Wicker critters

As a young girl, I wrapped myself up in the Oz books. Read and reread them. Even so, I did not really understand about the amoral sorcerer who lived in a wickerwork castle, surrounded with everything wickerwork. I guess I was too shy to ask what was this stuff, wickerwork. Certainly mysterious. No Google for a quick look-up, either.

However, I'm happy to note that I'm older, wiser -- and fond of wickerwork! On my first visit to The Periodot, I was quite taken with this dog. Since that day, I've met an excellent wicker collection of critters.

Not only are there similar dogs lurking about the public spaces, but also several rabbits.

At one staircase landing, a wicker monkey rides the back of a wicker dog.

This bird sits in the midst of a geranium plant at the entry way...

...in the company of this monkey.

And, why not! That geranium is in full bloom. It's spring, after all!

Linkage: Derek, who charts all the local trails, is now posting pictures as he checks out the routes; he reports that a new beaver dam has appeared up at the Verde headwaters. And, if you're into cats, take a look at all the videos at Simon's Cat. Another video, a spectacular animation of the ashes spreading from that Icelandic volcano.

The last of that lion!

Remember those fine lion pictures, claiming to be from Prescott? Guess what! The dotter came across this LOL Cats item, which suggests that those pictures could be from any place in North America with aspen and pine trees. Too bad -- I did so want the pix to be local! And we definitely have cougars in our area, unlike many places where such emails have circulated.

However, here's an image guaranteed to be local because I know the photographer. Let it serve as a warning about how high to locate your bird feeders!

Siesta

There I was, thinking it might be time for a critter blog ... when what should come my way but an email titled Nap Time, complete with pictures (above, below). Pix from friend Bob. Where were they, I ask. Oh, in our front yard, friend Bob answers. Regular readers already recognize the four as young adult javelina, western hemisphere first (or second) cousin to Eurasia's wild boar. If your property happens to be on a regular route used by a small pack, you might discover a cozy napping spot hollowed out in the ground and, with real luck, occupants.

Critter exotica

Lest you believe that Prescott's critter exotica is limited to javelina and ring-tailed cats, I've collected here other beasties I've seen while wandering our town. 'Frinstance, that's one fine toucan spotted at the Grayleaf Galleries last winter.

The gilt-encrusted rhino was for sale at the gift shop in the Prescott Resort, which had a rather grand collection of frogs, painted ponies and other goodies.

The camel (above) and the elephants (below) were photographed in one of our many collectible shops.

On the other hand, the life-size giraffes made their home down in Cordes Lakes. BTW, does anyone know what has happened to the outfit that was selling the giant made-in-Mexico giraffes and lions and saurians; I'm told that they have left their yard across I-17 from Anthem.

In my book, the critter above must certainly be a firebird, don't you think? It, too, resided at the Grayleaf.

As for the zebra, it happened soon after I handed the younger granddotter an empty toilet paper roll one day this past summer.

Linkage: If you don't read the comments, you may have missed the wonderful clock that Avus linked to. For a fun trip, you might follow the pair of Arkansas lads who rode west on their bikes; in the process they discovered the White Spar. Among new local bloggers is a woman with two Maine coon cats. And yet another article about Arcosanti, the Utopia that wasn't.

Another three local critters

Oh that I should be so lucky as to see, much less photograph the critters that friend Bob espies over in Mountain Club. In this particular batch, a lone coyote (above) and grey squirrel plus a raven. I'm sure the raven was up to no good.

Critters at my window

Actually, I had planned to blog about the end of the farmers' market season... or perhaps the wonderful contraptions over at the transportation building at the Sharlot Hall Museum... or possibly my favorite leather craftsman who makes gun belts. Those plans were, however, short circuited when I heard the raspy voices of a acorn woodpecker or two. Very close by.

