Tag Archives: Oro Valley

On The Road, Photos-Landscapes

~Sunset over the Catalina Mountains

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~December 22, 2018, Catalina State Park, Oro Valley, AZ

A lovely walk, at sunset, on the Romero Ruin Loop Trail.

Howard at the beginning of the Romero Ruin Trail in Catalina State Park (6:15pm)
The mountains are gorgeous with the beginning of the evening sunlight shining on them. (6:16pm)
Shadows add to the drama taking place.
(6:20pm) Sunlight kissing the Saguaro Cacti.
(6:22pm) The evening sunlight turns these mountains into a fiery, gorgeous sight.
(6:30pm) Looking west.
(6:31pm)  A different view
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The Romero Ruin Trail Loop is one of my very favorite trails. The views, from atop this hill of the Catalina Mountains are spectacular, the foliage diverse, and the birding rewarding. At sunset, the scene is peaceful and breathtaking.

Earlier in the day, on the same trail:

Curved-billed Thrasher

A list of all the other birds I observed while visiting Catalina State Park:

Northern Harrier, Cooper’s Hawk(new), Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Prairie Falcon, Mourning Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Anna’s Hummingbird, Gilded Flicker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Gila Woodpecker, Vermilion Flycatcher, Say’s Phoebe, Common Raven, Western Scrub-Jay, White-crowned Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Canyon Towhee, Pyrrhuloxia, House Finch, Cassin’s Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, House Sparrow.

I wish I would have seen more!

 

On The Road, Photos-Landscapes

~The Moon Sits Atop a Saguaro

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December 20, 2018, Catalina State Park, Oro Valley, AZ

A stroll at dusk back a nature trail in Catalina State Park to watch the moon rise over the Catalina Mountains was a lovely way to spend the evening.

The Moon sits atop a cactus.

The evening light brings out the gorgeous colors of the Catalinas.
The Moon rises higher.

It was a lovely walk, watching the glow of the setting sun play its magic over the mountains.

On Saturday, December 22nd, the moon will be full and it is also the winter solstice. Winter is here.

On The Road, Photos-Birds

~Ducks

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December 19, 2018, Oro Valley, AZ

The featured photo of the Pied-billed Grebe and the female Green-winged Teal were taken at Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson, AZ during the week.

Female Green-winged Teal

For more information on the Sweetwater Wetlands, you can visit their website: Sweetwater Wetlands

The photos below were taken today at Aqua Caliente Park in Tuscon, AZ. It is a lovely place to enjoy the day.

Things to do include, learning about the history of the area and what it is currently being used for, walking the trails looking for birds or just sitting on one of the park benches relaxing.

For more information on the Aqua Caliente Park, you can visit their website, http://tucsonaudubon.org/about-us/our-locations/745-2/

 

American Wigeon pair. The male is stretching his wing.
American Wigeons. I don’t know what they were eating, but they sure were clustered around each other trying to feed.

I loved the reed reflections on the pond and where the duck was snoozing; however, the buoy in the background ruined the photo so I included some with it cropped out.

Ring-necked
Ring-necked Pair
He was watching me with one eye open and then he decided he better check me out more closely.
It looks like he got really mad at me.

 

On The Road, Photos-Birds

~Birding in Arizona – a few final photos from Catalina State Park

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~Catalina State Park, Oro Valley, AZ, November, 2107

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As the sun sets on the Catalina Mountains.

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Yellow-rumped Warbler

I don’t think this Warbler liked the suet, but it was fun watching it try to land on the feeder.

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Recently I began paying more attention to the House Finch, which is usually ignored. They can be very expressive and a challenge to photograph.

I watched this male land on this stump, fly off, and then return.  I focused my camera on the stump, and with patience managed to capture these photos. It sure pays to watch a birds behavior when trying to photograph them and is very educational. What a handsome little finch and a cute pose.

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Morning Dove
The sweet Morning Dove….

This Morning Dove sat on this branch for the longest time. It seemed perfectly fine, resting in the sunshine. There must have been about fifty morning Doves around our RV site, usually in the early morning and late evening;  they appeared to be a little thin, perhaps they just migrated south.

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We sure did enjoy this backyard for two weeks. (Late evening)

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~Beautiful Arizona, we are already looking forward to next year!~

“The West is the Best”

 

On The Road, Photos-Birds

~Birding in Arizona – more Hummers

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~Catalina State Park, Oro Valley, Arizona, November, 2017

Don’t you just love these tiny birds?

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The only female I saw.

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I believe these are Anna’s Hummingbirds. Without the light highlighting the colors of the head and throat it is hard to tell. The Costa’s is smaller, short-tailed and has more white on the chest. I spent quite a bit of time trying to correctly ID these hummers. If anyone has any thoughts on ID, please let me know.

It was sure fun observing and trying to capture them with my camera. The bees sure did give them grief.

~Happy Birding~