Ear you go!

Photo by Ned Harris 5/14/2016

Jackrabbit in flight! 

Great Expectations

Fred Heath reports on the state of the Night Blooming Cereus (Peniocereus greggi) plants in Sabino Canyon from his early morning walk on 5/19/2016. (Anne says: Of course, these plants have progressed - or not - since then. If you have any updates, please sent to me and I'll spread the word.)

Photos and text by Fred Heath, 5/19/2016.

Near Woman’s Rest Room (at Visitor Center): This plant looks awful with no buds. We’ve seen others in bad shape only to surprise us in another year. Since the great majority of the plant is underground, it could be fine. Maybe it’s taking a year off. (No photos)

Bear Canyon Trail under mesquite just before the Nature Trail

Bear Canyon Trail under mesquite just before the Nature Trail: This plant has two main stems- the one to the left that leans at 45° looks bad, but the upright stem to the right has some growths at the tip which I think are new stems (see photo above), but no flower buds.

  

Two of the 13 flower buds that look the farthest along

Bear Canyon Trail between it and start of Esperero Trail: This plant is the best looking one and has three healthy stems coming out of the ground with at least 13 flower buds (photo above shows two). 

There are a number of other growths (see photo above) which may be more flower buds or new stems.

Bear Canyon Trail just east of the previous plant under the mesquite: This plant has 6 flower buds. 

Bear Canyon Trail in the open, west of the sewer cover: This plant has 8 flower buds. 

Median on main tram road: This plant has at least one flower bud, but I’m not sure what the other new growths will be when they grow up.

Thanks, Fred, for this in-depth coverage!

Buds, Blossoms, Bee, and Bonus Book

Photos by Marty Horowitz 5/1/2016

Saguaro flower buds and blossom

Saguaro blossom and fully loaded bee (click on photo for larger view)

Bonus Book: Big thanks to Gene Spesard for alerting me to A Guide to the Geology of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona: The Geology and Life Zones of a Madrean Sky Island by John V. Bezy and the Arizona Geological Survey. Free to download here. (The photos alone make this well worth looking at, even if you think you don't like geology.)

Yoga time

Photo by (not of) Marty Horowitz at home 6/4/2016

Looks like the same guy from last week's post, still hanging around in Marty's yard. (If we had our pattern scanner, we could know for sure.) Looks like he's getting in some morning yoga. Upward Lizard pose?

Stages

Giant Mesquite Bugs are fascinating critters. Check out Margarethe Brummermann's great post on their life cycle. 

Photos by Marty Horowitz 5/26/2016

This one's crawling out of his/her old skin. Note the wing buds - not yet fully developed wings. Because we know that, in the insect world, adults have wings; we can say with certainty that this one isn't yet an adult.

Two stages clearly shown here. Neither is an adult, but the one at the bottom is older than the one at the top.

Chicks, Ahoy!

Reports from reputable sources indicate there are at least three (possibly four) Cooper's Hawk chicks in the old nest above the dam.

Photos by Marty Horowitz 5/26/2016

Click on the photo for a larger view. Chicks on either side, maybe one in the middle as well.

Definitely one in the middle in this view. Grow, chicks, grow!

The Young and the Restless

Photo by Ned Harris 5/14/2016

Round-tailed Ground Squirrels, taking it to the sand.