Along came a spider

Here is my "creepy" Camera Critter. My son found this spider today. Anyone know what kind it is?

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Habitat or Hunting Grounds?

This morning, I noticed the bird feeding area was awfully quiet, even though there was available food and water. I could see birds lined up on the telephone wires but none were coming to eat. It didn't take me long to spot the reason- sitting on the fence, pretty as could be was a hawk, just waiting for breakfast to fly by.

He was beautiful- just amazing to see sitting there. I tried to reach for my camera but he was gone, swooshing up over the roof of my house. The birds didn't come out though and a little while later I saw him again, flying through the area, and around the corner of the house. I went outside to look for him, but couldn't see him again, and pretty soon the birds came to the feeder as usual and started to eat. It wasn't long though, before he came back- causing a huge uproar with birds scattering everywhere and him right on the tails of one of them, which soon became breakfast as he flew off and over the rooftops across the street.

He returned this afternoon, when my son found him squeezing the life out of a dove, in the yard. He quickly flew away with the dove in his talons, and perched in a nearby Mesquite tree. My son tried to get some pictures but most are blurry. The one posted above is the best of the bunch. Click on it for a closer view. I am not sure if it is a Coopers Hawk or a Sharp Shinned Hawk. He is gorgeous but I am not sure how I feel about my bird habitat becoming a bird hunting ground!

The pictures below were taken through my office window of the bird area.

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How many puppies?

My son's friend recently rescued this female dog who looks an awful lot like a Pitbull, who he found half starved, wandering the streets. He took her in, hoping to find her a new home, and within a few weeks she had noticeably fattened. He came home one day last month to find she had delivered 4 pups, and more were still being born. He stayed at her side, opening birth sacks, helping to deliver what turned out to be 13- YES- Thirteen, puppies. They are every color and pattern imaginable!

This man and his wife have one small baby and another one on the way, and the last thing they really needed was 14 dogs in their tiny apartment. But they did what they had to do and continue doing it to this day. They are having to supplement feeding as there are just too many for the mom to handle. They make sure they all get fed, and even the runt of the litter seems to be doing well. Hopefully as the puppies get older they will find good homes for them all.

I had to share this next picture of two of my furry friends. I found it when looking for pictures of the puppies. My son must have set up the scene and taken the picture- these two don't normally snuggle together! Thats Lucy Roo with eyes open and just a touch wary, on the left and Amber, half asleep on the right.

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Flowers wearing their Fall colors and a Curved Billed Thrasher claims the Cholla

As I walk through my garden this November I am just captivated by the deeper colors the flowers have with the colder weather. The blooms also last longer, and dry in vivid colors on the vine. They are just gorgeous-so I captured pictures of some of them.

This one is a Lavender Lady bloom, that stayed for a few days and then dried in this graceful pose.

The pink Hibiscus blooms are smaller, and a deep deep pink color now. This plant has bloomed more now that the weather is cooler than it did all summer. The blooms dry to a beautiful maroon- I am going to try and pick them and see if they will last dried.

The orange Hibiscus bloomed quite a bit all summer, and the flowers now are much smaller. The color though has completely changed from a gorgeous bright tangerine to an almost blood red orange. They dry a deep orange and Burgundy.

When I wrote last Sunday's post I had thought that the owner of the bird nests in the Cholla was the Cactus Wren who was calling out from the Cholla a few days earlier. However I've since met the real owner of the big nest inside the Cholla- a Curve billed Thrasher, with bright orange eyes and a curved bill. I caught her out searching for food and she made a dash for home. It was the big nest in the center of the big Cholla. She seemed right at home there, and very defensive about me so I didn't get close. What a beautiful bird though.

The Sunflower that sprouted from leftover bird seed, has opened at last. It is just beautiful.

And a couple of pictures of the bird area.

I was going to plant these pansies in this pot the other day, when the pot broke on me. I planted them anyway, in what was left of the pot, and they seem to be fine. They are so pretty, and remind me of home!

