native plants

Hand-held in the Garden

We must cultivate our own garden. When man was put in the garden of Eden he was put there so that he should work, which proves that man was not born to rest. –Voltaire

Male Broad-billed Hummingbird, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona
Garden Dweller: Male Broad-billed Hummingbird, Hummingbird Aviary, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona. Photographing in the aviary was tricky: Shooting hand-held in low and dappled light with quick subjects. Canon EOS 5DIII/300mm f/4L IS. Hand-held. Natural light.

The last week or so has been an incredibly hectic and exhausting time of clearing and hauling brush, painting, making minor repairs, and taking long trips to acquire tools and supplies. Mixed in with all that was a series of visits to botanical gardens (Tucson Botanical Gardens, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum; Tohono Chul) and a nursery (Desert Survivors) to gather ideas for our future desert gardens, which will surround the house. More on that project as it develops . . . .

Because the primary reason for the visits to these gardens was for landscaping and horticultural ideas, we left the big glass and tripods behind. We shot almost exclusively with the 100mm f/2.8L Macro and the 300mm f/4L. Elisa used the 50mm f/1.4, too, for landscape and planting shots. (A bird photographer using a normal lens!?!) This innocuous-sounding gear was plenty heavy enough as it was, as the temperature topped 100 degrees on every visit to the gardens. A 600mm f/4 and tripod would have been the coup de grace.

Alamos Barrel Cactus, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona
Alamos Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus alamosanus), Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona. This rare cactus is native to the western edge of the Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico. Maybe some day one will find its way into our collection of desert plants–in a pot. Canon EOS 5DIII/100mm F/2.8L IS Macro. Hand-held. High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

We spend most of our desert birding time in the Chihuahuan Desert, but on this trip we were mostly in the Sonoran Desert, to the west of the Chiricahuas where we now spend part of the year. Aesthetically, the Sonoran Desert has it hands down over the Chihuahuan, primarily because of the botany. The Sonoran, with its saguaros, organ pipe cacti, and forests of teddy bear chollas is easily one of the most spectacular places on earth. We have decided, though, to plant only native species in our gardens. But there will be places for exotics, namely in pots on the patios and in the sun rooms. All birds, no matter their origin are welcome, though.

Sonoran Collared Lizard, Tucson Botanical Garden, Tucson, Arizona
Portrait: Male Desert Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus magister), Tucson Botanical Gardens, Tucson, Arizona. Although this lizard occurs across much of Arizona, males with purple patches on their backs are restricted to the southern part of the state. Canon EOS 5DIII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. Hand-held. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.

As a break from work projects, I took an hour or so to photograph hummers in the Hummingbird Aviary at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum. But as is usually the case, I worked harder on that than I typically do working! It was hot, hot! Early in the morning, the light was low and required breaking a few rules–namely shooting below 1/300 hand-held with a 300mm lens and above ISO 800. By mid-day, the glare was absurd, and the temp was above the tolerance of this Minnesota boy! No matter the pain, I still highly recommend brief visits to the world’s harsh places!

Female Broad-billed Hummingbird, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona
Female Broad-billed Hummingbird, Hummingbird Aviary, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona. Canon EOS 5DIII/300mm f/4L IS. Hand-held. Natural light.
Female Rufous Hummingbird, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona
Female Rufous Hummingbird, Hummingbird Aviary, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona. Canon EOS 5DIII/300mm f/4L IS. Hand-held. Natural light.
Male Costa's Hummingbird, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona
Male Costa’s Hummingbird, Hummingbird Aviary, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona. This bird almost never emerged from the shadows. Pity. I was was hoping to capture that glorious gorget in full sun. Canon EOS 5DIII/300mm f/4L IS. Hand-held. Natural light.

©2019 Christopher R. Cunningham and Elisa D. Lewis. All rights reserved. No text or images may be duplicated or distributed without permission.

Local Adventures

When you’re safe at home you wish you were having an adventure; when you’re having an adventure you wish you were safe at home.–Thornton Wilder

Young Barn Swallow, Willow Tank, near Rodeo, New Mexico
Young Barn Swallow, Willow Tank, near Rodeo, New Mexico. This youngster was exhibiting begging behavior and appears to have a parasite below the eye. Willow Tank is a man-made watering hole generously provided by the Rivers Family for wildlife viewing. As the summer draws on, I am optimistic that this location will become a prime birding spot. Luckily, Willow Tank is just a few miles from home. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

As much as we love birding around the Houston area, the crush of humanity–mostly traffic and yahoo encounters–has become a bit much of late. This sentiment figured prominently in our choice of retirement location: Birding had to be available right outside our door. And now there are many birding sites within a few miles of our desert home. So presently I can work myself into a near stupor with building and maintenance projects and still get out to bird once in a while . . . .

