Monday, June 04, 2012

Another Day

Drove past this tree on our rounds this morning and couldn't help but notice the thick swarm of bees around these palm blossoms. 


Naturally, I wanted to get closer  so while Don was yelling at me to stay away, I slowly came forward to get a better look.

I hit the jackpot!  Among the blossoms was this tarantula hawk.  It is really a wasp but its official name is tarantula hawk.  Easily recognizeable because it is huge....about 2 inches long with bright orange wings.  They kill tarantulas and then haul them underground to their nests to feed their young larvae.  Saw them on nature programs several times.
Watch this video on YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXVH8gaY7X8&feature=colike

A ladder on the back of an RV always makes a perfect nesting spot.

Say hello to mama dove.

Then we headed over to the 15th fairway to check on mama duck and her eggs.  As soon as she saw us in the area, she hunkered down to the ground and remained perfectly motionless.  I took this photo with my zoom lens from a safe distance so as not to disturb her.

As we were leaving, we spotted this green heron approaching.  Guess it was time for him to hunt in the creek.  They're much smaller than the great blue but are just as pretty and fun to watch.

I copied this photo from the internet so you could get a better view.
It was definitely a birding morning.  A little later, this burrowing owl flew across our path and landed on the overhang of this park model.  There doesn't seem to be a shortage of these owls around here.

Good news!  The new Ocotillo Room has arrived.  This will be a great spot for holding small classes and more much needed meeting space.
 
 Upon arriving home, I spotted a few of the neighbors outside so stopped over with camera in hand.  AJ laughed and said news must be hard to come by if I needed their picture for the blog.  When it is this quiet here, anything that moves becomes a target of interest.  Say hi to AJ Fraties, Connie Morin, Linda and Gary Fochen.

And..........no day would be complete without a cactus picture so here are some pretty red ones taken at Greenwood's Site 1543.

Okay...you all have a great day!
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