Thrasher Cleared For Takeoff

I walked out to the driveway yesterday thinking I would take some cactus flower pictures, but before I could direct the camera lens at the cacti, I saw this curve billed thrasher perched atop our big saguaro out front. I did not actually see the bird at first, but its loud wheet whee wheet call made me turn just in time to see it on the big cactus.

I pointed and shot several frames just before and after it leapt into the air and was gone. This was one of four images I took as it hastily departed. Click on the image to enlarge.

I’m not sure why the bird was on the big saguaro. It’s too early for fruit and there are no active nests on the big guy. Maybe it was just looking out for potential predators to its nest in a nearby cholla cactus.