Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and flowers of the desert
We spent a day at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson. This Tucson landmark is well known for its Natural History museums, zoos, gardens, nature/wildlife areas and various specialty museums. There were shows on birds and snakes which were very enjoyable. The museum is located in the natural setting of the Sonoran Desert which made the visit especially interesting. Most of the exhibits are living exhibits which show the natural habitats of plants, animals and geology. There were a few exceptions but the plants, animals, minerals and fossils were all native to the Sonoran Desert region. At the end of the blog I have included various flower photos from the desert.
One of the first buildings we went into had a display of various animals. This photo was taken through the glass.
Mexican Prairie dogs are burrowing rodents. Prairie dogs are named for their habitat and warning call, which sounds similar to a dog's bark. These animals feed primarily on grasses as shown above and small seeds.
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl and one of the most widespread of all birds. Although they are not native to some areas they have been introduced in order to control rodents, the Island of Kauai being one example. We were told that Barn Owls only live to about age two. After further research this is due to accidents and predators. The actual longevity of the species is much higher, captive individuals may reach 20 years of age or more. Occasionally a wild bird reaches age 12- the record for an American Barn Owl is 11 1/2 years and a Dutch bird was noted to have reached age 17. This picture is heavily cropped as the bird was far away and I did not have a telephoto lens with me but at least you can see what the bird looks like.
The Barn Owl in its natural setting. These birds hunt by flying low and slowly over an area of open ground, hovering over spots that might hide potential prey. They may also use fence posts or other lookouts to ambush prey which normally consists of small rodents. Studies have shown that an individual Barn Owl may eat one or more rodents each night.
The Harris's Hawk formerly known as the Bay-winged Hawk or Dusky Hawk is a medium-large bird of prey which breeds from the southwestern United States south to Chile and central Argentia. John James Audubon gave this bird its English name in honour of his ornithological companion, financial supporter and friend Edwards Harris. The Harris Hawk is known for its behaviour of hunting in packs, consisting of family groups while most other hawks hunt alone. Their diet consists of small creatures including birds, lizards, mammals and large insects.
Since about 1980, Harris's Hawks have been increasingly used in falconry and are now the most popular hawks in the West (outside of Asia) for that purpose. Falconry is the hunting of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. Apparently Harris's Hawks are one of the easiest type of hawk to train and the most social.
The Raptor free flight show was pretty amazing as the birds soared and swooped in their native desert habitat while the narrator described their attributes, habitats and behaviours. We were told that Arizona is one of the only states where Harris's Hawks can be found in the wild and their lifespan is about eight to ten years. Next time I get a chance to visit I will take a different lens so I can get some close up shots of the birds both stationary and in flight.
A nesting bird from a distance.
This Berylline Hummingbird is medium-sized bird 8-10 cm long and weighs 4-5 grams. Their breeding habitat is in forests and thickets of western Mexico to central Honduras in Central America. It regularly strays to southeastern most Arizona.
These birds feed on nectar from flowers and flowering trees using a long extendable tongue or catch insects on the wing. The adults are coloured metallic olive green with a rusty grey lower belly.
The Berylline Hummingbird in flight.
The female builds a nest in a protected location in a shrub or tree. Females lay two white eggs. Note to self-next time bring a long telephoto lens.
White-winged Doves are large, chunky pigeons of about 29 cm. Adults have a patch of blue, featherless skin around each eye and a long, dark mark on the lower face. Their eyes are bright crimson. The bird is most common in Arizona but its native range extends from the south-western USA through Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. These birds have also expanded throughout Texas and into Louisiana and has been introduced to Florida. The rock singer Stevie Nicks, a native of Arizona mentions the White-winged Dove and its call prominently in her 1981 hit "Edge of Seventeen".
The Black-bellied Whistling Duck is a whistling duck that breeds from the southernmost United States and tropical Central to south-central South America. This mid-sized waterfowl species length ranges from 47 to 56 cm(19 to 21 inches). It has a long red bill, long head and longish legs, pale grey head and mostly grey-brown plumage. These are noisy birds with a clear whistling waa-chooo call.
The bird in the foreground is a female Williamson's Sapsucker. The species took its name from Lieutenant Robert Stockton Williamson, who was the leader of a surveying expedition which collected the first male. They were trying to identify the best route west for a railway to the Pacific Ocean. The bird in the background is believed to be a Rufous-winged Sparrow.
The Mexican Wolf is a subspecies of the gray wolf. It is native to North America where it is the rarest and most genetically distinct subspecies. By the turn of the 20th century, reduction of natural prey like deer and elk caused many wolves to being attacking domestic livestock which led to governments and individuals to eradicate this animal. Trappers and hunters have also helped eliminate them. By the 1950's the Mexican wolf had been eliminated from the wild. In 1998 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service began reintroducing Mexican wolves into the Blue Range area of Arizona. As of February 2012, it is estimated that there is a population count of 58 both in Arizona and New Mexico. There are also about 340 Mexican wolves survive in 49 facilities in the United States and Mexico.
Mountain Lions do not like to share their territory and are constantly on the outlook for invaders. This powerful predator roams North America where it is also known as the cougar. These animals like to prey on deer, though they will also eat smaller animals such as coyotes, porcupines (I guess they have a way to avoid the needles) and raccoons. These cats usually hunt at night or dawn/dusk stalking their prey and then going for the back of the neck with a fatal bite. They will hide large carcasses and feed on them for several days.
Mountain lions once roamed nearly all of the United States. They were prized by hunters and despised by farmers and ranchers, subsequently by the turn of the 20th century, mountain lions were eliminated from nearly all of their range in the Midwest and eastern U.S. Today whitetail deer populations have rebounded over much of the mountain lion's former range and a few animals have appeared in more eastern states such as Missouri and Arkansas. In most western U.S. states and Canadian provinces, populations are considered sustainable enough to allow managed sport hunting. These animals are shy and solitary, seldom seen by humans. They do occasionally attack people- there are only four attacks and one human fatality each year in all of the US and Canada.
This shot of wild flowers was actually taken at Bartlett Lake, 45 minutes from Phoenix. The wild flowers in the Arizona dessert were very pretty this year.
A closer look at the field of poppies and Lupine at Bartlett Lake.
I wish that the Mexican gold poppy behind the Albino Mexican Gold Poppy had not been in the way.
This flower shot was taken at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park as were the photographs below.
