The Desert in Bloom

Wildflowers, plants and life are blooming in the Sonoran Desert

It may be Winter on the calendar, but it's clearly Spring in the desert.  A good amount of seasonal rain has helped create a bounty of blooms in the area.  And if you don't notice the abundant wildflowers, you should at least see the landscape beyond the city streets and highways has greened considerably. Any short walk into a mountain park or preserve will also remind you that wildlife, notably birds, are thriving amidst this lush flora.

Hedgehog cactus flower

Brittlebush

Cactus bloom.

Tiny cacti that cluster in the shade.

Bee in blue phacelia, also known as scorpionweed.

Blue phacelia or scorpionweed in light. Phoenix Mountain Park is lush with this wildflower.

Blue phacelia or scorpionweed in light with cactus.

Desert marigold.

Both blue and white phacelia. From a distant the mountainsides look green, but in a close-up they are blue.

Black-throated sparrow in blooming creosote bush. 

Another view of a black-throated sparrow near a different blooming creosote bush. He may be my new favorite desert bird. 

Say's phoebe, a type of flycatcher, on an ocotillo branch. The morning light was perfect for the shot. 

Another bee shot with yellow bloom and omnipresent blue phacelia in the background.