Tag: Glendale

Abert’s towhee (Melozone aberti), at Sahauro Ranch, Glendale, Arizona. Please click the photo for an enlarged view. 

For Meklarian. This is a handheld shot from my first time out with the new lens. This is going to be fun!

Etymology note: John James and James William  Abert (père et fils) are recognized in the common and scientific names of two of Arizona’s most notable critters. The famous Abert’s squirrel of the Grand Canyon region (Sciurus aberti)

is named for dad, while the towhee is named for James William. 

Abert’s towhee (Melozone aberti), at Sahauro Ranch, Glendale, Arizona. Please click the photo for an enlarged view. 

For Meklarian. This is a handheld shot from my first time out with the new lens. This is going to be fun!

Etymology note: John James and James William  Abert (père et fils) are recognized in the common and scientific names of two of Arizona’s most notable critters. The famous Abert’s squirrel of the Grand Canyon region (Sciurus aberti)

is named for dad, while the towhee is named for James William. 

A Gila woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis)

emerges from her nest cavity in a saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea), Glendale, Arizona.

I spotted mama Gila while photographing saguaro blossoms at the local library. She popped out unexpectedly, but she seemed agitated by my presence, which was my cue to stop shooting. Birds that are made uncomfortable by people that get too close can usually just fly off, which isn’t the case with birds with a nest full of eggs or babies. When an animal signals distress or anxiety it’s time to move away. 

A Gila woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis)

emerges from her nest cavity in a saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea), Glendale, Arizona.

I spotted mama Gila while photographing saguaro blossoms at the local library. She popped out unexpectedly, but she seemed agitated by my presence, which was my cue to stop shooting. Birds that are made uncomfortable by people that get too close can usually just fly off, which isn’t the case with birds with a nest full of eggs or babies. When an animal signals distress or anxiety it’s time to move away.