The Monsoons It’s hot! No, that’s an understatement. The Sonoran Desert is a damn inferno. For some time, temperatures have regularly been reaching an excess of 110 degrees F. After tolerating these dry, scorching temperatures for long enough, residents of Southern Arizona are finally granted some relief. Welcome to monsoon season! Throughout much of the…
Bobcat in the Brush The most widespread of all North American wildcats, bobcats can be found across most of the continent in an array of habitats ranging from swamps and prairies, to desert, dense forest, and mountains. Extremely adapatable, they waste no time adjusting to habitat alterations and will prey on reptiles, any manageable mammal,…
Far from being the barren wasteland that many imagine a desert being, the Sonoran hosts a plethora of different lifeforms. A large number of these lifeforms are plants, and what plants are better-adapted to desert life than succulents? This desert is home to approximately 300 different cactus species, ranging in size from the tiny hedgehogs…
Some of the most spectacular birds to observe, hummingbirds can be found in practically any color of the rainbow. Their iridescent colors and lightning-fast movements make them extremely challenging, yet rewarding photography subjects. Although Africa and Asia have house stunning birds that occupy similar ecological niches, hummingbirds are exclusive to the Western Hemisphere. In addition…
Madera Canyon: Birds and Coatis One of the most ecologically-diverse regions in North America, Southern Arizona boasts more species of many life forms than anywhere else, north of Mexico. Among them are bees, rattlesnakes and, you guessed it, hummingbirds. Southern Arizona has a unique array of habitats that range from sandy/rocky deserts, to wetlands, alpine…
Desert Bighorns: Risking My Life to Watch Endangered Sheep It was the crack of dawn with the sunrise barely visible through the thick clouds. Abruptly awaking to the obnoxious beeps of my 20-year-old alarm clock, I scarfed down a hasty breakfast, re-checked my camera bag, petted my cats, then darted out the door. I drove…
Coyotes are incredible creatures. Like wolves, they form tightly-knit family groups or “packs,” sometimes hunting cooperatively to take down larger or more difficult prey. They eat a wide variety of food items, from rabbit (which seem to be the favored entre), to reptiles, birds, eggs, plants, berries and, when they’re desperate, even the occasional roadkill…