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Desert Wren encounter for Green Thumb Sunday

I was standing near the big scary Cholla yesterday, contemplating the Cape Honeysuckle and the affect of the lower night temperatures on the blooms, when I heard the distinct sound of the Cactus Wren. I looked up and perched on the Cholla, staring right at me was a darling little Cactus Wren, one of the inhabitants of the many nests in my big Cholla cactus. I quick put the camera up and took a few pictures, as she chittered and hopped among the thorny limbs. These birds are known to be quite outgoing and she seemed to be quite at ease being so near to me, but still protected in her thorny home. In reading a little about the Cactus Wren I discovered that they build many nests, but only one is the real nest for the babies, the others are decoy nests that serve as roosts. That would make sense why there are several nests in this cactus, the newest being almost in the center of the plant, and very protected by the sharp thorny arms of the cactus- hopefully her protection doesn't become her killer in the end. These little birds live on a diet of mostly insects, and a little fruit, so I love having them in my yard. The Cactus Wren is also the official state bird of Arizona. The second picture below is a shot of the newest nest in the Cholla.

I wanted to post the tiny lavendar bouganvilla flowers that are forming at last. Now all three of my Bouganvilla have begun to bloom. It was a long wait for some color on these but definitely worth the wait.

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Happy Green Thumb Sunday!

A Red Rocket explosion and Sunday morning bird tales

My Red Rocket Crape Myrtle has burst into it's very first bloom. I am just thrilled with how this little plant has taken off and I can just see it 5 years from now- it will be a beautiful addition to my big front area.

It was eerily quiet this morning outside my office window. I normally have a real noisy bunch of birds out there feasting away. I went into the backyard and could hear a huge chatter of birds coming from the Oleander bushes, but none seemed to want to come and eat. I stepped out the front door and saw the birds lined up on the telephone wires, watching but not coming down.

My son came in and told me there were two huge blackbirds swooping around the area. I didn't get any close-up pictures but a few with a zoom on. They hung out in the area, flying between Cyprus trees, for about 20 minutes and then they both flew away. They were beautiful birds, and huge- my pictures really don't do them justice. Click on them for a better view.

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An unlucky caterpillar and my first "real" Crepe Myrtle bloom

I noticed this little guy late in the day. I have tried to keep the caterpillars off my passion vine but I have obviously not been completely successful. Figuring his eating days were over, I let him be to make his cocoon.

The next morning, this is what I found. It looks like something came along and took a bite out of him when he still had about a half of a cocoon to make. I have quite a few ants patrolling this vine so I wonder if that is what happened. It hasn't changed since, and I doubt I'll see a butterfly come from this.

Next is my first bud opening on my Centennial Spirit Crepe Myrtle. I had some earlier buds, but they opened shortly after I bought the plant. This is the first one that counts!

This mystery vine continues to grow tall and strong. And the same thing seems to be popping up in other flower beds as well as you can see from the next picture. I still can't figure out what they are- help anyone?

Here is one of the babies sprouted up in a front flower bed.

This poor cactus got bumped and one of the arms got broken off on both ends. I planted one and and the other seems to have sprouted some babies- I was sure smiling when I discovered these!

Happy Green Thumb Sunday!

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Camera Critters- Hiding Hopper!

Theres a grasshopper hiding in this glorious bloom. If you can't see him click the picture and take a look. Just like a grasshopper to be spending the day hiding in the pretty blooms, while the industrious ants below on the sidewalk are busy getting ready for winter.

This picture was taken in Nogales Arizona, just about a block from the Mexican border. I drove down to Nogales yesterday and picked up a few things from the little shops on the other side of the border. I was walking back, admiring the beautiful white blooms on this Crepe Myrtle, and there he was peering back at me. Isn't it amazing how he blends right in with the stems on the bloom?

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Camera Critters- a Pink Caterpillar?

This little gal was wandering across an old rug that I have put down over the ground in the gardening area I have turned my old carport into. The pink color really amazed me- I don't think I've ever seen a pink caterpillar before! It actually seems to match the pink shade of the rug doesn't it?

I helped the little gal (must be a girl- pink and all) back to a safer area and let her go on her way.

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