The Arboretum at Flagstaff

The Flagstaff Arboretum is one of my favorite places to go in Flagstaff. I visited at the end of May this year and plan to go back in July just to see the different flowers in bloom. May isn't the best time to go, but it was till amazing. Following are some pictures I took from my May visit.

Blue Penstemon

Blue Bell

Comfrey Leaves

My Favorite - Sorry I don't know what it is called.

Pink Tulips


I just got back from visiting the Arboretum at Flagstaff for the second time this year. The flowers were amazing.  July is definitely a great time to visit.

Gartersnake

Dead Gartersnake

Star (my Westie) found a dead gartersnake this morning. When she finds something she isn't sure about she takes a quick sniff and then jerks her head back.  If it had been a live rattlesnake, she wouldn't have been quick enough though. A rattlesnake scratched Sammy on the nose with its fang when he was using this technique. Both my dogs have had contact with rattlesnakes. Sammy got the scratch on his nose, and Star was bitten on the lip. The snake was too cold to inject any venom so she was lucky. I got them rattlesnake vaccines this year. The vaccine is supposed to keep the dogs from reacting to the venom as fast so you have time to get them to the vet for anti-venom.  I'm hoping I don't have to find out.

This gatersnake has a beautiful grey and lighter grey checker board pattern. I looked it up on the web and I think it is a Thamnophis marcianus marcianus.  It's about 8 1/2" long.  Steven Bol Garter Snakes website says this snake grows to about 80 cm. That is 31 inches long, almost a yard. It would freak me out if I saw one that big while walking in the desert especially since this area has lots of rattlesnakes. Steven states that this snake is found in the Southwest US and Mexico in or near a water source. This one was probably a 1/4 mile from any water source, and only water from irrigation.  It had a fatal wound about half-way down it's body on its belly.  It was really cool because it died with it's mouth open looking like it was ready to strike whatever killed it. I wonder if a rattlesnake tried to kill it?  This is the first snake other than rattlesnakes I have seen in this area.

Black Bears and Other Animals at Bearizona

Bearizona! We were driving home from Ouray, Colorado when we saw a huge sign advertising Bearizona Wildlife Park near Williams, Arizona. Since we love all things wild, we couldn't resist stopping to find out what it was all about.  I must say I was completely surprised by the size and quality of this facility especially since I have never heard of it.

Bearizona Wildlife Park - This park is located in Williams, Arizona about three hours from Henderson, NV, or 3 1/2 hours from Las Vegas. The attendant said it has been open about five years, but the facility looks brand new.  It is well kept with broad walkways, a snack shop, and two gift shops, and large, natural animal enclosures. There is a walking area with a baby bear area that contains four baby bears, a large juvenile bear area, bobcat enclosure, river otters, badgers, javelina, a peacock that roams freely, porcupines, foxes, a birds of prey show, and numerous farm animals.  There is also a separate drive-through area with wolves, bison, and older bears, Big Horn sheep and Dall sheep. You can drive trough the area in your own car of take the bus. We didn't have time to do the drive through so I can't comment on that part of the park.

Baby Bear at Bearizona

The baby bears were definitely that most popular attraction in the walk-through area.  The four little black bears kept up there antics even though some of them looked like they might fall over with exhaustion at any moment.

Baby Black Bears playing at Bearizona Wildlife Park

The four black bear cubs kept visitors' attention with their continuous play fighting: jumping on each other, knocking each other over, and play attacking. They seemed to be completely oblivious to the viewers only six feet away.

Baby Black Bear at Bearizona Wildlife Park in Williams, Arizona

One of four black bear cubs at Bearizona Wildlife Park. This little bear seemed very tired and about to fall over from exhaustion.

One of two badgers at Bearizona Wildlife Park. 

The two badgers were interesting to watch because they didn't really seem to get along very well. They were quit aggressive towards each other often growling and wrestling with each other.

Owl at Bearizona Wildlife Park

The birds of prey show is one of the highlights of the walk-through area at Bearizona. Children and adults alike get a kick out of the birds flying back and forth so low that you can feel them as they pass. 

Friendly Goat at Bearizona Wildlife Park
 Children love petting the friendly goats at the park, and the goats seem to enjoy it too.

Porcupine at Bearizona Wildlife Park

River Otter at Bearizona Wildlife Park

The playful otters seemed to be having a great time at the park. They also seemed to like the visitors and would often pop up near the glass enclosure and surprise the guests.

