Butterfly Wonderland, Scottsdale, Arizona ©

America's Largest Butterfly Atrium

Visit the new Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale, where one can watch the journey of the Monarch Butterflies in the three generation migration and observe the dynamic stages of the butterflies and moths!  

Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
We all know about the Monarch Butterfly--this is a male and easy to identify.  He is much brighter in color than the female Monarch and has a spot on the lower part of each of his wings.

Clipper (Parthenos Sylvia) 

The Clipper is found in south and south-east Asia in forested areas.  He is a fast-flying butterfly and flies with his wings flapping stiffly but may glide between spurts of flapping.  Just to confuse you the Clipper can be found in different background colors depending on the area where he is found, but the white patches on the forewing are the clear identifying factor of this beautifully colored butterfly. 

Some are very hard to identify but are so beautiful!

Orange Tip (Anthocharis Cardamines)
Orange Tip butterflies bear bright white wings that are marked with an orange area along the upper edge of the forewing.  The Orange Tip butterflies are common and are often released at weddings and used for live displays

American Moon Moth (Actias Luna)

The adults emerge from their cocoons in the mornings.  Their wings are very small when they emerge and they must enlarge them by pumping bodily fluids through them.  Their wings are very soft during this time and they must climb somewhere safe to wait for their wings to harden before they can fly--which takes about 2 hours.

Although rarely seen due to their very brief (1 week) adult lives, Luna Moths are considered common. The adults do not eat or have mouths--  they emerge as adults to mate and are commonly seen at night.

Blue Morpho (Morpho Peleides)

The morphos are a sub-family of beautiful iridescent-blue butterflies that inhabit the rain forests of South America.

Magnificant Owl Neotropical (Caligo atreus)

South American butterflies which are large and marked with large owl-like eyespots.

With his wings open, he displays this rich dark brown with purple-blue iridescence and yellow--wow!

Photo ops are all over the atrium! 

Your visit is sure to be very rewarding, and if you don't watch out one may go home with you!

(Copyright 2013)

Birding in the Backyard ©

Amazing what a person can attract with a feeder, sticky succulents and cactus flowers!  

The beautiful little Rufous Hummingbird is quite the traveler.  They breed in the Pacific Northwest and up into Alaska. They winter in Mexico which means they make a tremendous migration every year.  Some Rufous have been found to fly as many as 12,000 miles during a round-trip migration.

This guy was in Carefree, AZ in early September.

These busy birds are named for the male's overall rufous or reddish brown color, and are very vocal and aggressive.  While asserting his territory the male may fan his tail, displaying its bright rufous coloration.

The Annas are still here in the desert and are probably happy that the Rufous are off wintering, leaving the the backyard feeders for their pleasure only!

(Copyright 2013)

Big, Hairy and Scary, and just in time for Holloween! ©

Desert Tarantula

This guy was swimming in the pool, or should I say, floating.  All his legs were tucked under his body, and he was probably wondering how he got in the water!  I didn't get a picture of him floating as I was in too much of a hurry to get whatever it was out of the pool, hopefully alive.  I fished him out with the pool net and as soon as he touched the ground he was ready, willing and anxious to crawl out of that net.

He really is a handsome guy but a little rambunctious right now.  It is up to 3 inches in size, a large, hairy, brown to gray heavy-bodied spider.  The coloring makes it a little hard to spot if you are lucky to see one during the day.  They are primarily nocturnal but can be spotted at dusk and dawn when feeding or seeking a mate.  They rest under rocks or hide in burrows during the day.

The largest desert spider is not poisonous but its bite can be awfully painful if provoked. It feeds on insects like beetles, grasshoppers, small lizards and mice.  The tarantula chases down its prey instead of snaring them in webs. but it may fall victim to the large and colorful tarantula hawk wasp. 

Search my Blog for, "It Has Come Down to This"! to read about my favorite bug, the tarantula hawk wasp.

I'm watching you!

(Copyright 2013)

Day Trip to the Grand Canyon ©

Yes, a day trip! 

The Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

From Carefree, Arizona it is about a two and a half hour drive to Flagstaff, Arizona.  Flagstaff is a  college town, home of Northern Arizona University. Other points of interest in Flagstaff are Meteor Crater, Lowell Observatory, Arizona Snowbowl, Coconino National Forrest and Walnut Creek National Monument.  From Flagstaff it is another 90 minute drive to the gates of the Grand Canyon.

After another six miles this is what you see:

Every year, five million people come to Arizona to see the majestic views of the Grand Canyon!

Squirrels give age of the Grand Canyon

The tassel-eared squirrels live on both the north and south rims of the canyon.  Scientists believe that the squirrels were there before the canyon was formed, supposedly millions of years ago.  But after careful study it has been concluded that the squirrels on the north and south rim are one population separated only thousands of years ago--which makes the Grand Canyon quite young.  There are only minor differences between the squirrels on the north and south rims--not even enough to classify the squirrels as separate species.  According to a law of evolution there should be a much larger difference between the north and south squirrels if the Grand Canyon was really millions of years old.

The Suicidal Squirrel,

This guy was either getting a really good look over the edge of the Grand Canyon or he was contemplating suicide.  Eventually, it decided to back away without falling or jumping.  The squirrels at the Grand Canyon are very photo friendly!  But for your safety and theirs it is prohibited to approach or feed the squirrels.  Squirrels are only one of the many wildlife that you may see in the park.  Most commonly seen in the park are the mule deer, elk and the endangered California condors, which may be spotted soaring above the canyon.

(Copyright 2013)

Crazy in the Wild! ©

Mother Coyote?

Click here to hear coyotes howling.  The coyote has several different calls used to communicate--howling is a form of communication with other coyotes in the area.  It is also used by males to announce, "I am here and this is my territory", which means,  "Males stay away but all females are welcome."

