Creature Feature Friday, the desert is alive...

I haven't written much about my trip to Arizona in October, but rest assured I've got lots of sunny photos to help get me (us) through winter. One memory that really stands out to me is the feeling of how alive the desert is. You can't walk 20-ft at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix without seeing a lizard. Geckos and mourning doves are daily visitors to my brother's house. Maybe these all stand out because what I'm seeing aren't part of my daily life at home? But then again take this plant I photographed at Arcosanti (amazing post coming soon). In this photo, which represents just a tiny bit of the entire plant, there are 4 different pollinators working away, I found that somewhat amazing.

Here's a better overall shot of the plant, which thanks to Facebook, and the Plant Idents page, I know is most likely a Baccharis, either B. sarothroides or B. sarothroides.

This little guy was beautiful.

Here's a better shot. It might be a Polistes aurifer? (again a Facebook guess)

There were also several of this beauty partaking of the floral goodness.

I saw a few colorful winged creatures on my Fatsia japonica blooms recently, I don't know if they were moths or butterflies. Still, I saw more during my 5 days in Arizona than I see in 5 weeks at home.

This little hopper (those patterns!) was hanging out next to a pathway at Arcosanti. I managed to quickly snap this photo before my nephew lunged to see him jump. What is it about little boys?

This! I wasn't even sure it was real at first. It was too glassy looking, and metallic, and just plain fake. But it's real, a little research says Plusiotis gloriosa, Glorious Beetle...ya, they got that right.

To add to the incredulity of the moment it was right there where our feet were tromping, any one of our group of 10 or so could have stepped on it. But we didn't.

Location change, now we're at the Desert Botanical Garden (DBG). This was one of several nests I spotted in large cactus. Another had a bird hopping about protectively. This is the only clear nest photo I got, no bird nearby.

This daredevil had just emerged from the spiky Agave when I snapped his photo. His tail is just a wispy little thing compared to the squirrels at home. Maybe it's because the plants are always grabbing bits?

I only took a single lizard photo, but encountered many. I do not like snakes but lizards make me so very happy.

A double shot! Red and blue...

Lots of butterflies on this (unknown) shrub Aloysia virgata (thanks Walt!) I only managed to capture one.

Ants! Had I not been in such a hurry to brush them off I would have had another (more dramatic) ant photo as they mobbed my ankle at a nursery we visited, biting and burning! Little buggers.

Ugh. Evil little white devils.

This little bird was singing the most amazing song as I left the DBG, the photo is poor, I wish I knew what he was. I also wish I'd managed to get a non-blurry photo of the quail running about. I grew up with quail making pilgrimages across our lawn and enjoyed seeing their jerky walk again.

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