Eurasian Collared Dove, Portal, Arizona
Eurasian Collared Dove, near Portal, Arizona. This dove is an invasive species, widespread across the U.S. I spotted this bird a few hundred yards from our house. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

And if the birding doesn’t pan out, as was the case this morning, daubs of wildflower color do dot the landscape and are available for macro work. This day I went out to South Fork, Cave Creek seeking an image of the Elegant Trogon, but had to settle for flowers and bugs (and hearing the bird’s call). Maybe next time.

Bee on butterfly weed, South Fork, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
Bee on Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), South Fork, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. Sorry folks, no ID on the bee: There are 4000 species of bee in North America! Canon EOS 5DIII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.
Moth on Thistle, South Fork, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
Red Lichen Moth (Lycomorpha fulgens) on Thistle (Cirsium sp.), South Fork, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. Canon EOS 5DIII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.
Butterfly on Thistle, South Fork, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
Arizona Skipper (Codatractus arizonensis) on Thistle, South Fork, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. Canon EOS 5DIII/100mm f/2.8L IS. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.
Bee on prickly pear cactus flower, Portal, Arizona
Bee on Prickly Pear Cactus Flower, Portal, Arizona. I’ll add entomology to the list of subjects I’d like to learn more about. Canon EOS 5DIII/100mm f/2.8L IS. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.

©2019 Christopher R. Cunningham and Elisa D. Lewis. All rights reserved. No text or images may be duplicated or distributed without permission.

Back in the Desert

The more unintelligent a man is, the less mysterious existence seems to him. –Arthur Schopenhauer

Ash-throated Flycatcher with Grasshopper, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
Ash-throated Flycatcher with Grasshopper, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. This bird was waiting for me to go away so it could deliver the grasshopper to its young in a nest cavity below. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Well, another grueling academic year is in the rear-view mirror, and it’s now time to get my head screwed back on properly. According to the locals, June is the most miserable month to spend in Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. Too hot they say! Certainly by late morning it’s too hot for a pudgy 55-year-old physics teacher to be doing hard manual labor outside, but the early mornings, evenings, and nights are beautiful. With the windows open, sleeping is comfy under a wool blanket! Try that in the sweltering hell that is Houston!

Thus far, the birding has all been about flycatchers. Say’s Phoebes and Ash-throated Flycatchers are everywhere, calling and hawking insects. While out binocular birding early one morning, I saw an Ash-throated Flycatcher with a dragonfly slip into a cavity in the bloom stalk of a large dead agave. The next day I came back with the big glass and staked out the agave. In less than two minutes, a flycatcher returned with a grasshopper to feed babies. The bird just perched on top of the agave and would not enter the cavity, probably not wanting to give away the location of its young. I took that as a cue and slipped away with a few images, probably having spent less than four minutes there. All Myiarchus tyrant flycatchers (Ash-throated, Dusky-capped, and Brown-crested) that breed in southeastern Arizona nest in cavities–definitely something to watch out for.

Nest Cavity in Agave Bloom Stalk, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
Nest Cavity in Agave Bloom Stalk, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. This cavity contains young Ash-throated Flycatchers! Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

By 9 AM or so, it’s far too bright for super telephoto bird photography. Around this time, I’ve been exploring the landscape for macro opportunities. Splashes of color now dot the Arizona landscape–so off I go looking for bugs and flowers . . . .

Bee on Prickly Poppy Flower, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
Bee on Prickly Poppy Flower, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. Canon EOS 5DIII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro, hand-held, high-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.

Prickly poppy, cholla, desert willow, and a variety of small yellow and white composites are in bloom at my elevation (around 5000 feet). Generally I have been surprised at how few bees and Lepidoptera are around–perhaps a manifestation of the unfolding global crisis in insect populations (Guess who’s to blame? Right!). In any case, the elderberries are also currently in flower, but the fruit is still not ripe. Soon the elderberry trees will be an irresistible draw for many of the birds in the area–and for me and my big glass!

Immature leaf-footed bugs emerge from inside a Cholla, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
Immature Bugs (Hemiptera) Emerge from Inside a Cholla, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. Yuck! Canon EOS 5DIII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro, hand-held, high-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.

