We stayed at Cat Mountain Lodge
Tuscon, Arizona
for our first few nights in Arizona.
4/17/2018 - 4/18/2018
Photo above is the overflow lodging :)
Cat Mountain Lodge has lots going for it! The rooms are thoughtfully decorated with southwestern art and artifacts; the grounds and short Nature Trail are great for birding; guests get meal vouchers for the Coyote Pause Cafe next door; and - maybe most important - it's only minutes from the wonderful Sonora Desert Museum.
A real-life roadrunner!!! (Well, maybe not actually "life" - but a roadrunner nonetheless.)
Verdins and Townsend's Warblers flitted about. The Verdins' sweet song accompanied us on every stroll around the grounds at Cat Mountain Lodge.
The White-winged Dove (above right) must have felt extremely powerful, pausing on the back of a hawk!
Both of us fell in love with Cactus Wrens. They're gregarious, feisty and handsome.
Gila Woodpeckers often nest in saguaro cactus.
The bird below is a Pyrrhuloxia, named for two Greek words: pyrrhos for red or orange, and loxos for slanting or oblique (apparently because of the bill's shape). They look a bit like our Northern Cardinals but have different coloration.
We watched a pair of Curve-billed Thrashers popping in and out of their prickly nest.
Above: Pyrrhuloxia.
Below, another oddly-named bird, the Phainopepla and then a White-crowned Sparrow.
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| Ocotillo in bloom |
We both believe that EVERYONE should visit the Desert Museum at least once!! There are outside trails, an aviary, a hummingbird aviary, a "zoo" area, displays, exhibits, even a few restaurants. (Be there when the place opens at 7:30 so you can walk the trails before the midday heat.)
After we checked into Cat Mountain Lodge, we went into the office (where there's always coffee, tea and cookies) and started chatting with a couple who were relaxing on the couches there. When we mentioned we were going to the museum the next day, the woman reached into her pocket and handed us two free passes!
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| When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. ~Aldo Leopold |
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, with their bubble gum pink legs and feet, pose for visitors inside the aviary.
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| Cactus Wren |
Gambel's Quail were one of the most-frequently seen (and heard) birds during our whole three weeks in southeastern Arizona.
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| Wbite-winged Dove |
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| Steller's Jay |
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| This Lark Bunting has some sort of pigment abnormality. |
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| Western Tanager |
A Mexican Bobwhite - a rarity for the area!
The hummingbird house gives visitors a chance to see these miniature beauties up close!
Finally - a REAL live Roadrunner!
This little owl (an Elf Owl?) didn't look particularly delighted about being stared at and photographed!
There's an astonishing variety of flowering cactus and other plants on the sprawling museum grounds.
HOT afternoon!
Next stop Madera Canyon!
See more information about Cat Mountain Lodge @ https://www.catmountainlodge.com/
See more information about Sonora Desert Museum @ https://www.desertmuseum.org/
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