Roger and I were excited to look out our dining room window this past May to see a little house finch couple building a nest in the hand-woven grass birdhouse we hung in our palm tree. After a couple of weeks, we saw the couple bringing back "food" for the babies. Below are some photos Roger and I have taken from inside our house so as not to disturb the nest. Mr. House Finch Mrs. House Finch ... and the babies! House finch parents provide extensive care for their young while

Baby quail that is! This little family of Gambel's Quail is trying to reunite. They got separated from one another. One group is in my neighbor's yard (the upper level) and the other is in our yard (the lower level among the rocks). It seems two of the babies followed "Dad" down to our yard and then couldn't get back up with the family. THEN, several of the littles were able to make it down with "Mom" taking over. It's amazing watching Mr. and Mrs. Gambel's Quail work as

Roger and I have enjoyed watching a little bird family in our backyard for the past month. We placed a hut type of birdhouse in our palm tree a few years ago. What fun we had watching this little couple build a nest in the birdhouse. We guess that the bird is some type of Vireo, either Warbling Vireo or Gray Vireo common in southern Arizona. We placed our outdoor trail camera near the birdhouse so we wouldn’t disturb the nest. Unfortunately, the photos are not of excellent qu

I spotted this handsome Phainopepla from my kitchen window. He posed for me for quite a while. The beautiful Phainopepla is a bird of the southwest of the United States, with its range extending down into Mexico. The name Phainopepla is Greek for "shining cloak," which perfectly describes the lustrous black plumage of the male. Phainopepla nests in two distinct habitats: the Sonoran Desert in early spring, February to April, and cooler woodlands from May through July, What

I spotted this Little owl nesting in a saguaro cactus while on my morning walk. At first glance, it looked like possibly a rock in the hole of the cactus. I zoomed in and saw that there was this little owl looking out of its nest in the cactus. I wasn't sure what kind of owl this is so I asked friends and acquaintances in my photography group. I was told it is a Western Screech Owl. What a fun site to see this morning! For more information about the Western Screech Owl, c

While out on my walk I captured these pictures of a Gila Woodpecker safely landing in its nest in a saguaro cactus. Sun City Oro Valley, Arizona)