©2019 Christopher R. Cunningham and Elisa D. Lewis. All rights reserved. No text or images may be duplicated or distributed without permission.

Find the Food, Find the Critters

If my leg falls off, I’ll get a prosthetic. There’d be no deep sadness about. I’d just get on with it! It’s called life, and I love life. You have to be positive, and you have to crack on no matter what. –John Lydon

Anna's Hummingbird on Agave Bloom Stalk, Cathedral Vista, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
Female Anna’s Hummingbird on Agave palmeri Bloom Stalk, Cathedral Vista, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. This bird has laid claim to this agave: Invaders are driven away mercilessly! Too bad for the photographer. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Food, water, and cover are essentials for wildlife. All of these resources vary in their distribution over time depending on climate and weather. As a newcomer to Cave Creek, my forays out into the desert have lately been mostly about finding food plants–so I can find the birds and bugs!

Currently a number of plants are in bloom in the lower valley. Cenizo or Texas sage (Leucophyllum frutescens), mountain yucca (Yucca schottii), Palmer’s agave (Agave palmeri), and trumpet vine and elderberry (as noted in previous posts), are all providing food for birds and other animals. When not clearing brush or refinishing woodwork, I have been hanging around these plants hoping to see some visitors.

I have, for example, spent several hours on several occasions camped out by a large Palmer’s Agave. Although hoping for Bullock’s Orioles (Never mind the Bullocks, MP!), which I’ve seen at other agaves while driving through the canyon, the only birds I’ve seen at this particular plant have been hummingbirds and Black-headed Grosbeaks. I’ll give the orioles the old college try a few more times!

A Seed-bug(?) Confronts a Net-winged Beetle, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
A Seed-bug(?) Confronts an Arizona Net-winged Beetle (Lycus arizonensis) on Trumpet Vine Flower, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. Canon EOS 7DII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.
Cloudless Sulphur on Trumpet Vine, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) on Trumpet Vine, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. This species seems to have replaced the marine blue as the most common butterfly around the lower canyon. Canon EOS 5DIII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.

©2018 Christopher R. Cunningham. All rights reserved. No text or images may be duplicated or distributed without permssion.

The Monsoon Returns to the Southwest

The North American monsoon, variously known as the Southwest monsoon, the Mexican monsoon, the New Mexican monsoon, or the Arizona monsoon,[1] is a pattern of pronounced increase in thunderstorms and rainfall over large areas of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, typically occurring between July and mid September. During the monsoon, thunderstorms are fueled by daytime heating and build up during the late afternoon-early evening. –North American Monsoon, Wikipedia

Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona as the Rains Return. The monsoon brings a great increase in cloud cover and humidity in the canyon. June mornings are usually brilliant and clear. July mornings are often cloudy. Canon EOS 5DIII/50mm f/1.4. Natural light.

June in Cave Creek Canyon was unusual this year in that it rained heavily several times at low elevation. Since the second week in July, it has rained often: The monsoon is here! The vegetation is beginning to green up, and soon some angiosperm species will begin to flower. Some animals have changed their behavior, too. No longer pressed for places to drink, traffic at our dripper has decreased. Driving the roads at night is thankfully no longer a video-game-like experience of trying to avoid hitting roaming cottontails and jackrabbits on desperate searches for water.

Golden Net-wing(ed Beetles) Lycostomus loripes) on gum bumelia (Sideroxylon lanuginosum_. Cave Creek Canyon Visitor Information Center Nature Trail, Arizona
Copulating Golden Net-wing Beetles (Lycostomus loripes) on Gum Bumelia (Sideroxylon lanuginosum), Cave Creek Canyon Visitor Information Center Nature Trail, Arizona. This plant fills the air with insect-attracting perfume. Canon EOS 5DIII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.
Velvet mite, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
Velvet Mite (Trombidiidae), Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. Sometimes called “rain bugs,” these arachnids emerge from the soil in the millions after a rain. Velvet mite larvae are parasites of a variety of arthropods including spiders and scorpions. Adult velvet mites eat insect eggs. This creature is around one-eighth inch long. Canon EOS 5DIII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.

I confess to sometimes being at a loss as how to proceed with nature photography in Cave Creek Canyon. It is such a rich environment (and getting richer every day with the rains) that it is a challenge to decide which equipment to bring out on a hike or birding trip. Most of the canyon hikes I have been on (especially the ones with the local hiking club) have been too arduous to bring the big glass (600mm f/4L). Sometimes when I bring the big glass, I regret not having the macro.

A few times I have attempted to bring both the big glass and the macro set-up (100mm f/2.8L Macro plus macro ring-flash) and have been rewarded with complete exhaustion. Often, I have hiked with binoculars only with that idea that if we find interesting plants or insects or an area rich in birds I would return with appropriate additional optics. A few times, I have brought the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L as a compromise. In those cases, there has generally been an interesting bird just out of range for such a middle-of-the-road lens!

Javalina, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
Portrait: Javalina or Collared Peccary (Pecari tajacu), Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. Peccaries constitute the Family Tayassuidae, the New World Pigs. This youngster smells tasty sunflower seeds. To my knowledge, no javalinas have visited our dripper since the monsoon began. Canon EOS 5DIII/100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS. Natural light.
White-nosed coati, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
Large Male White-nosed Coati (Nasua narica), Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. This big fellow is around four feet long. Since the rains have returned, the coatis have not been coming to our dripper, either. Canon EOS 5DIII/100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS. Natural light.

Only additional experience, I suspect, will allow me to know how to proceed most effectively. In only a few weeks here, I have seen a number of tough-to-see bird species including Elegant Trogon, Plumbeous Vireo, and Thick-billed Kingbird–but haven’t gotten the big glass on them, yet. Time and continued effort should remedy this situation (I hope!).

Broad-billed Hummingbird, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
Broad-billed Hummingbird, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. Broad-billed and Black-chinned Hummingbirds seem to be the most common hummers early in summer. These birds sparkle like gems in the sunlight. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.
Flesh fly, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
Not All the Denizens of Cave Creek Canyon are Pretty: Flesh Fly (Sarcophagidae), Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. Another visitor to the Trumpet Vine World. Canon EOS 7DII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.

©2018 Christopher R. Cunningham. All rights reserved. No text or images may be duplicated or distributed without permission.

Elderberries are for the Birds!

Let us learn to appreciate there will be times when the trees will be bare, and look forward to the time when we may pick the fruit. –Anton Chekhov

Female Phainpepla wiht elderberry, Portal, Arizona
Female Phainopepla with Elderberry, Portal, Arizona. Phainopeplas sit in place and graze on berries. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.
Male Phainopepla on Elderberry branch, Portal, Arizona
Male Phainopepla on Elderberry Branch, Portal, Arizona. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

A group of four bushy elderberry trees (Sambucus sp.) are currently in fruit a short walking distance from our Canyon House. A small flock of Phainopeplas are in residence around the bushes, and presumably will stay until all the fruit is consumed.

Ash-throated Flycatchers are the next most abundant birds that are gobbling up the fruit. Rather than hang around there, though, small groups come and go. At least three other species of tyrant flycatchers are eating the fruit: Western Wood-Pewees, Western Kingbirds and a Thick-billed Kingbird. I got the binoculars on the Wood-Pewees and the Thick-billed Kingbird a few times, but have yet to get photos. I’ll keep trying.

Ash-throated Flycatcher, Portal, Arizona
Ash-throated Flycatcher on Elderberry Branch, Portal, Arizona. Flycatchers buzz the elderberry bushes and pluck berries on the wing! Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.
Western Kingbird, Portal, Arizona
Western Kingbird, Portal, Arizona. A telephone line runs over the elderberry bushes, and many of the birds perch to make sure the coast is clear before descending into the berry patch. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Other species of fruit-loving birds are also present in smaller numbers in the cluster of trees. These include Black-headed Grosbeaks, Bendire’s Thrashers, Curve-billed Thrashers, White-winged Doves, House Finches, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Western Tanagers, Northern Mockingbirds, Northern Cardinals, and a small drab vireo. I think I also spotted a Lesser Goldfinch plucking fruit, but I can’t be sure. A Canyon Towhee was also hanging around once, but I didn’t see it eat any berries–it’s presence may have been incidental, being a common bird in the desert at this elevation (around 5000 feet).

Black-headed Grosbeak, Portal, Arizona
Male Black-headed Grosbeak on Elderberry, Portal, Arizona. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.
Bendire's Thrasher, Portal, Arizona
Bendire’s Thrasher, Portal, Arizona. The telephone pole stands adjacent to the elderberries. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.
House finch eating elderberries, Portal, Arizona
Female House Finch Eating Elderberries, Portal, Arizona. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

The desert is a marvelous place, but resources come and go, and nothing is certain. Rains may bring creeks to life and form puddles–but they soon dry up again. Flowers and fruit come and go, and the life of the desert must be ever vigilant in finding food and water and moving on to the next opportunity . . . But one thing is clear: We’ll be planting elderberries on our land!

Northern Mockingbird on Elderberry, Portal, Arizona
Northern Mockingbird on Elderberry, Portal, Arizona. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

©2018 Christopher R. Cunningham. All rights reserved. No text or images may be duplicated or distributed without permission.

The World of a Trumpet Vine

Our world is made up of a myriad of microcosms, of tiny worlds, each with its own habitués, every one known to the others.–Louis L’Amour, Education of a Wandering Man

Marine Blue Butterfly (Leptotes marina) on Trumpet Vine Flower, Portal, Arizona. Canon 7DII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.

The last several weeks have found us swamped with work and moving (again!). A thousand-mile move finds us in Portal, Arizona for most of the summer. June is by local standards the “worst” month to be out here, but by Houston standards it is quite pleasant. The days have been hot and dry (around 90° F) with nights in the 60º’s F (although 50º’s are more typical historically). Strangely, over the past few days a monsoon-like pattern has developed with brief showers in the afternoon. The real monsoon should appear next month, when the “best” time of the year begins complete with the blooming of the desert.

Honey Bee on Trumpet Vine Flower, Portal, Arizona
Honey Bee on Trumpet Vine Flower, Portal, Arizona. Many of the Hymenoptera of the Trumpet Vine World were not about to wait for flowers to open: This bee is chewing its way in! Some birds, notably orioles, are also known to pierce flowers to reach the nectar. Canon EOS 7DII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.

While unpacking and working on the house, I wanted an “easy” photography project to unwind, and much to my delight the mystery vine that is threaded through the patio and onto an arbor has turned out to be a trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) literally crawling with a host of insect species, including ants, flies, bugs (Homoptera), bees and wasps, and butterflies. As a bonus, while watering the vine yesterday a huge tarantula hawk (Pompilidae) appeared to drink from a splash on the patio. Many of these denizens of the Trumpet Vine World were large enough to photograph with a standard macro lens. It will be quite the task to identify the arthropodan menagerie of this mini-world–but I’ll put it on the list of Arizona projects!

This vine is also serving as a food plant for hummingbirds–nectar and associated insects. In the past two days, we have observed three hummingbird species drinking from the flowers: Blue-throated, Black-chinned, and Broad-billed. Likely there are also Magnificent Hummingbirds around, but we haven’t spotted any, yet. We’re not quite ready to start going after the birds seriously, at least for now. According to a neighbor, because of all the feeders, Magnificent and Blue-throated hummingbirds are now year-round residents in Cave Creek Canyon.

Finally, trumpet vine has a bad reputation among gardeners because of its aggressive and invasive nature. It is native to the eastern United States and naturalized in parts of the West. I personally love flowering vines, and once we are installed here permanently, I can foresee a diversity of native vines to feed our resident and itinerant hummingbirds–and the vast and largely unnoticed arthropod community.

Ant on Trumpet Vine Flower, Portal, Arizona. Canon EOS 7DII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. Trumpet vines provide extra-floral nectaries at the base of each flower utilized by ants and other arthropods. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.

When you have seen one ant, one bird, one tree, you have not seen them all. –E. O. Wilson

©2018 Christopher R. Cunningham. All rights reserved. No text or images may be duplicated or distributed without permission.

High Desert Adventure

Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men. –Martha Graham

Male Montezuma Quail, Cave Creek Canyon Arizona
Male Montezuma Quail in the Shade of a Juniper, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. This secretive bird is found primarily in Mexico. In the U.S., it is best seen in places like the Davis and Chisos Mountains of West Texas or southeast Arizona. But you’ll not likely stumble upon it by accident. Photo taken in riparian habitat. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

For this spring break, we took an epic road trip across West Texas, New Mexico, and southeast Arizona. It was the kind of road trip that produces exhaustion that hurts. But we were able to spend time in two major habitat types in the Cave Creek Canyon area, the Chihuahuan Desert at the mouth of the canyon and low elevation (less than 5500 feet) riparian areas adjacent to the creek.

The open desert areas are dominated by prickly pear, agave, and scattered grasses. Birds spotted here included Verdin, Pyrrhuloxia, Gambel’s Quail, White-crowned and Lincoln’s Sparrow, Curve-billed Thrasher, House Finch, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and Northern Flicker (Red-shafted). Here, we hoped for shots of birds perched on the cacti and century bloom stalks . . . .

Curve-billed Thrasher, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
A Curve-billed Thrasher Surveys the Chihuahuan Desert, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

The riparian habitat at low elevation is dominated by juniper, deciduous hardwoods, and grasses. Junipers are the most flammable trees in the canyon and likely have, in places, achieved unnatural densities due to decades of fire suppression.

But upon closer inspection, tangles of dead or crowded juniper contain a greater wealth of lovely (and more fire-resistant) deciduous trees than is first evident–Arizona sycamore, Arizona walnut, and oak. The recent wildfires in California have aroused fears of the same in Cave Creek Canyon. Some have even started taking action to clear out the dead and low vegetation that could act as fuel for major wildfires. More as the story develops . . . .

Riparian habitat, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona
Riparian Habitat, Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona. Years of fire suppression in the canyon have left too much fuel on the ground and in the understory for comfort. Canon EOS 7DII/Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. Natural light.

©2018 Christopher R. Cunningham. All rights reserved. No text or images may be duplicated or distributed without permission.

An Early Morning Walk in the (Fiorenza) Park

All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head . . . .–Summer in the City, Lovin’ Spoonful

The Golden Hour, Fiorenza Park, West Houston. Canon EOS 5DIII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.
The Golden Hour, Fiorenza Park, west Houston. An inconspicuous red-eared turtle spies on two Mottled Ducks as they glide past. Canon EOS 5DIII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). If you arrive around 7 AM, you can watch the edge of illuminated water slowly track across the lake. Photo taken from ground pod. Natural light.

It’s taken about two weeks to get back into the field after our return from Alaska. After living two weeks around 38º F, the prospect of being out when it’s near 38º C hasn’t sounded too inviting. But this week I took advantage of a so-called “cold front” and visited Fiorenza Park in west Houston. While trying to photograph fishing cormorants and waders from my ground pod by the bridge, a fellow traveler (JD) told me that a Bald Eagle was perched on a snag on the other side of the park. Ultimately I saw no eagle, but while walking to the snag I came upon a family of Loggerhead Shrikes–two young and a parent.

Loggerhead Shrike Fledgling, Firoenza Park, west Houston, Texas
Loggerhead Shrike Fledgling on Sycamore Sapling, Fiorenza Park, west Houston, Texas. Canon EOS 5DIII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.
Adult Loggerhead Shrike on Cypress Tree, Fiorenza Park, west Houston, Texas
Adult Loggerhead Shrike on Cypress Sapling, Fiorenza Park, west Houston, Texas. Canon EOS 5DIII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Luckily, I was able to observe the adult hunting insects in the grass as well as begging and feeding behaviors. On this visit, I found the colors of the trees, especially the small ones, to be quite rich and beautiful–almost autumn-like. Of course, the rich colors are the result of heat stress, and these small trees have begun the slow process of being baked to death under a brutal Texas sun. But, the return of rains mid-week may have ended the dying time for this summer . . . .

Adult Loggerhead Shrike Feeding Fledgling, Firoenza Park, west Houston, Texas
Adult Loggerhead Shrike with Begging Fledgling on Heat-stressed Cedar Elm(?), Fiorenza Park, west Houston, Texas. Canon EOS 5DIII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.
A Pair of Begging Loggerhead Shrike Fledglings with Parent, Fiorenza Park, west Houston, Texas
A Pair of Begging Loggerhead Shrike Fledglings with Parent, Fiorenza Park, west Houston, Texas. Canon EOS 5DIII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC), Natural light.

©2017 Christopher R. Cunningham. All rights reserved. No text or images may be duplicated or distributed without permission.

Oregon Coast Naturalist Adventures: Part 2

The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity… and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself. –William Blake

White True Foxglove (Digitalis sp.), Harris Beach State Park, Oregon
White Common Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), Harris Beach State Park, Oregon. In Oregon, Common Foxglove ranges in color from pure white to pale lavender to the more common and familiar deep burgundy-pink. This plant is an exotic invasive introduced from Eastern Europe, possibly for medicinal purposes. The plant is highly toxic and the source of the cardiac drug digitalis. Canon EOS 7DII/100mm f/2.8L IS. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.

The southern Oregon Coast has to be considered one of the great botanical treasures of the country. In late spring, sometimes bordering on Majorelle, the surrounding wild profusion of plant diversity can be overwhelming, forcing the photographer to be choosy. It would take a lifetime to truly appreciate Oregon’s botany.

Bearberry Honeysuckle, Azalea Park, Brookings, Oregon
Bearberry Honeysuckle (Lonicera involucrata), Azalea Park, Brookings, Oregon. Hummingbirds love this plant. Canon EOS 7DII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. High-speed synchronized ring-flash.