Looking out my 2nd floor office window at the ledge just below, lo and behold, a pair of birds plus a third that took off. The second fellow skedaddled while I fetched up my camera, but I did manage to get two fairly decent shots of the remaining critter at close range. I just hope these guys aren't real estate prospecting -- don't need any holes in my house, like they've pecked out in others in the neighborhood. Look what they do to trees where they store their acorns.

My good luck continued, as I looked out the window while eating supper. There outside the window, with a sunset backdrop, was a large spider climbing up her guy line, swinging back and forth in the breeze. She didn't make very good headway and thus was still available for a portrait when I had retrieved the camera from office. Wonder if she'll be around come Halloween...

Still More Links: Great stuff from two of my favorite bloggers this weekend. Catalyst was busy, visiting both the County Fair and the Folk Music Festival; Warren down in Tucson took plenty of pictures of lighted art in the desert night at Glow 2009-- three posts in all, keep scrolling down. Another site of interest to those of us living in or near the woods: Wildland Fire, home of the wildland firefighter. Next, turn your sights up far into the sky: USA Today has posted a clever flash video showing the International. Space lab and how it has grown, element by element.Last but not least, a treasure trove of Mickey Mouse shorts.

Rocky Raccoon

There is this small culvert along side my little street. It's half-full of soil and heads downhill at a pretty good angle. Imagine my surprise when this fellow (below) popped its head out to stare at me as I walked up the road at dusk. Sorry about the focus -- but I doubt that I'll have this opportunity again. Ever. So I'm going with what I have, being happy in the process. Fie on the camera which was capable of catching the culvert quite nicely, but let me down with the critter.

We have both regular, everyday raccoons and their cousins, ringtailed cats, in the greater Prescott area. I was well aware that we had a coon in my immediate area because of reports from neighbors (and my dotter who spotted one on the back porch). On the other hand, I've only seen a ringtail along the Agua Fria River near the Bloody Basin Crossing. One time only. At a great distance, I might add. Old time miners were said to have made pets of ringtails.

Yet another cool loo

At least for the Ladies'. Wildlife. Certainly appropriate for the Lynx Lake Store/Cafe location in the forest. Though I was happy to see one of my favorite critters celebrated, I couldn't help noticing that stiff, outsized tail. The little chipmunk is one of our smaller ground squirrels; you'll find them everywhere, even in the wood pile on my back porch.

Much better executed -- the mountain lion (cougar/catamount/puma). Not a guy you care to meet up with. Definitely not in the woodpile on my back porch, though lions periodically put in an appearance within the city limits.

Foxes? Yes, they certainly make a home in our mountains and forests, but they are very seldom seen outside our little local zoo.

On the other hand, several years have passed since the bald eagle pair began nesting right across the lake from the cafe. If you have binoculars, you can see their home each spring as you sip coffee. With more luck, you'll also see them fish the lake.

A tidy package

So -- there was this insistent hisss from the office window last night. I lucked out -- the camera was at hand. This burly spider had caught herself a few days food; most likely, judging from the sound, a scarab beetle.

Set the camera on macro and started taking pictures as the spider kept wrapping her prey in more and more silk. Had to toss a lot of shots, which looked in focus on the screen but were a total blur after the fact. In most of these pix, there is at least one spot that's in focus, though that lady was working rapidly.

At this point the package was pretty well tied up and she rested. Time: about 15 minutes. I've no idea how many days this meal will last. For comparison purposes: the spider's body (the round yellow "button") is roughly 3/8" in diameter.

Links: First, another critter -- Steve's Bavarian red squirrel Youngster who's now enjoying the fruits of the hazel nut tree. He's posted several wonderful series of her searching for nuts, then peeling the husks and eating them. Second, if you're into cowboy poetry, the Arizona Cowboy Poets have a web site; currently, the annual readings are taking place at Yavapai College. And an extra -- The Great Wall of Erpingham, a wild, modern "mosaic" that includes all sorts of stuff, much from a British scrapyards business. Thanks to Avus...

