phoebe

And another bird comes into the feeders ~ Scott's Oriole

Scott's Oriole

Western Scrub Jay's

Morongo Valley, CA

Joshua Tree in the yard

Costa's Hummingbird

Eurasian Collared Dove

Cooper's Hawk

View from the yard

Another view from the yard

Palm Desert, CA ~ The Living Desert

Today's plans included a visit to The Living Desert.  This is a zoo and botanical gardens. Jim, Dawn and I visited here in 2013. I loved the numbers of butterflies and was excited to go again.  I suggested that I go off on my own and just join up with everyone later.  I was disappointed in the butterflies as there numbers were very low but I was told that the temperatures need to be cooler before the butterflies return.  Since we are here almost 2 weeks earlier I guess that makes sense.  It was 111 degrees when we arrived on 9/11.  I was happy to get great looks at a close Bewick's Wren and some Costa's Hummingbirds.

Queen Butterfly

Orange Sulphur

Bewick's Wren

Costa's Hummingbird

Sunrise over Palm Desert, CA

Back in Palm Desert, CA for another great vacation. with my friend's.  Om my first walk of my stay I saw tons of Costa Hummingbirds and a number of Greater Roadrunners. This afternoon we plan to take the tram up the Chino Canyon to Mount San Jacinto State Park and do some hiking.  That is if we can tear the men away from the Penn State football game.

Coasta's Hummingbird

CA ~ Desert Valley Resort ~ Costa's Hummingbird

It's been a great week here at  the resort.  I just love that there are hummingbirds buzzing around everywhere.  They greet us in the morning when we eat breakfast nectaring on the Lantana.  While you're walking around the grounds they are 6-8 hummingbirds in sight at all times.  When at the pool they fly around just over your heads and then sit in the trees above you.  Here's a picture from this afternoon.

CA ~ Sights around Desert Willow

Afternoons are spent up at the pool as this years temperatures have been anywhere from about 98 to 105F.  Usually at some point during the afternoon I take a break from the pool and go off in search of birds and nature to photograph.  It's a photographers delight here especially as there are good numbers of hummingbirds - both Costa's and Anna's.  The surprise of this afternoon was the Cooper's Hawk that landed along the railing of the pool area.  Later this evening he was out hunting birds for his dinner.

Costa's Hummingbird

Lizard sunning on rodk

Western Tiger Swallowtail

CA ~ Arriving Palm Desert

Costa's Hummingbird

After 2 smooth flights including a flight over the Salton Sea which was really neat we arrived to our resort just after 1 PM.  Our room wasn't ready yet so we spent some time at the main pool.  Jim, Dawn and I had such fun trying to play water volleyball.  Almost immediately we saw the hummingbirds buzzing around the flowers.  Here are some of the pictures from this afternoon. I don't know the species the of butterflies but plan to try and figure them out.

Gray Hairstreak

Fiery Skipper

Baja Mexico trip Recap

Gray Hairstreak

I've been home a few days and it's great to be home but I am missing the nice sunny weather.  I am looking forward to better weather coming to NJ in the next few weeks and with it the start of spring migration.

In Mexico I was fortunate enough to add 14 species of birds to my life list including Hooded Oriole, Scott's Oriole, Pyrrhuloxia, Gila Woodpecker, Cactus Wren, Phainopepla, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Horned Lark, Crested Carcara, Brant's Cormorant, Western Kingbird, Gilded Flicker along with the 2 endemics Gray Thrasher and Xantus's Hummingbird. In total I saw 46 species of birds and many species of butterflies many of which I still need to ID.  There were 4 iguanas seen each living in it's own Cactus.
(left) Costa's Hummingbird

Orange-crowned Warbler

Fritillary - most likely Gulf or Mexican