Critters

This is a picture of the baby rattlesnake we found coiled outside our back door about 3 weeks ago.

Lisa thought it was cute, because of its over-sized head and its "personality," i.e. the way it reacted when she urged it along with a stick.

My friend Lee Shainen thinks she's loco. Guess you think that way if you've found yourself almost nose-to-nose with one while crawling around working on the pumphouse floor. Or had a neighbor severely bitten and hospitalized for a week.

We have kind of a truce with critters here at the Arboretum. When we first moved in we were overrun with Sun spiders, weird creatures that hold their back legs up in such a way that the uninitiated take them for scorpions.

Speaking of scorpions, Lisa has carted a couple outdoors in the last month....

Then there was last year's male tarantula-in-heat thinking our house must be the local Swinging Tarantula Club. He ran right by L. and into the house before she could stop him.

One day we were working outdoors, and Lisa thought she saw a dog, but when she called to him to come to her...the coyote looked at her like she was crazy, and trotted off.

I had a multiple encounter. I was watching birds at the bird feeder, and along came a Roadrunner. As I watched, he moved off under the creasote, and his mate joined him. Cool. Then the coyote stepped out of the brush. I couldn't see the Roadrunners, so I guess they ran off. Eventually the coyote trotted off across our neighbor's land.

We have Harris' Hawks next door. Once we saw them mating atop a saguaro. I just happened to have my camera set up.

We also have Harris' Antelope Squirrels. The place is overrun with Harrises.

We've seen evidence of javelina, but have yet to see them.




Here's a picture of an American Kestral. He sat there one morning for about an hour.


The Arboretum is a great place for critter watching. Just one thing: we're on Bobcat Lane.


Is spotting a Bobcat too much to ask?