As a birder it often pays to know your plants. Azalea Park in Brookings could be the poster child for the debate over natives versus exotics. This spectacular little city park is loaded with exotics and cultivars and contains few natives. Our Falcon Guide for Oregon indicated that this park is frequented by Rufous, Allen’s, and Anna’s Hummingbirds during summer.

After combing the park and seeing almost no birds whatsoever, Elisa finally located one native bearberry honeysuckle on the margin of the park. The tubular yellow flowers are a magnet for the hummers, and we quickly spotted Rufous and Allen’s(?) Hummingbirds. The only other interesting bird we spotted in the park was a single Chestnut-backed Chickaee—and this we sighted less than 10 feet from the bearberry, too! Message? If you want wildlife, then plant some natives! It’s just that simple!

Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Azeala Park, Brookings, Oregon
Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Azeala Park, Brookings, Oregon. Except for the Mexican Chickadee, the Chestnut-backed Chickadee has a rather narrow distribution compared with other chickadees, primarily along the Pacific Coast from southern California to Alaska. Canon EOS 7D/500mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.
A Pelagic Cormorant Gathers Nesting Materials, Yaquina Head, Oregon
A Pelagic Cormorant Gathers Nesting Materials, Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, Oregon. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Despite the spectacular scenery and huge breeding colonies of Common Murres and other seabirds, we both felt that the “routine birding” on the southwest Oregon Coast was a little disappointing—even after visiting every type of habitat from tidal mudflats to rocky coasts to redwood forests. One of the great advantages of traveling to bird is that what’s common in your travel destination may be new to the traveler.

But most of the places we went simply were not that birdy. We saw much of what was “supposed” to be there, but only one or two individuals. We saw a Black Oystercatcher here, and a Whimbrel there. We saw one Red Crossbill. We saw no American Dippers, even in appropriate habitat—unless dippers are no longer interested in rocky mountain streams within their range. Huge tracts of apparently perfect habitat were almost devoid of birds. No rails. No mergansers. One Killdeer. American Goldfinches in huge flocks of . . . um, three. Two Harlequin Ducks, and so on.

At one point, Elisa was so perplexed about the absence of waders (we saw one Great Blue Heron and two Great Herons in a week) she probed the mud to see if there were invertebrates to be eaten or to provide food for fish, and there were plenty. Perhaps we’ve become spoiled by Texas, or perhaps the Oregon Coast, like many areas of the country, have suffered huge losses in the bird population sizes. We suspect the latter.

Encrustaceans: mussels, barnacles, limpets, Oregon
Encrustations: Mussels, Barnacles, Limpets on Basalt, Oregon Coast. Canon EOS 7DII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.

©2016 Christopher R. Cunningham and Elisa D. Lewis. All rights reserved. No text or images may be duplicated or distributed without permission.

Birds and Bottlebrush Flowers: A Love Story

For man, as for flower and beast and bird, the supreme triumph is to be most vividly, most perfectly alive.–D. H. Lawrence

Male Cape May Warbler on Bottlebrush Tree, Catholic Cemetery, Dauphin Island, Alabama
Male Cape May Warbler on Bottlebrush Tree Flower, Catholic Cemetery, Dauphin Island, Alabama. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized flash.

Plants of the Australian Genus Melaleuca (also sometimes referred to as “Callistemon”), the twenty-five to fifty or so species of bottlebrush (depending on author), are widely used around the world in Tropical and Subtropical gardens and have naturalized in a few places as well, where freezes are not too hard or often.

Male Prothonotary Warbler on Bottlebrush Tree Flower, Catholic Cemetery, Daupin Island, Alabama
Male Prothonotary Warbler on Bottlebrush Tree Flower, Catholic Cemetery, Dauphin Island, Alabama. Note the dark staining on the forehead—a result of being smeared with nectar? Only some of the Prothonotary Warblers at this site had the dark brownish/reddish staining, despite Tennessee and Cape May Warblers also feeding here. Perhaps the Prothonotary Warblers got into some other species of flower before visiting the bottlebrush? Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized flash.

Few plants are as attractive to birds as the bottlebrush tree. When you see bottlebrush flowers on the Gulf Coast during migration, stop and linger. Here, bottlebrush are usually the crimson-flowered variety (although I have seen the white and green kinds) and are often buzzing with hummingbirds and songbirds. Warblers, tanagers, buntings, and orioles seem to be especially drawn to these flowers.

