2017-04-25 Sabino Canyon | shadeTreeImaging

Greater Roadrunner - Geococcyx californianus — In the act of digging out a large Desert Spiney Lizard. Sabino Canyon Recreation Area in northern Tucson Arizona.

I envy Tucson citizenry for this jewel. If I lived here, I’d make it a point to visit Sabino Canyon several days a week. Not only are there amazing birds, at this time of year the cacti are blooming, adding accents of bright colors. For those readers who’ve never been here, it is nestled between Tucson’s upper valley and the steep slopes of the Catalina Mountains to the north. Giant Saguaro, several varieties of cholla and prickly pear cactus dominate the landscape, with mesquite, Palo Verde and other desert scrub bushes mixed in. Many miles of trails traverse the park from its lowest elevation to its highest, up the mountain slopes.

On my all-too-brief a visit this day, I stayed at the lowest elevations, but found plenty of bird-life to keep me entertained. Some of the birds I encountered and photographed were Black-Chinned Hummingbird, Brewer’s Sparrow, Brown-Crested Flycatcher (my first meeting with this bird), Greater Roadrunner (capturing large prey), Pyrrhuloxia, and White-Crowned Sparrow (I thought they’d all be moved north by now).

I’m a day or so behind getting out this post because the lure of Mount Lemon: So much to see, so much to do!

Images below: