Tag: Phoenix

Great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus ♀), in the fountain courtyard at the Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona. 

This is a follow-up to the photo I previously

posted

of a male great-tailed grackle. I’m also including a link to recordings of several grackle songs from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. If you are out walking and hear squeaks and whistles reminiscent of R2-D2 coming from the treetops, it could be the solicitation calls of amorous grackles, and not the droids you’re looking for.  

Great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus ♀), in the fountain courtyard at the Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona. 

This is a follow-up to the photo I previously

posted

of a male great-tailed grackle. I’m also including a link to recordings of several grackle songs from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. If you are out walking and hear squeaks and whistles reminiscent of R2-D2 coming from the treetops, it could be the solicitation calls of amorous grackles, and not the droids you’re looking for.  

Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), seen on my morning walk in in Phoenix, Arizona. 

These sheep are actually denizens of the Phoenix Zoo, in Papago Park. Geologically, the park comprises a grouping of sandstone monadnocks – isolated hills of red rock that rise abruptly from the surrounding terrain. The zoo has built its bighorn enclosure on the side of the southernmost hill – visible from the park’s trails, and a pleasant surprise for the urban hiker.