Bottlebrush flowers have a number of attractive features. They are reported to produce copious nectar and pollen. Some birds feeding on the flowers are covered in pollen and may have heads and faces stained with yellow pollen and/or nectar. Although in most cases birds probably only acquire minimal additional nutritional benefit from pollen, the nectar must be a welcome burst of calories after a daunting trans-gulf flight.

Bottlebrush trees also attract nutritious insects, ants especially. I have seen Scarlet Tanagers, well-known as bee-feeding specialists, plucking bees off the flowers, too. A have read reports of Australian parrots feeding on buds, but I’ve not witnessed any similar bird behavior in the U.S.

So what do the Bottlebrush Trees get in return from the birds? Short answer: pollination. Nectar-hungry birds deliver pollen grains from the anthers of flowers onto the stigmas of others thus fertilizing the plants.

Young Male Orchard Oriole, Lafitte's Cove, Galveston Island, Texas
Young Male Orchard Oriole on Bottlebrush Tree, Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.
Female Scarlet Tanager, Catholic Cemetery, Dauphin Island, Alabama
Female Scarlet Tanager on Bottlebrush Tree, Catholic Cemetery, Dauphin Island, Alabama. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized flash.

Finally, I am not generally a fan of exotic plants in the landscape. Exotics reportedly do not support the diversity of insect life that is so critical to maintaining healthy bird populations. Bottlebrush is a tough call, though. Covered in birds and bugs, these glorious plants provide an oasis for birds and birders alike.

Male Indigo Bunting on Bottlebrush, Lafitte's Cove, Galveston Island, Texas
Young Male Indigo Bunting on Bottlebrush Tree, Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. Note the yellow pollen on this bird’s face and head. Birders can sometimes be heard arguing in the field about identifications based on “yellow faces!” Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

©2016 Christopher R. Cunningham. All rights reserved. No text or images may be duplicated or distributed without permission.

Birds and Wildflowers: Spring Break 2016

Life stands before me like an eternal spring with new and brilliant clothes.–Carl Friedrich Gauss

Female Great Horned Owl, Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas
Female Great Horned Owl on Nest, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas. This wild bird has selected a brick planter to nest in for the past six years. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Before the vegetation of the region becomes a burnt offering to the terrible sun god, Huitzilopochtli, I highly recommend making a visit to Central Texas for the spectacular wildflower show. Those of stout enough heart to brave the Death Race 2000-like conditions on the highways in the Austin area will find a real treat in the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. But go early in the day, as by 10am there are squadrons of bonneted, wildflower-obsessed infants in their strollers being pushed by tenders.

Wild Foxglove, Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas
Wild Foxglove (Penstemon cobaea), Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas. This plant is not related to true foxglove. Canon EOS 7DII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.
Gray Globemallow, Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas
Gray Globemallow (Sphaeralcea incana), Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas. A native of the Chihuahuan and Sonoran Deserts, this plant reportedly explodes in numbers after wet winters. I’ve never seen it in the wild. Canon EOS 7DII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.

A few birds were singing and flitting about the wildflower center when visited. These were mostly common species, Northern Cardinal, Carolina Wren, and Northern Mockingbird—and, of course, the Great Horned Owl above. A few Black-chinned Hummingbirds were also drinking nectar from autumn sage.

While at the center, I practiced some standard botanical macrophotography. The great thing about the center is the diversity of plants from a wide range of habitats across Texas. Many species are labeled, enabling the visitor to easily learn a few more Texas native plants. There are some unusual (and photogenic) species that I’ve never seen in the wild, despite having spent quite a bit of time outdoors attentive to such matters.

Mexican Buckeye, Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas
Mexican Buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa), Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas. Canon EOS 7DII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.
Indian Paintbrush, Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas
Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa), Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas. Canon EOS 7DII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.

The visit to the Wildflower Center was a nice tonic after questing after, but not seeing, the elusive Golden-Cheeked Warbler. On the past two visits to the Lost Maples State Natural Area in previous years, we successfully heard and saw the singing male birds. Not being up for such a long trek this spring break, we visited the Travis Audubon Baker Sanctuary instead. But alas, no warblers. Maybe next time.

For the rest of spring break 2016, we’ll stick close to home and see what the local critters are up to.

Pulmonate Land Snail, Prairie Trail, Brazos Bend State Park, Texas
Pulmonate Snail, Prairie Trail, Brazos Bend State Park, Texas. Canon EOS 7DII/100mm f/2.8L IS Macro. High-speed synchronized macro ring-flash.

©2016 Christopher R. Cunningham. All rights reserved. No text or images may be duplicated or distributed without permission.