Mike in the Wild

When I moved to Arizona from Philadelphia, I was immediately struck by the sharp contrast in climate and landscape between the two locales.  I quickly became a fan of Tucson's Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, a showcase for the flora, fauna and geology of my new home.  Almost 30 years later, I'm still a regular visitor and still learning about the unique environment of the Sonoran Desert. One interesting and possibly misleading detail about the ASDM - as many shorten the name - is that it's called a museum.   Most of us think of that word in the context of static displays of art, artifacts and taxidermied animals.  However it's success relies on the visitor's interaction with mostly living outdoor subjects as it merges the features of zoos, botanical gardens, natural history museums and art galleries.   Not only is it a one-of-a kind experience, it's also situated in a beautifully mountainous and verdant area of Tucson, in the heart of the saguaro-filled desert i...

Crested Caracara Sightings near Picacho Peak (Feb.17th) Thanks to a Facebook Group I learned that a number of crested caracaras  make their home in an agricultural area called Santa Cruz Flats.  The caracara is a vulture-like falcon, more resident in Latin America, Southern Texas and South Florida than Arizona.  This location may be its northern-most range. I was thrilled to photograph one in a field in the extreme northeast of this area, close to Picacho Peak State Park, thanks to some specific advice from some local birders.  This was close to the intersection of E. Baumgartner and S. Wheeler Roads. Please note the farms are private property.  The following are some photos of my outing, with captions. Fallow cotton field among many irrigated fields in the area. Great blue heron in between two fields. Pecan trees seem to border the farms. First caracara sighting. Cropped shot. I suspect they're growing alfalfa. Extremely cr...