Colossal Cave Mountain Park, Arizona

William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message

Saguaro Cactus, Carnegiea gigantean. Photographed in Colossal Cave Mountain Park in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes.

At 11:00 AM, we arrived at Colossal Cave Mountain park about an hour-and-a-half ahead of the rest of our friends from church. So we took a short mountain desert hike up the Arizona Trail. It was such a stereotypical southwestern desert scene! A hot, bright high noon sun overhead; burning sand and rocks underneath our feet; parched lips and not a spot of shade to be found. The desert mountains stretched off into the distance and a Turkey Vulture soared overhead.

White Winged Dove bird perched on Mesquite. Photographed in Colossal Cave Mountain Park in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA.

In this high heat, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse! We hiked about a mile and turned back to meet our group. In a dry creek bed near the trail-head, I spotted a Blue Grosbeak singing in the scrub. I was sort of taken aback, for it was odd to see a regular visitor in my green Georgia backyard out in this dry, brown desert.

Up at Colossal Cave entrance we met up with our friends. Our group being so large, my wife and I stayed back from touring the cave (which we had both been into before). More time for photography on the short nature trail!

Black-throated Sparrow, Amphispiza bilineata. The black-throated sparrow is a small American sparrow primarily found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is sometimes referred to as the desert sparrow, due to its preferred habitat of arid desert hillsides and scrub. Photographed in Colossal Cave Mountain Park in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA.

On all my last visits to the Tucson International Bible Conference over the last 25 years of my salvation, reptiles were the focus of my desert treks, if time allowed for any treks at all. But with birding being my “new thing”, the afternoon was filled with excitement. So many Life Birds! One special shot in particular was of a Zone-tailed Hawk soaring overhead. A zoomed in display on the Nikon view screen showed a small lizard in the grip of his talons. ​

Saguaro Cactus, Carnegiea gigantean. Photographed in Colossal Cave Mountain Park in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes.

Saguaro Cactus, Carnegiea gigantean. Photographed in Colossal Cave Mountain Park in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes.

Saguaro Cactus, Carnegiea gigantean. Photographed in Colossal Cave Mountain Park in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA.

Saguaro Cactus, Carnegiea gigantean. Photographed in Colossal Cave Mountain Park in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA.

The ash-throated flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens, is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. It breeds in desert scrub, riparian forest, brushy pastures and open woodland from the western United States to central Mexico. Photographed in Colossal Cave Mountain Park in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA.

Saguaro Cactus, Carnegiea gigantean. Photographed in Colossal Cave Mountain Park in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes. Saguaro National Park.

Black Throated Sparrow bird, Colossal Cave Mountain Park, Arizona

Ash Throated Flycatcher bird, Colossal Cave Mountain Park, Arizona

Canyon Towhee, Melozone fusca, perched in rafters. Photographed in Colossal Cave Mountain Park in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA.

Saguaro Cactus, Carnegiea gigantean. Photographed in Colossal Cave Mountain Park in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes.