Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Critters

Snake at Sundown

Snake at Sundown

Damsel was in the courtyard just after sundown this evening when she noticed this three and a half foot long snake coming across the road out front. She called to me telling me I should bring a camera. After she pointed it out, we went down the RV drive to get a better look.

According to Wikipedia, the species Ctotalus scutulatus (Western Mojave Rattlesnake) is reputed to be aggressive toward humans and, in fact, this guy coiled up into a striking position as I approached. I took this photo before quickly retreating behind the landscape wall. We wanted no close encounters with some of the most toxic of rattlesnake venom.

We backed off and watched the snake slither along the RV Drive until finally disappearing under some of the native creosote on the lot to the west of us. We hope that it keeps on moving away from the area where we will be walking the dogs later tonight.

29 Sep 2016 by Arizona Critters Environment Photography

A Black Butterfly Browsing the Red Birds

Browsing the Red Birds

Late this morning, I noticed a butterfly in the courtyard among the Red Bird of Paradise flowers. I quickly got my Canon EOS camera and went out front to see if I could get some shots of the butterfly before it flew away.

The butterfly flitted here and there for a while after I got out front, but it finally settled on one of the flowers long enough for me to capture it and its pollen laden wings in this image. Click on the image to enlarge. I also got some other good images here and here.

04 Sep 2016 by Arizona Critters Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Black Bee Pollinator

Black Bee Pollinator

I did not have the camera handy when the hummingbirds and butterflies were browsing the red bird flowers in the courtyard, but I did manage to get this big black bee doing its thing. We have pollinators of all kinds including this guy, the afore mentioned hummingbirds, bees of all kinds and yellow-jackets that frequent these beautiful summertime flowers.

We saw, but did not manage to photograph more critters today. We had the usual little ground squirrels, cottontail rabbits, black-tailed jackrabbits, a bunch of lizards of varying species and one lonely coyote crossing the north property line eastbound. We hope he keeps moving on . . .

Click on the image to enlarge.

25 Aug 2016 by Arizona Critters Flowers Home & Garden Photography

The Warmer Weather is Back

temperature.jpgToday is the first of several days that are forecast to be triple digit days. The National Weather Service calls it an “Excessive Heat Warning” and it is forecast to continue through Monday. Even the Low temperatures are around 80 degrees which doesn’t provide much relief.

The thermostat is set to 82 degrees and the A/C unit keeps it near that temperature which feels REALLY cool when coming in from walking the dogs. We also have the ceiling fans turning in the office and the great room during the day and in the bedroom during the night. The fans circulate the air so the temperature doesn’t have hot and cool spots as could be the case.

The warm weather also activated some of the local reptiles. Yesterday, we found a dead rattlesnake on the road near the neighbor’s wall across from our driveway. I can’t be sure about the species, but it looks like it might be a Western Mojave rattler – either that or a Diamondback. Click on the link to view the image of the dead snake.

There is somewhat of a mystery about that snake and how it met its fate. Damsel and I observed that the Town’s recycle collection truck paused at that exact spot on the road where we later found the critter. Did the driver kill the snake? Did he run it over? I dunno. When I see him next week I plan on asking about what happened.

The other part of the mystery is that later in the day I went out to fetch the carcass and dispose of it but it was gone. Did the turkey buzzards beat me to it? Some other critter, two or four legged? I dunno that either.

03 Jun 2016 by Arizona Critters Environment

Snake Season

uninvited serpent

My first chore when I got home after yesterday’s medical procedure was to roust an uninvited serpent from the garage. Damsel noticed that a curve-billed thrasher had chased a gopher snake into the garage while the door was open. The bird flew off, but the snake hid itself behind the shop-vac along the garage wall.

I fetched a non-lethal corn broom from the back of the garage and proceeded to move the shop vac out of the way and to firmly but gently sweep the snake in the direction of the vacant property to the east. Damsel took this photo while the snake was still hissing at us before retreating over the rocks to the desert habitat on the unimproved land. I shooed it in that direction because I know that the curve billed thrasher that was chasing it has a nest with probable chicks or eggs on the west side of our property.

I seem to be doing a lot of good deeds for the thrasher population recently.

28 May 2016 by Arizona Critters Photography Retirement

WickenBirds


Birds seen in Wickenburg, AZ. This is a slideshow, click images to advance. The list includes:

  1. Turkey Vulture (we call ’em buzzards)
  2. Road Runner
  3. Red-Shafted Flicker
  4. Hummingbird Browsing Rosemary
  5. Cactus Wren
  6. Curve-Billed Thrasher
  7. Goldfinch

All images taken from our patch of land near Casandro Wash, Wickenburg, Arizona.

25 May 2016 by Arizona Critters Home & Garden Photography

My Good Deed for Today

Curve Billed Thrasher

Damsel and I did some yard chores this morning consisting of clean-up of a pile of cut-down bush branches we left for “later” a couple of weeks ago. We finished that and moved on to pruning some low-hanging foliage on the “Musical” mesquite tree out front. We also pruned some “suckers” from the citrus “orchard” (one orange, one lemon tree).

Later in the day, I was out by the orchard 😉 and spotted a young Curve Billed Thrasher that was caught in a net that Damsel has covering her little orange tree. The net was placed there precisely to keep critters out, but somehow, this little guy found his way in and tangled itself in the mesh.

I had my camera with me, but placed it on the ground to effect a release of the bird if I could, therefore no pix of the rescue, just the one above of a similar bird at our feeder I took earlier.

I reached under the net and got a grip on the bird; it didn’t like me doing so and squawked the whole time I gently held it while getting out my Sog knife to cut through some of the entangled netting. After a minute or so, I managed to free the bird which had minimal injury as far as I could tell. It flew a low trajectory to a nearby cholla where it perched.

I’m glad I found the little guy before one of the local predators did. Damsel and I discussed replacing the net with some wire screen mesh which is less likely to snare the critters.

27 Apr 2016 by Arizona Critters Home & Garden Photography

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