Black-throated Sparrow On A Cholla Cactus — Image by kenne
Bird on a cholla
Scene common in the desert
Black-throated sparrow.
— kenne
Archive for the ‘Cholla Cactus’ Tag
Black-throated Sparrow On Cholla Cactus 1 comment
Cactus Wren 1 comment
Cactus Wren — Image by kenne
A cactus wren may spend time on top of a saguaro,
but they prefer the protection given by the cholla cactus.
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Cholla Cactus Needles Leave a comment
Cholla Cactus Needles — Image by kenne
This image was created using the staged-portrait function on my iPhone 15 Pro Max.
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Greater Roadrunner On Nest 1 comment
Greater Roadrunner Setting On Nest In Sabino Canyon A very carefully crafted nest inside a cholla cactus, providing excellent protection.
— Image by kenne
Roadrunners have elaborate mating rituals and may mate for life. Their courtship begins with the male chasing
the female on foot. Like other bird species, the male tries to woo the female with food, often bringing her a lizard in his beak.
Both males and females try to attract each other with offerings of sticks or grass. The male wags its tail and leaps
into the air to get attention.
Once a pair mates, they stay together to defend their territory all year. Most pairs raise the young together,
taking turns to protect the hatchlings and procuring food.
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Cholla Cactus 1 comment
Cholla Cactus in Sabino Canyon — Image by kenne
When walking by a cholla,
you may walk away
with a piece of the cactus,
wondering how to remove it.
— kenne
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Cholla Cactus – Hanging Fruit Leave a comment
Cholla Cactus – Hanging Fruit — Photo-Artistry by kenne
“The first rule about the low hanging fruit principle
is to always watch out for low hanging branches,
they’re the ones to take it away from you.”
―
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Cholla Cactus Spines 1 comment
Cholla Cactus Spines — Photo-Artistry by kenne
The spines of a cholla are actually modified leaves that help protect the surface of
the cactus from preditors. A surprising function of cacti spines is to provide shade
for the cactus itself, yes, shade. Each spine casts a shadow on the cactus as the sun
moves across the desert sky.
— kenne
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Cholla Cactus — Hanging Fruit 1 comment
Cholla Cactus — Hanging Fruit — Photo-Artistry by kenne
Nature is disordered, powerful, and chaotic, and through fear of the chaos, we impose
a system on it. We abhor complexity and seek to simplify things whenever we can by
whatever means we have at hand. We need to have an overall explanation of what the
universe is and how it functions. In order to achieve this overall view, we develop
explanatory theories, that will give structure to natural phenomena: we classify nature
into a coherent system, which appears to do what we say it does.
— from The Day The Universe Changed by James Burke
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Sleepy Orange Leave a comment
Sleepy Orange Butterfly on a Cholla Cactus — Grunge Art by kenne
Saying nothing… sometimes says the most.
— Emily Dickinson
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Building A Nest In A Safe Place 4 comments
Building a Nest in a Safe Place (Probably a Cactus Wren’s nest.) — Image by kenne
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Cholla Forest In The Sonoran Desert 4 comments
Cholla Forest at the Base of Panther Peak in the Tucson Mountains — Panorama Image by kenne
Sonoran Desert
by Tara Trewinnard-Boyle
How lucky am I? I have found my home!
In the place of dust and rock where the lizards run,
Where hot winds whip and the sun sears through a lapis colored sky.
Where Saguaros march uninhibited across the arid land.
Miles and miles of emptiness: freedom.
This is the place where Mother Nature still shows her true beauty.
Wild and uncompromising, she cuts me down to my rightful size.
Teaching me to live without; demand less; appreciate more.
Silently reminding me that the race is of my own making.
I can be free.
I have found my home. Not the home I was born to but where I belong.
The ache of leaving weighs heavy in my heart.
But today I can carry with me a gift, humbly offered to all who seek.
The desert is more than a place; it is a state of mind.
It is life and death, land and sky, struggle and freedom.
Slow! Your frantic pace does not matter here.
Breathe and be grounded in your humanness.
Be still and find your small place in this vast world.
You belong, just as you are. In the silence you can find peace.
This is the gift of the desert; for which I am eternally grateful.
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The Attach Of Jumping Cholla 9 comments
Removing Cholla Spines — Images by kenne
Jumping Cholla
When it happens,
You swear it just
Jumped at you.
The trail is clear,
Not a lot of brush
Or cactus nearby,
And it happens –
The attach of the
Jumping cholla.
Cholla spines
Penetrate your hand,
Disbelief succumbing to pain.
Inexperienced hikers
Ponder what to do
Hoping not to make
A bad situation worse.
Experienced hikers
Are ready with a comb.
Prepared hikers.
Like a good scout,
Also have ointment handy.
Cactus spines are
Experience builders –
“Spine me once . . .”
— kenne
Related articles
- Cholla: Most evilest cactus or best bird’s nest ever? (polizeros.com)
- I’m not Mad, I’m Scared (honeydidyouseethat.wordpress.com)
- Explore Arizona: ‘Jumping cholla’ spines are welcome in pack rat nests (azcentral.com)
- Add a visit to ‘Cactus Heaven’ to your bucket list (wenatcheeworld.com)
