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We just returned from a week-long trip to Southwestern Arizona. It was wonderful! Andy, Aiden and I, along with Grandma Chris and Uncle Kenny traveled to Tucson to stay with Andy's Mom's cousins, Carol and Mike Dolan. The Dolans have such a beautiful spot in NW Tucson, with a nice big yard for little ones to play in the sun. And was it ever sunny! We had 8 straight days of cloudless, mid-eighty degree weather (which i gather is not unusual in this part of the country). If we ever had 8 straight cloudless 80 degree days in Vermont, people here would call it a miracle and start seeing the Virgin Mary's likeness on their morning toast.
Andy and Aiden and I got our own private digs in the Dolan's spacious camper, which worked out great. Except that we had to block access to the driver's seat with a big suitcase after a day or so. Aiden thought he had made out big-time with his own personal T-R-U-C-K and wanted to press all the buttons and pedals constantly. He SO enjoyed himself playing outside that he soon forgot about the camper steering wheel... it seems like forever since Aiden was able to play outside in a t-shirt and shorts, and he definitely took advantage of every opportunity he could get to run around in the yard and play with rocks and sticks (and the occasional cactus).
On our first day in Tucson we visited the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, which has to be the coolest "museum" ever. It's part botanical garden, part zoo (with animals in natural habitats, no cages), part museum, part nature center, and also part national park (Saguaro National Park). It's the kind of place you need a good week to cover, so we barely scratched the surface in one day.
A saguaro up close, with nesting holes (woodpeckers, owls...)
Some of the desert flora
Saguaro National Park vista
Aiden watching hummingbirds in the aviary
They have daily raptor free-flight demonstrations at the Desert Museum, where they let their rehabilitated (but unreleasable) birds of prey fly out in the desert in front of a crowd of onlookers. On the day we went, they brought out a Great Horned Owl, a Ferruginous Hawk (below) and a Chiuahuan Raven. The raven was the coolest because he just looked like he was having a great time swooping and diving about 3 inches above the heads of everyone watching him. The Dolans have a friend who volunteers with the raptor demonstrations, so they were able to finagle us a "backstage" visit to the areas where the birds are kept. It was great to get such close looks at the differnent southwestern species, and even better knowing that these birds were able to be nursed back to health and can live out fulfilling lives at this great facility.
Speaking of BIRDS, we did see a few of them (in the wild) over the course of our trip. We saw 120 different species to be exact, of which 43 were life-birds for both Andy and I! And we both reached our 500th bird species seen during the week (for which we recieved endless ribbing from everyone we were staying/travelling with....the price you pay for being a birder geek). Andy's 500th bird was a Scaled Quail, and mine was a Lucy's Warbler! Only about 9300 species left to see on earth...
A Gambel's Quail (in the Dolan's front yard)
Black-Throated Sparrow (again in the Dolan's yard)
Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson
Cinnamon Teals at Sweetwater Wetlands
Hanging out in the Dolan's yard
1 comment:
What a great trip! We too have enjoyed some special trips to that area! I'm always glad to come home to the green and moisture tho'.
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