This summer we traveled to Arizona, as mentioned previously in a geology blog [July 07, 2016: Earth’s changing surface - across the United States!]. In Arizona, I was very captivated to see the birds and plants there. Both living things are quite different from what is seen in Hawai’i, and probably in any other non-desert environments.
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| Great-tailed Grackle / Queen Creek, AZ / June 2016 |
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| Suburban cultivated plants / Queen Creek, AZ / June 2016 |
I dedicate this blog to our relatives in Arizona. It takes hardy and positive souls to live engulfed by that desolate summer-month-heat and the unbelievable haboobs! Our relatives graciously showed us the beauty of the high desert and how it is that one can live in such heat from day-to-day.
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| Mourning Dove / Queen Creek, AZ / June 2016 |
In those harsh, dry conditions certainly plants need some special adaptations. But I am not so sure about the birds. Surprisingly I saw some of the same birds that are found in San Diego!
The first such bird I heard before seeing. It was the common Mourning Dove which makes a very distinctive sound that I associate with Southern California. Mourning Dove sounds and information (We do not have these doves in Hawai’i.) Even in the Arizona heat these delicate doves gave their morning greeting.
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| Great-tailed Grackle / Queen Creek, AZ / June 2016 |
Shortly thereafter, in our morning walk, I saw this unusual “skinny crow.” It was very prevalent in our travels and had an unusual song in the “cool” (probably 90 degrees plus!) of the morning.
It was a type of Grackle whose identification I might have guessed because of its beady yellow-circle eye.
Even further in our walk, away from the housing development we saw the stereotypical desert bird, the Turkey Vulture. It eventually joined a circling group high above the trees making one wonder - what died?
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| Turkey Vulture / Queen Creek, AZ / June 2016 |
The plants around the housing development were all similar with their small leaves, some with silver gray coloring, succulent-type leaves, and incomplete flowers. These are all adaptations to preserve water. The silver gray actually comes from hairs on the leaves which help to collect the available moisture.
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| Unknown tree / Queen Creek, AZ / June 2016 |
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| Unknown bush / Queen Creek, AZ / June 2016 |
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| Unknown bush / Queen Creek, AZ / June 2016 |
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| Palo Verde / Queen Creek, AZ / June 2016 |
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| Palo Verde / Superstition Mountains area, AZ / June 2016 |
We were able to see native plants in the Superstition Mountains and Canyon Lake area. [Discussed in: July 07, 2016 - Earth’s changing surface - across the United States!]
There the local Palo Verde, cactus (primarily Saguaro), and Ocotillo prevailed. They were fascinating plants to see and we were lucky that it was early summer so many of the desert plants were still in bloom!
The fascinating green-barked Palo Verde is Arizona’s state tree and can be found around the towns also. Our relative pointed out that in the towns, the cultivated Palo Verde is more tree-like while it is bush-like in the wild.
Most of the rest of these native plants were succulents or cacti. The latter has the extreme in modifications for water conservation with their thick water-filled stems and very low surface area, modified leaves or plant parts - spines!
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| Saguaro, 1st type / Superstition Mountains area, AZ / June 2016 |
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| Saguaro, 2nd type / beyond Canyon Lake, AZ/ June 2016 |
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| Saguaro, 2nd type / beyond Canyon Lake, AZ/ June 2016 |
One of the cacti was the tall, stately Saguaro. I believe there were two types of Saguaro as the flowers were uniquely different.
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| Saguaro wood / Tortilla Flats, AZ/ June 2016 |
Did you know there is Saguaro wood? My relative also told me that more branching indicates greater age of the Saguaro cactus.
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| Ocotillo / beyond Canyon Lake, AZ/ June 2016 |
There were also the unusual long-stemmed Ocotillo with flower remnants. Apparently these plants can have small leaves if there is enough water. Ocotillo information
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| Barrel Cactus / Apache Junction, AZ / June 2016 |
There were also two less frequently appearing cacti. Both had the expected water-filled stems / trunks covered with water conserving spines.
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| Chain Fruit Cholla / Superstition Mountains area, AZ/ June 2016 |
One had drooping thick stems and hard fleshy fruits (the Chain Fruit Cholla) and another was small and barrel-shaped (Barrel Cactus). These latter characteristics also show water preservation.
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| chain fruit of the Cholla / Superstition Mountains area, AZ/ June 2016 |
If you are lucky enough to go to Arizona (hopefully in the Spring!), as always, “watch out for nature!” In the desert there you will see plants which are unique to see in their perfected adaptations for water preservation.
