AZ Nature In Focus

The rather spiky cactus is closely associated with Arizona and our desert landscape.   Late April and early May are blessed with cacti flowers that dot the desert with color.  From small landscaping cacti to the towering saguaro , blooms in many colors adorn the desert and residential landscapes around Phoenix. Many homeowners use slow-growing cacti as landscaping around the home.  A single cactus plant needs very little water, can easily handle our 100 degree days, and in general, needs almost zero care.  Each spring, they will burst into bloom and brighten a front or back yard.  The size of the cactus plant doesn't determine whether or not they will bloom.  Some cacti stay very tiny for their entire lives while others tower many feet tall.  This tiny cactus easily grows in a pot and displays a ring of beautiful pink flowers each spring.  This cactus is really only the size of a grapefruit yet blooms year after year never really getting not...

  I have had an exceptionally busy last few weeks.  I know that I am not alone in this however I have a rather nasty habit of giving up the very thing that makes me happiest and healthiest when I get very busy.  Some people might skip the gym or yoga class while others might eat much more fast food to save time.  I tend to skip my outings into nature.  As I talked about before, nature not only helps me find peace and focus but also helps me to feel more creative, connected to myself, and happier in general.  Earlier this week, I really didn't have the time but I took just one hour to venture into the wilderness and was rewarded by the continuation of  nesting season  and some babies beginning to emerge. I first stopped by a local lake and was treated to the sight of several ducks sitting on their nests.  They both had fantastic hiding places and each year I am struck by how very patient birds are.  These ducks will likely sit on their ne...

  Though our winters are mild, birds in Arizona still tend to nest in the spring and many will continue to lay eggs until the end of autumn.  The places birds find to build their nests in Arizona however might be very different than in other areas of the United States.   Saguaro cacti are a popular choice for many birds.  Homes are frequently already hollowed out of the saguaro flesh by Gila woodpeckers and are move-in ready with just a few tidying tasks.  This starling is guarding the nest's entrance while his mate ducked in and out of the saguaro cactus.  Long trails of dried grasses and branches quickly moved into the cactus while he stood and observed the activity.  The tall saguaro makes a convenient and fairly safe home for birds.  These homes are relatively easy to guard and while snakes do climb the cacti in search of food, they seem to prefer an easier meal that doesn't call for them to slither among thorns. I have seen starlings ar...

  Spring arrived in earnest about two weeks ago to the Arizona desert with temperatures soaring into the low 80's F and spring leaves returning to the trees.  Winter is a beautiful time in the desert with plenty of wintering birds and temperatures that allow for more than average outdoor fun.  Spring brings with it the rising temperatures, wildflowers, spring blooms, and birds beginning their long migration back to their northern homes. My fig tree is again sporting green leaves.  I don't honestly believe that fig trees are supposed to lose all their leaves in the winter.  Each year, I try to protect my tree, green leaves begin to multiply in the late winter only to suddenly drop them all when we get a cooler night.  When we hit true spring weather, the fig tree always seems to return and it makes me smile to see the sudden sprout of green filling the branches once more. Spring is also time for citrus trees to flower.  Citrus is in bloom and the swee...

  I have come to discover over the last few years that nature gives me a much needed gift of sanity in my busy life.  I am not the only one to feel this as I follow plenty of brilliant nature photographers on Twitter and there is a common thread of finding solitude and peace surrounded by nature.  I really try to escape once a week for a morning, an afternoon, or even an hour.  I grab my camera and set off to wander a trail, sit on a bench, or roam a park for some solitude and to leave the world behind.   Hummingbird Mini Clipboard Available in My Zazzle Store by natureinfocus Almost everyone has their preferred retreat from life for a time.  For some, it is television or movies.  For others, it might be a book or music.  I enjoy all those things but they don't really allow me to honestly escape my life.  I watch a movie with at least a portion of my mind on what is happening when the movie is over.  I will read a book and sud...

  I have lived in Arizona for over sixteen years and in that time I have visited the Pacific coast many times.  During my visits, I typically see many pelicans.  They are usually flying over the water in large groups or standing on the top of buildings resting.  Where I have never seen pelicans is around my home in the Arizona desert...until recently.   I have written about wintering birds that I have found at my local riparian preserve before but on a recent trip, I saw a pelican.  That feeling of seeing a new bird never gets old but seeing a pelican so out of the normal environment that I associate with pelicans made me doubt what I was seeing.  This guy was not terribly close to where I was standing and was simply much bigger than other birds as I scanned the water.  It wasn't until I zoomed in with my camera that I realized that this stately fellow was a pelican.  Even then, I will admit that I snapped off a few photos and then lo...

