This is the second week in the Pheonix area. It involved hunting in the Sonoran Desert national monument. The scenery was fantastic.
Here is a poor example of the area I was hunting.
Herps were not plentiful in this ungodly heat but I was surprised to see other stuff. The most surprising were these owls. I believe they were screech owls but they are not supposed to occur in the desert. While this is not the closest picture it is a first for me. You have to understand that it is 9 am in the morning and 100 F +.
These next shot caught me off guard because these guys showed absolutely no fear and was kinda cool.
I found these birds nests all over the place. (any birders out there please jump in) They were cool.
This guy was actually potographed the night before but it was in the very same area as the other stuff.
Even in this unbelievable heat you can find some fantastic wildlife during the right times of the day.
Ed
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Pheonix area revisited... (Pics)
Replies (2)
That's more the Tucson area though, haha.
I can't wait to get back in the saddle, so to speak. 
The bird nest might be a cactus wren, but there are a few others that make their nest in cactus also.
The owls are not that uncommon around mountanous areas, like the Catalinas. I see them a lot when I'm in the Santa Ritas, picking up furry things off the road, and sitting on telephone poles, etc. They might have been chased into lower elevations by the Aspen Fire too.
The black-tailed jackrabbits are everywhere. They try their hardest to get run over, don't they? Oh, well, coyote food!
Aren't those winders the coolest snakes. They blend in so well. Nice shots, btw. Did you see them in the park?
A friend from Rhode Island will be visiting the area around the end of July and would like to see those. I was wondering if we could see those in the SNP? I kinda would too. I've never seen a winder in the wild. I've always shied away from the park because of the stings up there.
Man, I just want to get on some blacktop at night and start playin' my California tunes again.
Later...TC.
but those birds with the big ears have me stumped
