Battling the bugs...

The Monsoon weather brings much needed rain to the desert each year, but it also awakens the Palo Verde Beetles that live most of their life deep underground eating the roots of the Palo Verde tree. Lucky me to have had one of these trees in my backyard- although I've since had it taken down, the bugs remain and have caused great uproar in my home this year. My dogs seem to think these bugs are the best treat and play thing around and when I've been gone from home they've brought them INSIDE through the dog door. The bugs leave the ground to mate, and then return to lay their eggs, and my dogs must have interrupted them coming home because I had big black bug eggs ALL over my living room- even a gob of them stuck to the wall! I found bug body parts all over my house- Needless to say I am having nightmares about these darn bugs, and the dog door has been locked until the season is over! All dogs must line up for security checks before being let back in, and no more freedom to come and go as they please. Here is a picture of the underside of one...it isn't dead- check out the next picture to see him swimming away. If you are not faint hearted click on these pictures to enlarge them. The armor on these bugs is something else!

Same bug- only dropped into the dogs swimming pool...he was swimming quite well.

And another very odd insect I ran into the other day- I have no idea what this is, and it almost looks like there are 2 of them - one "eating" the other maybe? I poked him with a stick and he flew away buzzing- he took his friend with him- anyone have any idea what this might be?

Happy 4th of July everyone! We finally got rain last night and oh how wonderful it is. My plants are so happy this morning!

Losing the battle...enjoying the view

Anyone who reads this blog even occasionally probably knows of my ongoing battle between the caterpillars and my sweet passion vines. I didn't have much choice but to share this year, having decided I didn't want to dust the plant and cause all that carnage, I settled in to watch for cocoons. This vine is growing up the security bars outside my home office window- and sure enough it wasn't long before I saw the first little caterpillar go topsy turvy and zone out ready for his big adventure.

The next time I checked he was about half covered with cocoon, and looking more and more like a dead passion flower leaf all curled up and brown- isn't nature just amazing? The finished product did look just like an old dry leaf, to keep predators at bay while the magic works. A second one also went upside down a day later, giving me two cocoons to watch from my office.

I figured I had some time to get the picture of the finished cocoon, but time flies as it does, and before I knew it, a mere 9 days later, the butterfly had flown the coop!

I quick glanced over to the second cocoon, and there was the little butterfly, already out of the cocoon, but not yet taken her first flight.

Pictures were taken through my office window- and some with my Iphone. Click them for a better view.

Lazy Lizard in the sun

I saw this little guy the other day on the big Olive tree right outside my front door. He was not in any hurry, just moseying his way up the tree, enjoying the sunshine, on a blue-skied Arizona afternoon. Click on the picture for a better look.

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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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Brrrrrrrr- Winter in the desert

After quite a few false warnings, it seems winter has finally arrived. Although the morning is dawning sunny with bright blue skies the mountain caps have a frosting of the white stuff, and there was frost on the ground and plants this morning. The bird bath had turned into a skating rink, and the little birds were walking around on it, pecking away at the ice. I took hot water out and melted it for them. They are out there in droves today, heartily enjoying easy access to food during such cold weather.

The picture below was taken with the camera zoomed over my neighbors rooftops. My normal picture taking view of the mountains is a bit lower, and those remain snow-less.

I read somewhere that pansies will last till 15-20 degrees. I am sure it didn't get much below freezing so I wonder if these will come back when it warms up. The blossoms were frozen beauties this morning.

The pictures below were taken yesterday, when it was not real cold yet, but it had been raining off and on most of the day. The Purple trailing Lantana were planted late last summer and only really started to bloom late this fall. I am hoping they survive the cold temperatures. I really like the way the leaves of this plant turn dark with the cold. The leaves almost have a blue violet color to them, that is very attractive with the lighter purple blooms.

The little Baja Fairy Duster has been a trooper and a non-stop bloomer. The few open blooms look a bit bedraggled in the rain. The second picture shows the seed pod forming.

And my ever hopeful Hydrangea. The leaves have become even more varied with the cold weather.

Here is the Aloe I posted about earlier. The flower stalk continues to shoot out, with multiple flower heads. It is the oddest looking thing, and I watch it every day to see what happens. It is slow growing though-and I hope it still continues to bloom, even with the colder weather.

I am looking forward to the new year, and warmer weather. Winter is short in Arizona so Spring isn't far away.

With 2009 just around the corner I wish everyone a safe and happy 2009!

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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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!

Silly Rabbit- stay out of my salad!

My experiment with a salad bed was going very well. I actually had the first harvest a few days ago. I thinned out the over-planted bed of young greens and have been happily adding them to sandwiches and enjoying every bite.

However Halloween brought some silly rabbits to my yard, playing tricks and taking treats. I woke yesterday to find my lovely little salad bed was no more. I am pretty sure it must be rabbits as they ate every tender leaf in sight.
Here is a picture of my one and only harvest:

This is what was left of the tiny spinach plants.

I believe this one was a broccoli before someone munched it away.

Not content to just eat the edibles, the silly rabbit decided to take a taste out of my split rock plants. He put a big bite in one and dug all three out of the pot, and leaving them on the ground- they must not have tasted very good!

I replanted them and will hope for the best.

Anyone know any good rabbit deterrents? I am not interested in hurting them but I sure would like to keep my plants safe.

On a brighter note, my Hibiscus has put out some interesting pods. I don't recall seeing these last year, and the other smaller Hibiscus does not have any. They formed in the cups, that once held blooms. I am guessing this is where the seeds come from. In the picture below the one to the right is the pod, next to a bloom getting ready to open. This plant is still putting out gorgeous blooms in my Fall garden.

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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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