Wildlife in Catalina State Park

Also last fall, I hiked in Catalina State Park, and saw a delightful variety of small critters. Here are a few of my favorite photos of them, with a few wildflowers and a cactus thrown in too.

Our first sighting was of this Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna). He was buzzing around busily and chattering.

While you might doubt my identification in these photos (I did), just wait until the light hits the feathers on his head just right, and suddenly he looks like a totally different bird!

This brightly painted red naped sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) was hanging around the same tree as the hummingbird, although he soon left while the hummingbird remained. 

Morning-glories (Ipomoea) such as these are common in these parts.

This one looks remarkably similar and yet is not at all closely related; it is blue or Lewis flax (Linum lewisii).

I particularly like the common name of this one: trailing four o'clock (Allionia incarnata, or perhaps choisyi), also sometimes called trailing windmills. What looks like one flower is actually a cluster of three.

Here is a prime specimen of a desert Christmas cactus (Cylindropuntia leptocaulis), so named because it retains its bright red fruits into the winter.

There were several grasshopper-like insects (orthoptera) jumping and flying about. I think this is an elegant bush katydid (Insara elegans), because of the white bands across the body and wings.



This one might be a white-lined bird grasshopper (Schistocerca albolineata).

This one may be in the genus Conozoa.

I am slowly getting used to the ubiquity of lizards here in Arizona. I believe this first one is a zebra-tailed Lizard (Callisaurus draconoides). You can probably guess how it got its common name, although the stripes are even more obvious when they wave their tails in the air.

I think this is a young greater earless lizard (Cophosaurus texanus). It's pretty cute, huh?

We watched this desert spiny lizard (Sceloporus magister) scramble up into a tree...

And settle into a lookout position...

From which it could keep an eye on us.

Mount Lemmon: Green Mountain Trail

Last fall I took a hike on Mount Lemmon with a friend. We started on the Green Mountain Trail and briefly sauntered onto the Brush Corral Trail, via the Brush Corral Shortcut Trail, before turning back. As we were starting our hike, we noticed the moon setting behind the opposite ridge.

I think this is some type of hedgehog cactus (genus Echinocereus), although I'm not sure which species. It was just so adorable and geometrically well-formed that I had to photograph it.

There was a whole section of the trail with these rocks that looked almost like someone had taken a marker to them and outlined every one. I think it must have been the result of iron in the rocks, but I have no idea how this particular geometry forms.

Here's the view looking out from the trail towards the northeast.

There are have been many wildfires on Mount Lemmon over the years. There are some parts where whole sections of forest have clearly burnt, and then there are some more subtle signs, as shown here.

There were many wildflowers brightening the trails. Here's an Indian paintbrush (genus Castilleja); my field guide says that there are 17 species of Castilleja in Arizona and that they are particularly hard to tell apart. While I'm tempted to rise to the challenge, as always, I think this particular one might be best for another day.



These yellow asters were plentiful and luminous. Asters are also difficult to identify, but my best is a goldeneye, maybe Heliomeris longifolia since the flowers were relatively small.

This beautiful red flowers are sometimes called California fuschia or hummingbird trumpets (Epilobium canum). Both names seem rather fitting to me.

And I think this red cluster is Heuchera sanguinea, also known as coralbells.



And now for the wildlife:



I think this is an ornate tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus), one of the most common lizards in Arizona. Apparently they range in coloration from tan to grey, making color a not-very-helpful indicator.

Sighting this Sonoran mountain kingsnake (Lampropeltis pyromelana) was particularly exciting!

Here's a closer look.

Chipmunk! Of the cliff variety (Neotamias dorsalis).

And finally, we saw mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus eremicus). We spotted them towards the end of our hike, and felt like they were the perfect ending to a wonderful outing. We just stood and watched them for quite a while.

Mountain lions, foxes, and bears...and more!

While the Wildlife Science Center is best known for its wolves--of which they have about 100--they also have quite the diversity of other North American wildlife, some of which I had the opportunity to photograph last summer. Here are just a few of my favorites. Can you identify them all?

Oooh...butterfly...