In Search of the (Not so) Elusive Saguaro Flower - Part 2

Well I figured out that if you want to see Saguaro flowers you need to be in Sabino Canyon at 6:00 am not 6:00 pm. For the last few days I have been looking at 6:00 pm but the flowers are closed by then. Today I went at 6:00 am and they were all around.







Apparently at night some types of bats feed on and pollinate the Saguaro flowers. During the early morning White-Winged Doves like the guy below pollinate and eat the flowers.



Coming in for a little snack.



MMM that big flower looks good.




Let's get ready.



Eat!!!



The last picture is a prickly pear flower.

Cholla Cactus, Agua Caliente Hill and an Arizona Sunset

I decided to wait another day for my search for Saguaro flowers. I picked some easy pictures today around 50 yards from my door. The cactus pictures below are, I believe, Staghorn Cholla. Chollas are a prolific type of cactus and there are more than 30 kinds of Cholla. Over time I'll see if I can find them all. Their flowers appear in May.






The above Staghorn Cholla has yellowish fruit and yellow flowers.






The above Staghorn Cholla has red fruit and red flowers.



Agua Caliente Hill, east of Tucson around sunset, rises to 5,369 feet. In North Carolina, where I am from, we call that elevation a mountain. Out here it is called a HILL.



A nice Arizona Sunset to end the day.



Full moon picture I took last night. As I was taking this picture at Sabino Canyon I heard a crash in a bush about 10 feet away. I looked over and a bobcat walks into the parking lot. I guess she missed her rabbit. I looked a bit large for food ( I hope).



Picture of Blacketts Ridge and Thimble Peak in Sabino Canyon by moonlight Saturday night around midnight.

Until tomorrow....

In Search of the Elusive Saguaro Flower - Part 1

Late this afternoon I set off to Sabino Canyon to take pictures of Saguaro Flowers. A Saguaro flowers late April through June. Individual flowers open at night and close the next afternoon. I walked for 45 minutes through a Sabino Canyon Saguaro "forest" and got some good pictures of flower buds but could not find an open flower. I will try again tomorrow. Check back then...



You can see the flower buds about to open in the middle of the picture. Tonight is a full moon. I bet those open tonight. The black stubs to the right are dried flowers that opened several days ago.



This is a group of middle-aged Saguaro. Generally a Saguaro does not grow its first arm until it is at least 50 years old. Saguaro can live to be 200 years old.




"Beep, Beep" A road runner I saw in the road.



Later I got him posing for me. Well actually he is just looking for a little afternoon lizard snack.




Two night hawks feasting on bugs.

Saguaro National Park Trip

Well its not much of a trip because I live about 13 miles from Saguaro East. But it is always a nice drive and the park is great. Pictures to come...

Hiking, Biking, Tramming, Walking, Grilling, You Choose.

I decided to call my blog the Sabino Canyon Blog because that is where I go almost every day to enjoy the great outdoors. Sabino Canyon is about a mile from where I live and has a great variety of outdoor activities. The Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is located in Northeast Tucson, Arizona in the Coronado National Forest.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/forest/recreation/camping/sites/sabino.shtml

The above link takes you to the official USDA Forest Service site on Sabino Canyon.

More to come later....