  For anyone who thinks that the Arizona desert doesn't experience seasons, I would like to assure you that we certainly do though not in the traditional sense.  Summers are oven-hot and if you are not in a pool it is wise to be in air conditioning.  Spring and autumn are very similar to each other with very comfortable temperatures for shorts and t-shirts.  We will hover in the upper 80's and 90's for most of spring and autumn with warm evenings.  Winter mornings call for jeans and typically a light jacket though there are times when I break out my scarf and hat.  Winter is the perfect time to visit the Phoenix area though if you want a great deal on lodging, summer is your best bet if you prefer heat to cold.   Valley of the Sun I live in the outskirts of Phoenix which is nicknamed "The Valley of the Sun".  It has this name for a very good reason.  We get plenty of sun in fact we get almost 300 days of sun on average most years. ...

First I should say that Silly Mountain isn't a description but the actual name of the park.  Silly Mountain Park to be exact in Apache Junction, Arizona .  This is a short 30 minute or so drive from where I live so it is far enough for me to disconnect with my world for a short time and spend a pleasant morning on the trail.  This small park contains several trails for hiking or a short casual meander along the bottom of the mountain.  I combined a few trails on my morning journey and probably carved out a two-mile or so walk among the cacti and scrub brush.  My goal for this outing was to recharge for the morning and clear my head.  Lucky for me I was almost the only one on the path though there were several cars in the rather huge lot at the bottom of the hill.  As I climbed, I became more and more relaxed as the car traffic sounds died away and were replaced by the sound of my footfall on the path and the birds setting about their morning dipping a...

  I am fortunate enough to live in an area that not only has plenty of parks and hiking trails but also a large riparian preserve within a short drive from home.    The Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert, Arizona is one of my favorite places to spend a morning or afternoon wandering the trails and discovering new friends.   I try to avoid the busy weekends when the small lot and adjoining library lot tend to overflow with people descending on the preserve for an enjoyable afternoon.  During the week and early morning are the least crowded and times during which the animals tend to be most active and not hiding. There is a multitude of animals that can be found in this area.  Living in Arizona, I am accustomed to the more unusual animal sightings on my wanderings.  Tarantulas, Gila monsters, and rattlesnakes can all be found on the hiking trails that surround the city though I have never come across any of these at the Riparian Preserve....

Several months ago, I mentioned that I have a greater appreciation for nature in my own backyard when I return from a trip.  Not seeing all the common sights around my home during a trip makes me more aware that what might be common for me, isn't common everywhere.  Since I have not been traveling much or really at all right now, it might be simple to slip back into a mindset of taking wildlife for granted if it were not for my Twitter account.  I know that many have a poor experience on social media in general but I have to say that I have experienced no issues with Twitter.  My followers and those I follow are mostly those into nature and my feed is filled with plants, animals, and landscapes from around the world.  Someone recently tweeted a photo of a bird very common to his area yet I had never seen anything like it before.  So for anyone who is not familiar with the common wildlife in Arizona, I am going to reveal the most common desert sightings. S...

  A little while ago I talked about the lessons that I learn from nature during my journeys.  Patience is among the lessons that I keep trying to learn over and over again.  It is so nicely demonstrated in the steady gaze of a bird over the water just waiting for a fish to swim by.  The statue stillness of a ground squirrel when it senses my presence just hoping to blend into the surroundings.  Since learning should never stop, I have r ecently been reminded of an additional lesson that I have seen over and over again in nature. Never Give Up This one seems especially important as 2020 draws to a close.  This has been a challenging year.  I have lost many friends and relatives this year and we have all generally been challenged with a new lifestyle of "normal".  This little grebe demonstrated the lesson of perseverance so clearly during a peaceful morning I spent visiting a local lake.  He flapped mightily to fly but never achieved flight....

  There is no denying that the holidays this year are very different.  Holiday parties, rushing into stores, and a long line of gifts waiting to be wrapped wasn't something that was part of my holiday this year.  I am a rather extreme optimist and so I look toward the positives of this holiday.  I envisioned a very relaxed holiday with plenty of time to just enjoy the season.  Surprisingly this holiday didn't feel less busy and it sort of snuck up on me in a way that had me putting up my tree just a week and a half ago.  My escapes into nature were limited this month but I did carve out time early one morning to explore and was met with some rather grumpy characters who made me smile. This spoon-billed duck was full of determination and while I don't think that he was swimming directly at me to get me to move, he didn't seem thrilled that I was present or perhaps he just couldn't believe that it was morning already.  I backed up some but this serious a...