Wednesday, March 7 - This morning we went to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, a world-renowned zoo, natural history museum, and botanical garden all in one. Within the Museum, you see more than 300 animal species and 1200 kinds of plants native to this region. There are almost two miles of paths traversing 21 acres of beautiful desert.
During our walk through the desert zoo, we saw prairie dogs, owls, snakes, bobcats, birds, coyote, lizards javelina, wolves, mountain lions, black bears, and numerous other desert animals all displayed in a natural setting.
Bobcats
Biggest porcupine we have ever seen.
These javelinas have a huge area to roam around.
We could watch these little guys all day. They are so funny.
Mexican Wolf. They have been trapped, shot and poisoned to near extinction. Today fewer than 50 remain in the wild.
The highlight of our day was the Raptor Flight. These trained birds put on an unbelievable display of bird of prey flight. We saw a couple Ravens, a Gray Hawk, a Great Horned Owl, a Harris Hawk, and a Ferruginous Hawk. Three trainers, in separate parts of the viewing area, would entice the birds to landings in nearby trees using food. These birds would soar within feet of the viewers, many passing inches from our heads. What an experience!
Raven
Great Horned Owl
Harris Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk
There is hummingbird center at the Museum. As you walk around in the building, the birds fly everywhere. It was fascinating to be able to watch these birds up close and personal.
The desert is coming alive with color. Marsha was in Heaven looking at all the gorgeous flowers.
When we rounded on of the corners, Marsha said, "Look at the huge Wisteria." Once we got closer, she found out that is wasn't Wisteria but Mescal Bean. She just loved it and the beautiful Sunflowers.
This is the cutest picture of the day. This little squirrel was watching this hummingbird.
We then drove through the Saguaro National Park on our way home. This is the same area butting against our campground that we hiked in yesterday. So many cactus and other beautiful desert fauna. Many of the wild flowers are blooming and the cactus have fruit on them. It has been a little windy today and the air is filled with desert dust (dust storms). That has cooled temperatures down into the sixties. The forecast calls for the sun to shine, the winds to die down, and temperatures to get back into the 70's by tomorrow.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!