Easter Lily cactus

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Bee collecting pollen from the large Easter lily cactus flower

Closeup of Easter Lily Cactus Flower

Grey Shrike - Butcher Bird

 Grey Shrike - Butcher Bird

I was excited to see this bird again this morning.  I saw one for the first time a few weeks ago when taking the dogs for a walk in the desert near my house.  I was surprised that it didn't fly off right away with the dogs running all around, and had plenty time to study its marking. I didn't have my camera with me at the time, and probably wouldn't have gotten a very good picture anyways because it was getting dark, but I went right home and looked it up. I think it is a Loggerhead shrike. According to what I read shrikes are known as butcher birds because they hunt somewhat like hawks. They wait on perches and swoop down on birds, lizards, and other small animals. Because they don't have talons like hawks, they skewer their catch on cactus spines and thorns or stuffs them between rocks to eat them.

Las Vegas Wash - Soft Shell Turtle

Soft Shell Turtle - Las Vegas Wash

Coyotes

Coyote are quite prevalent in the desert next to housing developments. They prey on domesticated cats and dogs. We have lost two cats. Sometimes early in the morning before dawn you can hear them howling.  They can easily jump six-feet fences and attack dogs in their own yards.

Coyote watching my dogs and me as we walk in the desert.

Ethal M's Cactus Garden

Ethel M Chocolates is a great place to spend a few hours. It is a very popular place with tourists.  The parking lot always seems to have at least one or two tours buses. The extensive cactus garden (one of the world's largest collection) is amazing in the spring when the majority of cactus are in bloom, and during Christmas when the cacti and trees are lit by Christmas lights. But even if you can't make it at optimum times, it is still well worth spending time here.

The self-guided factory tour is a walk down a glassed hallway where you can see the working making candy if you are lucky enough to arrive at the right time. Wall plaques describe the history of the place and the candy making process. The tour ends at a candy store where you can sample one of their delicious creations.

Cactus Flowers - Ethel M's Cactus Garden - The garden contain a staggering sample of cacti from all over the world.  If you are interested, you can read the little signs that tell you about each species.

Lantana spilling over a pot - Ethel M's Cactus Garden. These flowers bloom all summer long so if you don't make it in the spring, you will still see some flowering plants and trees.

Cactus Flower - Ethal M's Cactus Garden - This is one of the later blooming cacti. I didn't make it until May. You will see more cacti in bloom if you go during the months of March and April.

Male Grackle - Ethel M's Cactus Garden - The grackle were very entertaining as they took advantage of the flowing water pot. If you look closely and listen to the birds, you will probably find some nesting in the tree and larger cacti.

Female Grackle - Ethel M's Cactus Gardn

 Christmas Lights - Ethel M's Cactus Garden

Christmas Lights - Ethel M's Cactus Garden

Lantana - Beautiful Landscaping Bush

Lantana - Verbenaceae

Lantana is a perennial bush that has flowers throughout the spring, summer, and fall.  The bright flowers come in orange, yellow, and pink and a combination of those colors.   They can be grow in almost any soil. The only draw back is that they grow very fast so they need to be pruned often.

Baby Mocking Bird

Baby Mocking Bird - These birds are  easy to identify because they often stick their tail feathers up in the air when they are standing, and are incessant singers (if you can call it that).

I spotted this little bird on my walk down the street this morning. Actually I heard it way before I saw it.  It was calling for its mother very loudly. I shouldn't have been surprised to discover that the incessant noise was coming from such a little guy because these birds never shut up. They sometimes sing all day and all night long, which can be terribly annoying when you want to sleep with your window to take advantage of the short season of cool weather.

See "An Intro to Mockingbirds: The Noisiest, Most Aggressive Small Bird You'll Ever Meet" to see videos of Mockingbirds defending their nests, and to find out more information about these birds.

Gambel's Quail

Gambel's Quail on rooftop   

Quail are one of my favorite birds. I love their personalities. They strut around with their plumes sticking out in front of them, always trying to keep up with the covey, calling to each other to keep tabs on where they are so they don't get left behind. You can always tell when quail are around because they never stop talking. There is nothing more entertaining than seeing a trail of little quail following the adults across a street with there little plumes bobbing up and down in front of them, all in a row like a mother duck and her ducklings. I have lived here for over 14 years and have only been seeing quail in this area for the last couple of years.  Last year they really seemed to move in and now we see them everywhere, usually near houses next to open desert, sometimes on our street in the Mesquite Trees when the seedpods start to fall, but there are a lot of cats that probably keep them away. Prior to last year I would see them in the desert near our house on really wet years, but mostly I just saw them at the bird preserve and other wetter areas.

Heritage Park - Fun for Everyone!

Heritage Park is a great place for the whole family.  A two-mile, paved biking and hiking trail surrounds a picnic area and play ground, many soccer and baseball fields, a senior center, an aquatic center, and a large dog park. More trails wind through the park.

Palo Verde trees in bloom along the Heritage Park Trail near the senior center.