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Sandhill Cranes Due

December 29th, 2011 by tucsonbb

A Siege of Cranes

Birders come in droves to Southern Arizona to see the Sandhill Cranes during the month of January.  They are visible by the hundreds or thousands in areas near Willcox during this next month.  Wings Over Willcox Birding and Nature Festival celebrates all things avian from January 12-15.  There is a free nature exposition, a variety of free seminars, tours of scenic landscapes and historic sites, Sandhill Crane and Raptor watching spots, and a banquet featuring the Editor of Birding Magazine.  For additional details, go to the website Wings Over Willcox.  We encourage birding guests at the Hacienda to participate in the festival.

 

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New Baby This Week

November 28th, 2011 by tucsonbb

Baby Javelina with Mom

Guests at the Hacienda are always intrigued by the javelina herd that come every day to our property.  The herd maintains a size of between 15-18, and this week a new baby was added.  Usually twins are born, but sometimes a new baby is too weak or gets pneumonia and dies.  The entire herd protects any new babies from danger, so we must keep a safe distance at that time.  Last week one of the herd came right up to our back door and stood there, not allowing us to leave.  We didn’t understand why until we looked further out in the yard and saw the new baby.  We don’t know why this week we have only one baby, but he is a real cutie.  The javelina are particularly drawn to the area around our bird feeders because the birds are messy and seeds drop to the ground where the javelina can easily munch.  Another favorite are Palo Verde tree or Mesquite tree seeds that drop to the ground.  When they chew on the seeds, it sounds like the javelina are chewing on gravel.

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Song of a Desert Toad

August 30th, 2011 by tucsonbb

We have created several wild animal ponds at Hacienda del Desierto Bed & Breakfast, and we’ve been hearing the night songs of the Colorado River Toad.  They  appear when our monsoon rains arrive in the summer. They must be calling to their lady loves. Breeding then commences. They eats insects, spiders, lizards, and other toads. They then dig into the ground and hybernate until the rains commence next summer in Southern Arizona. We, along with our guests, hear them during the night. We advise guests not to try to catch or handle them as they secrete a poisonous milky substance on the skin that can make you sick or paralyze you if you should tough your mouth or eyes after handling them. They are the most dangerous to dogs who like to tease them. Then owners must rinse out the pet’s mouth to get rid of the poison–if they are aware of what happened. When we used to have dogs, we kept them in the house or penned during the night during monsoon season.

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Fearsome Looking Gila Monsters

August 16th, 2010 by tucsonbb

Best Buddies

These Gila Monsters may look ferocious, but they are really shy, slow moving  fellows who would rather avoid human contact.  Since they move rather sluggishly so aren’t much of a threat to humans.  Although the only poisonous lizard in the United States, an individual would have to really bother them or handle them to receive a bite.  The main problem with being bit is that their jaw locks down and can’t be separated so the poison is slowly released.

However, it has earned a fearsome reputation and is sometimes killed by hikers and homeowners despite
being protected by Arizona state law.  Cars can also kill them as we found out recently when we found a young dead one at the side of our entrance driveway at our Bed & Breakfast in the foothills of the Rincon Mountains near Saguaro National Park East.

Years ago, our  miniature poodle had a tendency to tease a rather large one that burrowed under a palo verde tree on our property.  The Gila Monster must have grazed our pet’s lower lip because she began to foam at the mouth.  Since we knew she had a tendency to tease the lizard, we rinsed out her mouth with a water hose, and she survived to live through an additional attack at a later date by coyotes.  One tough dog!

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Song of the Colorado River Toad

August 1st, 2010 by tucsonbb

Colorado river toadThe last several nights, since the onslaught of the summer rain storms, we’ve heard the deep croak of the Colorado River Toad at our Tucson Bed & Breakfast.  We have several animal ponds on site to which these toads are attracted, undoubtedly looking for a mate. They can weight close to  two pounds and most look like they’d be comfortable sitting on a salad plate rather than a small lilly pad.  They burrow into the ground as much as two feet deep and wait until the summer rains come when they come out, mate, and lay eggs.

Their only real defense is a chemical substance coating their body which can paralyze and kill small animals.  In fact we had a miniature poodle years ago who bothered one.  Luckily we were able to hose out our pet’s mouth so that she lived.  Other animals aren’t so lucky.  They might also pose a danger to a child who handled one.

These intriguing animals remind us of the changing summer environment.  They are part of our beautiful desert landscape.

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New Birds identified at Tucson Lodging

November 9th, 2009 by tucsonbb

Last week, eleven birds were added to our list of birds seen and identified on the property of Hacienda del Desierto Bed & Breakfast in Tucson, Arizona.  Guests who are expert bird watchers have identified sixty-two kinds of birds

Quail at Hacienda del Desierto

Quail at Hacienda del Desierto

that visit the Hacienda at different times of the year.  There are two fountains on the property that attract birds as well as two wild animal ponds, six hummingbird feeders, and eight birdseed feeders, two garden areas, and many trees and flowers that attract birds.

