7/2022

The Two-tailed Swallowtails will always show up when the zinnias begin to bloom. Of course, they are attracted to all of the flowers! This large western butterfly is the Arizona state butterfly.

5/2022

Our feeders have been busy this month! A first sighting was an Indigo Bunting. He only stayed for a short time but long enough for me to grab my camera. The Lazuli Buntings were plentiful and so were the Black-headed Grosbeaks. And the Abert’s Towhee will be a visitor all summer long.

2/2022

If this Great Horned Owl hadn’t flown up to a rocky ledge that rises above a narrow creek in central Arizona, I would never have seen it. Camouflaged beautifully against the cliff, it watched me for a couple of minutes before it sped off. And to top it off, as it was flying along the rocky wall another one suddenly appeared and together they disappeared in the distance.

11/2021

Western Black Swallowtail. This one showed up 11/4 and was seen for several days in our yard. Our first sighting of this species. And there has been a Monarch flying around the flowers for the past couple of days. I have never seen a Monarch this late in the year. And it’s in perfect condition!

10/2021

The Longleaf False Goldeneye was spectacular this fall in central Arizona. The showy daisy-like flowers spread for miles across the rocky flats and slopes into dry arroyos. Goldeneye is a native plant of the southwest and benefits from summer monsoon rains.

9/2021

The monsoon season brought much needed rain to central Arizona. And with it came the most beautiful butterflies. My garden zinnias have been a main attraction for many different types.