DESERT FLOWERS AND LIZARDS

I led a small group of ATVs on today's ride.  These small groups allow me more time to look for and take photos.   The flowers are slowly coming out but I won't get to see nearly as many as last year as we are leaving much earlier this spring.  In fact, we probably will be on the road within about two weeks or maybe a bit longer.  We hope to find some new areas to explore as we meander northward.  We'll dawdle our way through the warmer area but when we hit the cold country, the pace will pick up.

Lots of arms on these Saguaro Cactus

This female Gila Woodpecker was hanging out on the Saguaro flowers, I suspect eating flies that cluster on the blooms.

I had spotted this lone flowering Saguaro while we were driving up a wash.  It was so far away that I had to use my zoom lens to confirm that it really was flowers I was seeing.  The group patiently waited while I hiked up to get the photos.   We drove past hundreds of thousands more during the day and I saw one possible bud so this one was really early.

This hummingbird was pretty excited to find all this nectar and kept darting in and out of the flowers

Here's some of the crew awaiting my return

Bob and Carol

Tackstem

Tidytips

Mexican Poppies

One of the riders, Rick, spotted this Chuckwalla way up the bank at lunchtime

86 year old Blue spotted this tiny Tree Lizard beside his machine at lunchtime