Mike in the Wild

Life in the arid deserts of the Southwest has always depended on ribbons of life, or riverways, to provide much needed water.  One notable example is the Hassayampa River that flows south for 100 miles - mostly underground - on a course from its headwaters in the Bradshaw Mountains in central Arizona to the Gila River. Its waters emerge just south of Wickenberg to nourish cottonwood and mesquite forests, where 770 acres are currently protected in a joint partnership between the Nature Conservancy and the Maricopa County park system.  The preserve includes a lush riparian habitat that numerous animals call home, and that provides a critical stop for many migratory birds like orioles.  Several springs even feed a small lake that serves as a habitat for water-loving flora and fauna. My recent winter visits to the Hassayampa River Preserve have provided firsthand looks at forest, river, desert and lake landscapes, all reachable in one single and easy walk. View of the...

I wasn't disappointed when I returned to Willow Lake in Prescott last Friday, close to the same date a year ago when I was excited to spot a large flock of wintering northern shovelers there.   Even with lower water levels due to an exceptionally dry and mild winter throughout the state, it looked like the long-billed ducks were thriving on the lake's diminished area of aquatic real estate.  Below are just a few pictures from my short visit to the reservoir and the shovelers' seasonal habitat. View of Willow Lake with a flock of northern shovelers on a point of land in the foreground. Closer view of northern shovelers. Male and female northern shovelers in flight - mostly due to my approaching them with the camera. Male and female northern shovelers in flight. Male northern shoveler landing on Willow Lake. Female and male northern shoveler on Willow Lake in Prescott. Two other winter visitors - a pair of buffleheads - in flight over Willow...

Millions if not billions of people suffer from the Monday morning blues, mourning the lost freedom of the weekend as they head back to work or school.  But a few lucky people anxiously await the start of the work week because it's an opportunity to join an enthusiastic group for their regular Monday morning bird walks. Held at the  Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, seasoned birders escort a group throughout the museum's grounds, making frequent stops to identify both common and rare birds.  Counting all bird sightings for future reference, they share facts and details about every species spotted.  For example, on my recent visit they positively identified a blue gray gnatcatcher, a bird I'd have otherwise thought was the more common black-tailed species.  They also pointed out where the last sightings of a western screech owl were, and sure enough, he was home in one of them!   And the tour's leader quickly triangulated the unique tweet of a pyrrhu...

Americans in the West were treated to a rare astronomical event early in the morning on January 31st - a super blue blood moon.   It's a colorful description of three separate lunar phenomena occurring simultaneously. A supermoon describes when Earth's sole natural satellite is at perigee, the point on its elliptical orbit when it's physically closest to our planet. A blue moon can describe either the second full moon in one month - Tuesday's case - or the third full moon in a three month season that has four full moons. Finally, a blood moon describes the moon's color as it passes through Earth's dark inner shadow, or umbra, during a total lunar eclipse.   The sun's filtered and refracted light through our planet's atmosphere makes the moon glow red. The event was indeed rare, being the first super blue blood moon in the United States in 150 years.  But Americans don't have to wait that long for the next one, which occurs again on our contin...