Nature Photo Journal # 12

Always appreciative of natural areas in reach of an urban area, these two spots near Scottsdale and Phoenix offered some incredible space for desert wanders.

The cactus at the Sonoran Preserve were unbeatable: Saguaros standing in their usual sentinel poetry, Teddy Bear Cholla glowing in the sun, and other species offering rich colors and sharp-spine textures. And seeing a Cactus Wren’s nest and its adaptations to live in this environment was a real treat.

At Granite Reef, Brennan spotted wild horses grazing along the Salt River while I was mesmerized by seemingly lost swans (an adult Trumpeter Swan and an immature Tundra Swan met up this winter to enjoy the desert). The rich color of the nearby cliffs was only beat by the red of a Vermillion Flycatcher, who gave quite a show.