Sunday, June 26, 2011

Saguaro Fruit

It is once again that very hot time of year when the saguaro fruit begins to ripen and feed the desert creatures. Each saguaro may have only a few fruit ripen on any given day (which makes collecting them for making jam a real hassle - well, that and the fact that they are always at the tops of tall saguaros and maybe the fact that it is always well over 100 degrees F in the shade - and there is no shade).


 Before the fruit falls to the ground, birds get first dibs.
Here are two birds on one saguaro.
The bird on the left is easy to spot and is more than double the size of the small finch on the right. Clcik on the picture and enlarge the view to see the little one a little better.  Still not so easy to make out.

The one on the left is a Gila woodpecker.

The one on the right? couldn't get a decent enough shot. Maybe a house finch?

No comments: