Bats and hummingbirds oh me oh my

With the monsoons the summer wildlife has been heading elsewhere for their midnight snacks. All except the fruit bats that are still arriving to drain my three hummingbird feeders every night!

Cute little guy isn't he? Looks like a teddy bear. I LOVE watching them swoop into the feeders in the night--not sure how many come but I would say ten to fifteen...of course now they've discovered their sugar bar they're surely addicted. Last year I think they were gone by mid september but our weather has remained warm, with temps close to 100* in the day, going down to 75* at night--one morning I got up to 61* but that was a fluke it seems.

We've had at least four and I think maybe five different types of hummingbirds. The Costa, which are here all year round, ditto with the Annas. The migrants are the Rufous: feisty little redheads who have completely taken over one of the feeders.

Looks like a little sweetheart, doesn't he? You should see them in action! Loud angry cht cht as they chase every other hummingbird away.

We've had another one that I'm not sure about. Dark oily green back, darker wings with a light colored underbody--the violet crowned below is the closest I can come to what he looks like--unfortunately the one who frequents our feeders doesn't have a red bill! Or if he does I can't see it. Can any of you Tucsonians shed light on this?

I'm missing the nightly visits of the javelina and also the coyotes, who have been strangely absent. Once in a while I hear the yips far in the distance but they haven't been traveling by our house.

The clouds have been outdoing themselves, great billowing masses that send cloud shadows racing across the Catalina Mountains. I have to say that since spending time in Portland in June and July I am even more appreciative of the Sonoran Desert. Not only is it peaceful but the beauty is at times so awe-insiring that I don't have words to describe it!



I am looking forward to the fall when I can open my windows at night again. The only thing bad about that is that my dog smells things and occasionally goes nuts, barking hysterically. He hasn't had to spend the night in the closet for a long while.

Here is a picture of myself and my dog taken outside our house by my husband's very talented second cousin, Sherry VanDyke:

Aren't the clouds amazing?

Home is where the Javelinas are

We left Tucson for seven weeks this year--leaving like cowards when the weather became too hot. I forgive us though, after hearing about temps that stayed above 100* for over a month! (hopefully we are beyond that possibility now) In Portland we stayed in an RV park for five weeks, enjoying cooler temps and trips to the river where Buddha could swim. I have to  admit that when we left Tucson in June I thought seriously about moving back to Portland. Mostly this was due to feeling isolated here and Jim's asthma, the causes of which we still aren't clear about. It was only two weeks before the traffic, noise and bustle of the city began to grate on my nerves. I love having wonderful grocery stores and gourmet restaurants around every corner, but my inner peace had been shattered. We left Portland on July 24th, visiting family as we headed down the California coast. And as we traveled I realized why we moved here. The traffic was clogged everywhere we went--accidents, smog, and angry drivers in a hurry.

Our first week home was a delight, with cool temps, gray skies and the threat of rain. We haven't had much of a monsoon season this year from what I've heard. I hope there's still a chance for a good storm. Although we haven't seen them, the javelinas have been coming to the compost pile every night. Around dusk two nights ago I heard Buddha barking and barking up on the hill behind the house and when I called him and went to investigate, a javelina streaked across the state land on the other side of our road. Luckily the guy didn't want to tangle with Buddha.

Costas

The hummingbirds are fighting over the two feeders. I've seen several different varieties. The Costa's:

and the Broad tailed featured below, as well as Annas and another as yet unidentified one. The trouble is the females and males can look very different as well as being different sizes! Right now there seems to be a feeding frenzy going on.

The fruit bats who came last year to partake of the sugar water have been strangely absent. I miss their nightly forays, the dark shapes flying out from under the porch roof when I turned on the lights...also the smaller insect eating bats haven't been around. 

I have yet to hear the coyotes but I remember this from last year--I assume that they are raising their young and will take them out hunting when they're old enough. It makes me smile to hear their high-pitched yips when they run with the pack the first few times. 

Once again the peace of this place has entered my heart. I'm glad to be home.

Spring!!!!

Spring seems to have sprung! Walking through the desert I've been astounded to see leaves bursting out on the trees, all the Ocotillo's in full leaf...this is after examining them for the past month or so for buds. That is not what happens here--instead of bursting buds the trees go from looking completely dead to leaves within a day or two. Wildflowers, in various colors and sizes, dot the landscape like bright gems. The angle of the sun has changed--I can see the goddess in the mountain once again.

We've had the same old javelina several nights in a row and sometimes he's still here in the early morning. He finished off the block of seeds I put out for the quail and doves--I could hear him gnawing on it. Of course with the full moon other animals have been coming around as well--this morning I heard a gunshot from our neighbor who called a few minutes later to tell me it was a warning shot to scare off a scruffy mountain lion. I wondered why our cat and dog were so subdued this morning and no birds at the feeders! He said that right after the lion he saw a beautiful coyote coming across our land to the north...I've seen this male before and he's truly a magnificent specimen.

The way our house is situated we have missed the bobcat and mountain lion sightings and because of the wall around our back yard we don't always see the roadrunners. But the cat and dog are safe there and they know it. A few nights ago a pack of coyotes were very close to the house and Buddha managed to howl, which they answered. I couldn't see them, which was frustrating. It sounded like an enormous group but from what I've read they throw their voices. During these past few months their calls have changed, turning into more haunting high-pitched cries mixed in with the normal yipping that goes on. I have  deduced that the babies from last year are now traveling in the pack and making these different sounds. It's really funny how they all shut up at once, as though the leader holds up a paw signaling quiet.

Along with the Costas, Annas and Black-chinned, we've had several new species of hummingbirds coming to the feeders--don't know if they're traveling through or summer residents. They've been hard to identify. Quail are pairing up. But unfortunately they won't be able to nest in our yard again since we've redone it, taking out the planter boxes AND we now have a cat that hunts.

We will enjoy the gorgeous weather until it grows too hot and then I plan to take a trip up to the Pacific northwest, getting out of here for the month of June which is purported to be the hottest one!