Abert’s Towhee                                  Verdin

Canyon Towhee                                  Phainopepla

Green-tailed Towhee                         Say’s Phoebe

Ash-throated flycatcher                       Gambel’s Quail

Black-headed grosbeak                        Greater Roadrunner

Bewick’s Wren                                          House Wren

Cactus Wren                                              Inca Dove

Rock Dove                                                  Hooded Oriole

White-winged Dove                                Northern Mockingbird

Morning Dove                                           White-throated Swift

American Goldfinch                                House Finch

Northern Cardinal                                    Gilded  Flicker

Pyrrhuloxia                                                Bendire’s Thrasher

Yellow-headed Blackbird                      Curved-bill ed Thrasher

Great horned owl                                      Elf Owl

Little Brown Bat                                         Purple Martin

Western Kingbird                                      Red-naped sapsucker

Brown-headed Cowbird                          Black chinned Hummingbird

Bronzed  Cowbird                                      Costa’s Hummingbird

Cedar Waxwing                                           Common Raven

Turkey Vulture                                           Gila Woodpecker

Anna’s Hummingbird                               Magnificent Hummingbird

Broad-billed Hummingbird                    White crowned Sparrow

House Sparrow                                            Chipping Sparrow

Black-throated Sparrow                           MacGillivray’s Warbler

Lucy’s Warbler                                             Black-throated Gray Warbler

Wilson’s Warbler                                         Cooper’s Hawk

Common Nighthawk                                  Red -tailed Hawk

Lesser  Nighthawk                                      Cooper’s Hawk

Black-tailed gnatcatcher                          Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

American Kestrel                                        Lesser  Goldfinch

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Tucson Bed & Breakfast a Certified Wildlife Habitat

October 8th, 2009 by tucsonbb

Hacienda del Desierto Bed & Breakfast in Tucson, Arizona is a Certified Wildlife Habitat.  We have let important trees and shrubs grow without pruning in areas close to our home but not in areas which require

Wildlife Pond at Hacienda

Wildlife Pond at Hacienda

architectural landscaping which has created nesting areas for birds and cover for small animals to escape from predators.

We have two fountains and two wildlife ponds at the Hacienda which provide water to javalina, birds, rabbits, bobcats, coyotes, and other desert animals.  Various arid plants, especially red flowering ones, attract

“By providing food, water, cover and a place for wildlife to raise their young–and by incorporating sustainable gardening practices–you not only help wildlife, but you also qualify to become an official Certified Wildlife Habitat.”

Hummingbirds are attracted by all the flowers, especially the red ones.

See more beautiful gardens and a butterfly garden while visiting Tucson at Tucson Botanical Gardens.

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Curious Roadrunner at Sonoran Desert Lodging

June 12th, 2009 by tucsonbb

Mr. Roadrunner has created quite a stir at our Tucson Arizona Bed & Breakfast Inn.  He flies through the wooden grill near our front gate into the enclosed courtyard and drinks from the fountain there.  He then hunts for moths and bugs which have collected during the night, drawn by the inside lights.  Guests love to watch him clean up the windowsill as they are eating breakfast in the dining area.  Of course as soon as they go to get their cameras, he often scoots away.

roadrunner at Hacienda del Desierto B & B, Tucson, AZHe also likes to watch as outdoor work is being done, as if to supervise the task.  He wants to know what is going on in “his” territory.

Arizona Roadrunners nest in the cactus and among scrubby Sonoran desert shrubs and bushes and seek refuge in higher areas if being chased or hunted.  The bird doesn’t fly high like other birds but gets his name from racing across roads in front of cars, reaching a speed of 15 miles per hour.  His speed also helps protect him from predators in the desert.

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Yucca Water Feature Draws Birds to Tucson Lodging

May 29th, 2009 by tucsonbb

Morning Dove on Yucca Fountain

Morning Dove on Yucca Fountain

What a sight!  Yesterday afternoon we watched a cardinal land on our copper water fountain which was created to look like a yucca plant by Tucson Arizona artist Robert Dunklee of Falling Waters Fountains.  The copper turns green after awhile with the added white of hard water calcification which makes the fountain look like the real yucca plant. All kinds of birds land there constantly to drink and bath in the metal flower cups.  Of course, when I wanted to photograph the red bird, he wouldn’t cooperate, but I did get a shot of a Morning Dove sitting on top of the fountain flower cup.  I can really appreciate the patience of wildlife photographers with their specialty lenses.

Yucca Fountain on Cold Morning

Yucca Fountain on Cold Morning

We were challenged some years ago by an in-ground spa which was never built for efficiency and which we wanted to get rid of.  After attempts to make it into a flower garden with only mild success, we purchased this fountain which lent drama to the small patio and could be seen from the living room.  We lined the spa with plastic and added stone and pottery so that it looked natural.  In the winter when it occasionally drops to freezing, the water forms icicles which lends it another kind of beauty.  Guests at our Sonoran desert accommodation often enjoy this feature.

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Rabbits of the Sonoran Desert

May 19th, 2009 by tucsonbb

Desert Cottontail

Desert Cottontail, photo by Paul Berquist, Tucson

One of the most common animals we and our guests see here in the beautiful Sonoran desert is the cottontail rabbit photographed here by wildlife photographer Paul Berquist of Tucson, Arizona.  Because so many different animals prey on them such as snakes, hawks, and coyotes, most don’t live past the first year of life.  For that reason, they reproduce in large numbers starting at three months of age.  Their only real defense is their good hearing, eyesight, and speed. They love the environment here at our Tucson Bed & Breakfastwhere we are a Certified Wildlife Habitat, having lots of flowers and desert growth as well as two wild animal ponds where they can drink when water is hard to come by in the dry desert.

Antelope Jackrabbit

Antelope Jackrabbit, Photo by Paul Berquist, Tucson

If one sits quietly long enough outside our protected patios and courtyards, you might even see another type of rabbit which is actually a “hare”, the Jack Rabbit.  It is much larger than the cottontail with extremely long back legs which allow it to jump as high as 15 feet over brush and run as fast as 35 miles an hour when chased by a predator. This high jump also allows it to look around to see which way its enemy is headed. His ears are also very long. Most often we see one as we are walking or driving down the long lane to our B & B inn.

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