After snow, ice, severe winds, and very cold temperatures, spring started to reassert itself today in the Sonoran desert. On my rove at Tohono Chul Park this morning, I saw these beautiful early wildflowers: Arizona blue bells with a few Gooding’s verbena mixed in.
It was gloriously beautiful out on the desert trails. The saguaros on this hill seemed to glow in the beautiful warm sunshine. The saguaro on the extreme right is a rare cristate saguaro. These saguaros (and some other cacti, such as barrels) have suffered a change or injury to the growing tip and no longer grow from a point. See this link for a fuller explanation, and look at the video below for a closeup of the crest.
I climbed the hill to take a closer look at a very vocal cactus wren that was perched on the saguaro’s crest. While I watched, another cactus wren landed next to the vocalizing bird, and both fanned their tails in what I took to be a very provocative display. I believe they were courting. Here is a brief video of their behavior, up to the point where the second wren flew off.
Never mind the wrens -- that cactus is amazing! It looks like the Crown Royal emblem, even more so!
ReplyDeleteThey are very cool. I used to run across them once in a while when I was hiking. We are very fortunate to have one at the Park. I think it is a transplant.
ReplyDelete"Sex on the Saguaro." Now THAT could have (should have) earned an Oscar last night! Nice video, KL. That same cactus caught our eye last year, but without the boids doin' their thing.
ReplyDeleteWell, darn, if I'd used that for a title I would get hundreds of hits on this post. In addition to the Oscar.
DeleteI enjoyed the video, I did not realize you were taking it. I thought you were just very focused. A great morning. Sue
ReplyDeleteI took it after you left, when I turned to go up the hill.
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