As you know, June is generally a slow birding month. To make matters worse, it has been a scorcher so far this month here in Tucson. In fact, it's officially been the warmest first half of June EVER! It was 106 yesterday. Yuck, I can't wait for the monsoons.
The other morning I was up early and decided to take a walk around the neighborhood to see what birds were around. I found this cutie enjoying the burgundy desert willow.
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| Anna's Hummingbird |
For Father's Day I took Gaby and the girls to one of my favorite birding spots, Empire Gulch at Las Cienegas National Conservation Area. The giant cottonwoods in the riparian area are beautiful!
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| same spot my dad took me |
It's not the best place for photographing birds because the trees block out a lot of the sunlight. But one pair was cooperative and everyone had good looks.
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| Summer Tanager male |
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| Summer Tanager female |
Other cool birds we saw were Blue Grosbeak, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Gray Hawk. I also heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, but never got eyes on it. That said, today wasn't really about the birds but spending time with la familia. It was a fantastic way to begin Father's Day. Gaby didn't even complain too much about the washboard dirt roads even though she's 8 months pregnant. And the girls were happy that our little nature exploration counted towards "outdoors time"
and "no electronics time."
Love that red bird. We only have cardinals here but the red always floors me!
ReplyDelete"No electronics time"...I think adults could use that too.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots! Always happy to hear about parents encouraging "outdoors time" and "no electronics time"- glad you had a good father's day!
ReplyDeleteJeremy, I have escaped the heat of Tucson for the rains of New England! it is so cool here that at the beginning of the month when I was in Maine my cousin had a fire going! Hard to imagine, huh? I look at Tucson temps every day and am so glad I am here, but if the heat and humidity build in I will be sorry!
ReplyDeleteyou little family looks so lovely and how wonderful of you to take them to Las Cienegas! I am so glad you are teaching them the love of nature! perhaps when I get back we can finally go birding together? Oh, and congrats on the new and soon to be born baby! Your wife is a trooper and riding on those washboard roads may speed along delivery as the time gets closer! She may thank you then!
Jeremy, spending time with la familia in nature is the best. Congrats on the soon to arrive baby!
ReplyDeleteLovely post, and one of my favourite birding spots too :)
ReplyDeleteSo nice to see "la familia" out birding and enjoying nature together. Congrats on the new little one!
ReplyDeleteJeremy, thanks for visiting me and id'ing that zone tailed hawk. Glad I got that one wrong because now I can add it to my list. It was flying high up over the golf course in Sedona.
ReplyDeleteThat hummer shot is amazing!