Giant four-eyes

One byproduct of my new portable air conditioner now at home in the kitchen is that it was necessary to remove the window screen so the exhaust tube could do its job (see picture here). Not surprisingly, I've had some interesting visitors. By far the most glamorous was this giant antheraea oculea moth I discovered sitting on a hanging basket of geegaws last night. And I do mean very large: the wingspan is 5-6".

A glance at his/her battered wings says that the critter has been around for a while this summer; it proceeded to batter them further flying at the fluorescent ceiling fixtures periodically and then resting up. Thanks to The Google, I found pictures and a discussion at What's That Bug. Interesting -- this is very much a local southwestern special. The Bugman points out, The World’s Largest Saturniidae Site indicates: The Antheraea oculea moth (wing span 3 15/16 – 5 7/8 inches) closely resemble the widely distributed polyphemus, but oculea occur only in the Southwestern corner of New Mexico through the mountains of southern Arizona north to Flagstaff and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Aren't those eye spots super? The Bugman noted Exactly one year ago on 19 July 2008, when we received our first photo of the Oculea Moth, Antheraea oculea, we thought we were looking at a Polyphemus Moth with exaggerated markings. The eyespots looked heavily made up, as though they had added eye shadow. The three reports about this moth that were posted on What's That Bug were from the Verde Valley and the Payson area; I usually see one or two of these moths every few summers, but never had a chance to photograph one so intimately.

I was fortunate to get one picture of an antenna showing its feathery form.

Also quite interesting -- the silky "hairs" that not only covered the body of the moth (right) but spilled over onto the wing. The critter was resting when I turned out the lights to go to bed; this morning, he/she had disappeared. Now, if I am really, really, really lucky one of those pretty scarab beetles will land in front of my camera lens and it will deploy its delicate feathery antenae. Hah -- not very likely!

Goodbyes

As of mid-afternoon, everybody is gone. Even the last two tadpoles, who joined their buddy who moved to the neighbors' fish pond a couple of days ago.

As of this morning, we had a two-legger (above) and a four-legger (below).

The two legger was carried by OmegaMom in a small gelato dish to the pond; the granddotter carried the nearing froghood critter in her hands. figuring that he was almost ready for the open air.

Goodbye, tadpoles! Enjoy your new lives as frogs. Meet your cousin or brother or sis (below), photographed by our neighbor, who reported that the little spider had attached a guideline to the froglet's nose. Neighbor wondered how long the spider lasted after that foolish maneuver.

A few hours later, the dotter and granddotter were packed and in the rental car on their way to Sky Harbor and thence Alaska. It's lonely here, with just me and the Max cat, but I had a wonderful three weeks with all my family.

Links: Steve Lummer posted an interesting, behind-the-scenes angle on the July 4th fireworks, while Touch Wind travelled to Patagonia where even the pizza parlor featured cool metal figures (scroll down -- there are six separate posts in the series). Then there's The Modulator with the July 10 Friday Ark, featuring a long list of recent critter posts.

When the swallows come back to...Safeway

Guess that phrase above is nowhere as lyrics. Besides, der Bingle is long gone. However, this was my wonderful surprise today when I went shopping for deli meats and cheese to feed the Sson and family who arrive from Louisiana any moment now. It's a colony of swallows who've moved into the twin peaks at the front of the Safeway building on Willow Creek Road. Directly overhead, BTW; those nests are snuggled way up against the ceiling at the point where it meets the wall. Guaranteed to produce a crick in one's neck after a short photo shoot.

See that little guy to the left (above)? He/she is working on another nest (below, right). Amazing that the swallows can produce enough spit to hold all those little mud balls in place.

I lucked out, catching this image of a swallow about to land. At first I wondered that the great big corporation was allowing a handful of wild critters to make homes in the overhead nooks and crannies, then realized that Jay's Bird Barn is practically cheek by jowel to Safeway. I'm sure Erik is encouraging the manager to let the birds nest. In fact, the company deserves a big loud thank-you from us all!