In the wild it is tough to find the food to feed seven pups.  She looks a little haggard and ready for a long winter's sleep!


Coyotes are common in rural and urban areas throughout Arizona but it isn't every day you come across a family of baby pups!

Coytes are curious, clever and learn quickly to take advantage of any newly discovered food sources. They tend to travel alone or in pairs but if food is abundant they can form groups.

Coyotes will visit your home if they find food, water or shelter.  They will eat unattended pets, birds or rodents, pet food, fallen fruit and sometimes even go dumpster diving.

They will drink from a pool or pet's water bowl and you may find one living in a storm drain or any cave-like area.

Click here to hear coyotes yelping.  Yelping is a form of celebration within groups of coyotes. The sound is often heard during the play of pups.





























The coyote's tail is used in threat display--it becomes bushy and is held horizontally when the coyote displays aggression.

The coyotes hearing is very acute and is used for detecting prey and avoiding danger.  The movement and position of the coyotes ears are used to communicate moon and rank.

The coyotes sense of smell is highly developed and is used to find prey, and also to detect the scent left by other coyotes as territorial markers.

The coyote has five digits on the forefoot, which includes the dewclaw (remnants of a fifth digit) with only four digits on the hindfeet.



Remember, these youngsters could be your neighbors.

(Copyright 2013)

   

B Bryan Preserve, Point Arena, California ©

This is a private preserve with large open fields for breeding and the preservation of African hoofed animals, Zebras, Giraffes and Antelope.  Not a zoo, the preserve allows the animals plenty of room to roam--actually, some are wandering on the road as you drive along in this sanctuary. The animals here are healthy, beautiful, frisky and happy (if one can really tell).

The zebras are what I want to talk about--they are a single-toed hoofed animal in the category that also includes donkeys, horses and asses.  The single hoof helps them run fast on hard ground.  The zebras are the most handsome animal in this family with their dramatic striping. There are three species of zebra:  Plains Zebra, Mountain Zebra, and Grevy's Zebra

The stripes on the zebra make it hard for a predator to pick out one zebra when they are in a herd.  The stripes all blend together and it dazzles the eye of the predator--that is why in the bush a herd of zebra is called a Dazzle of Zebras.  Also, in a herd all zebras might look alike but their stripe patterns are as distinctive as fingerprints are in humans.

The zebra that is most common is the plains zebra, also known as the common zebra or Burchell's zebra.  These are found south of Ethiopia through East Africa to as far south as Botswana and eastern South Africa and can been seen in most zoos throughout the world.

The Grevy's zebra (one of Africa's most endangered mammals), also known as the imperial zebra, is the largest and most endangered of the three species of zebra.




















The Grevy's live in northern Kenya and a few small areas of southern Ethiopia. A Grevy's has a large head with large and round ears standing at attention. It has a thick erect mane which runs the length of its back.  Its muzzle is brown and the neck is thicker than in other species--it is taller with narrow stripes and a white belly and appears more mule-like than other zebras.

The Hartmann's Mountain zebra is a threatened species native to south-western Angola and South Africa,  and is also known as Cape Mountian Zebra.  It has a short head with a dark muzzle and long ears, and it has a very distinctive dewlap below its chin (a flap of skin where we would find an Adam's apple). From its mid-back to tail, it has distinctive striping that looks like a zipper.

Its coat is characterized by its stunning coloration pattern--its underside is white with one black stripe the length of its belly.  It is called, "Mountain zebra", for it is a very good rock climbers unlike its counterpart, the Plains zebra. It has strong hooves for climbing the mountain terrain.  While the Mountain zebra spends up to half the day eating,  its next best thing is bathing, at least once or two times a day! The Mountain zebra is listed as endangered and is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

(Copyright 2013)

The Land of Bob con't. ©

The Unexpected House Guest?  

It was time for a road trip to get out of the too-warm desert for a cool-down.  After the excitement of baby coyotes and the juvenile bobcat that were hanging around, we left thinking that they all had moved on.  But to our surprise the day after returning we found this guy relaxed and at home sleeping on the stairs going up to the observation deck!

Of course he didn't know anyone was here because the house was quiet for two weeks.  He thought the place belonged to him/her.  We opened the sunscreen slowly and took these pictures.  But taking pictures through the sliding glass door with the screen closed was not ideal, so we tried to open the door and this is what happened!

I realized that the door wasn't going to get opened, so I kept the camera snapping......

.........and snapping,.....

........and snapping,.....

We don't think she (gender assumption) was ready to wake up but decided she probably should get going.....

She watched us very carefully all the way down the stairs, and once she was off the patio, she walked over to the gate to climb the wall and go over....

I went outside to say, "Hi, Bob",  and she stopped and turned to me--she is as curious about us as we are about her!  The next morning I saw it sneaking up the stairs at 5:30 and again we saw her leaving after her late nap the next morning!  

We were getting a little nervious about sharing our living space with the Bob so we decided to check the Arizona Fish and Game website for any advice.  And this is what they say: 

Bobcats are common throughout Arizona--are generally seen alone, but groups may consist of a mating pair, siblings, or mother with kittens.  If you see a bobcat near your home, there is no need to panic.  Bobcats rarely attack people.  It is not uncommon to find one napping under a shrub in a brushy backyard or in this instance on the cool tile in the shade of the outside stairway! Bobcats may visit an area to find food, water, shelter, or the space they need to live.  But do not feed bobcats, as this can encourage them to become too comfortable around humans.

You may choose to watch and enjoy that bobcat or bobcat family sharing your yard.  I guess she is staying until she decides to move on!

(Copyright 2013)