Pyrrhuloxia Pursuit

This & next:  same blooming yucca

Dr. K, Willow and I had a nice hike this morning, deviating from our usual route in pursuit of a Pyrrhuloxia who was singing loudly.  Eventually I got a few decent photos of the beautiful bird.  After the bushwhack we returned to the regular routine.  Driving to the trailhead today we saw the Basset people and their hounds on a dirt road south of Tellbrook, a road we hiked several times in the past.  Right at the end of our trek we saw the pickup truck woman and her dog just starting off on their hike.

Pyrrhuloxia (aka "Desert Cardinal")

La-de-da

Faxon Yucca

Dr. K, Willow and our favorite yucca

Three heads looking good

This & next 4:  same Claret Cup Hedgehog Cactus

Old mesquite leafing out

Pimiento-stuffed green olive plant

Ocotillo buds

Last 2:  Apache Plume

 

Swainsy Yet Again

This & next 5:  Swainsy

The best part of this morning's hike was spotting Swainsy again; it was perched atop the Lone Soaptree Yucca and stayed there as we approached so I could get a better photo.  While we were out there we encountered the pickup truck woman and her loose dog, but her dog, I believe, had learned a lesson about approaching Willow too closely; Willow couldn't chase, though, because I had her on lead.  We did a bit of buswhacking off the regular route, but, perhaps, added distance to the entire trek.  Weather was good.

Yucca in bloom

Willow and Dr. K

Yucca and Picacho

This & next:  Black-throated Hummingbird

Claret Cups

 

Claret Cup Detour

This & next 6:  Swainsy's back

Dr. K, Willow and I had a nice hike this Tuesday morning; we did our regular route until deciding to bushwhack eastward in the direction of the yucca atop 4210 hill where Swainsy (who's back) had decided to perch.  I didn't really get any good photos of him, but there's hope I might do so in the near future.  After our trek we returned home and I got ready to go to Albertsons for my weekly shopping exercise, which I did.

Blooming yucca

Claret Cup closeup

Willow ready to go

 

My two favorite girls

This & next 4:  Claret Cup we made a detour for

Last 2:  new growth on prickly pear pad

Claret Cups and Yuccas Again

Distant yuccas

Dr. K had an AAUW meeting this morning so it was Willow and me on the daily trek.  The weather was warmer, and we had a good time doing a bit of bushwhacking.  I let her off lead while we were exploring the hill east of the right branch arroyo where I found several yuccas in bloom.  Both while we were driving to the trailhead and, later, when we were on the above-mentioned hill we spotted the Basset people and their hounds.  In the eighth photo here you can make them out in the far distance just left of the left head of the blooming yucca.

Indifference

This & next:  yucca on the west side of the middle branch

Our favorite yucca

Claret Cups and buds

Cactus Wren nest builder

Basset people just left of the left head in the far distance

This & next:  yuccas blooming on hill east of the right branch

House Finch

This & next:  same blooming yucca

Last 2:  same yucca