Saturday, June 29, 2024

Saturday's Critters # 550

 Welcome to Saturday's Critters! Hello and Happy Saturday!


 If you love all God's creatures like I do and also like to blog about them and take critter photos this is where you can share your critter post. Link up your post and share your critters, join in with my critter party ! You can share any kind of critters the real ones, pretend ones, statues and paintings, a new or old post!


Another post on our Arizona trip, on April 25th we spent the day on the Mt Lemmon Scenic Drive. We stopped at just about all of the overlooks, did a couple of short walks. Of course I looked for birds, but I did not find many new birds. I saw a few House Finches, Crows and one lifer was the Bell's Vireo. A new to me squirrel sighting for me was the Abert's Squirrel. 

1. The Saguaro blooms were pretty, some were hard to see up high on the tall cactus. 





2. A closer look at the Saguaro blooms.






3. I believe the white flowers are called Desert Chicory. Also below the  Pink Fairy Duster on the top right, on the lower right I am not sure what the purple blooming shrub is called. 





4. Below is the Pink Fairy Duster (Calliandria eriophylla)  it is a low native shrub. It is what interested me on the photo below, the powder puff blooms remind me of the Mimosa blooms. I did not see the Arizona Rosewood blooms.  





5. I did not see many birds, a few House Finches and my lifer the Bell's Vireo, crows or ravens in flight.





6. In the top left photo you can barely make out the road curving around, a sign showing the various hummingbirds seen at Mt Lemmon, various cactus and the Desert Paintbrush flowers.





7. Various scenes from the overlooks on the Mt Lemmon Scenic Hwy. The Cookie Cabin is a popular place, beside their dinner plate sized cookies they make pizza.  We couldn't leave there without buying cookies, yum.




A view from the overlook, not far from the summit. 




New to me, the Abert's Squirrel. It is similar to our Gray Squirrel except for those cute long ears. 





8. This was the view of the ski area, we stopped here to eat lunch at the Iron Door Restaurant. I had a delicious chili with their famous corn bread, hubby just had an appetizer of loaded potato skins. I did see one hummingbird here at the feeder. It was too fast for a photo.





I am linking up to Heidrun's Mosaic Monday  I hope you can stop by and visit Heidrun and check out the Mosaic Monday post.




Thanks to all my visitors and for your past and present comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves and respects wildlife. Thank you for linking up a critter post.






Here is my linky:




Thank you for sharing your critters and post!

114 comments:

Jenn Jilks said...

You do have adventured and beautiful sights.
We just happy to be home safe, while fighting Lyme Disease!

Mae Travels said...

Some years ago, we had a great birding day at Mt.Lemon, but on our most recent visit to Arizona we were disappointed in the birds. As you described, we saw very few of them on the main road or on the small side roads. It was quite frustrating.

Thanks for hosting Saturday Critters!

best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Tom said...

...beautiful flora and fauns and the landscape is gorgeous. Thanks for hosting, Eileen.

chica said...

Adoro essas flores dos cactos... E que amor o esquilinho! Lindas todas tuas fotos!
beijos, ótimo fim de semana! chica

Bill said...

Beautiful area and scenery. The Abert's Squirrel has quite the tail. Have a great weekend and thanks for hosting.

Iris Flavia said...

A wonderful trip and my "Peanut" (as we call the squirrels) says hi.
Have a great Saturday :-)

Marie Smith said...

That squirrel species is so cute! I’ve never see the saguaro in bloom before. Thank you for sharing.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari Om
What a wonderful place. The cactus flower was special and those big views... YAM xx

rupam sarma said...

Hello, Hope you are doing fine, Amazing place, Great series of photos, Beautiful bird's , Squirrel looks cute. Happy Weekend.

David M. Gascoigne, said...

I know that Mount Lemon is a highly desired destination for birders but on four trips to Arizona I have never had great success there, so on the last trip I didn’t go there at all. If I had to pick one favourite location it would be Madeira Canyon, followed closely by the Chiricahua Mountains.

Alexandra said...

I googled to see exactly where Mt Lemmon was. In February of 2020, I visited the Biosphere near Oracle, I remember seeing a mountain range to the south. I just looked back at my photo album from that trip and I am thinking Mt Lemmon was probably one of the mountains that I saw. Your photos of the drive along the scenic route and so pretty. I often think I would like to head to Tucson for a hiking vacation. I see squirrels every day while I am out and about and even in the tree outside my front window. I have never investigated to see what kind they are. The Abert's Squirrel is quite cute, I like the ears!

Barbara Rogers said...

Surprised to see no comments...you must be monitoring them! Loved seeing the different clime today...not one that I have much interest in, as I like greenery too much. But I know nearby are big forests where I'd probably be happy!

Lea said...

Amazing ears on the squirrel!
Great bird photos, and I enjoyed seeing the cactus blooms!
Have a wonderful weekend!

MadSnapper said...

wow and wow again on all the blooms in the desert. they are so beautiful. it does look like a mimosa except the leaves and stems are different.. I have seen photos of this squirrel on other blogs but never seen one in real time... I love the look of the desert and would like to view it myself.. awesome trip you had

William Kendall said...

Beautiful landscapes.

Intelliblog said...

Hello, Eileen. Your photos are especially beautiful in this post. I was very interested to see the cactus flowers, your close-ups were marvellous. Thank you for hosting and have a great new week (Nick from MAP)

Marit said...

Hello Eileen,
The cactus flowers are very beautiful. The wildflowers are so pretty. The view from the overlook is amazing. It must be wonderful to see.
Take care, and enjoy your weekend!

magiceye said...

Beautiful captures of the flowers, landscapes and squirrel!
Happy weekend!

Angie's Recipes said...

THe cactus blooms are so pretty! I love the view from the summit. Have a great weekend, Eileen.

ellen b. said...

The desert is such an interesting place to explore. Great shots of the flora and fauna!

Irma said...

Hi Eileen,
What great photos from your trip to Arizona.
There are beautiful lookout points there, the squirrel is really so cute.
I wish you a good weekend.
Greetings Irma

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I really love the rock formations out there and would love to travel out West again!

Katerinas Blog said...

The birds are great, great shots.
I love these flowering cacti so much!
Thanks for the prompt!!

carol l mckenna said...

Oh once again ~ you go to the best places and get some fascinating photos ~ Those cactus flowers are awesome and the funky little squirrrel aid a great action shot ~ Wow! ~ thanks,


Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

Cloudia said...

Thank you Eileen. I especially enjoyed the saguaro blossoms

Debbie said...

we don't always see what we expect but the flowers and views are really beautiful. i'm glad you got a cookie and the squirrel is adorable, those ears are huge!! many thanks for hosting and have a great weekend!!

RedPat said...

Such a cute squirrel, Eileen. This environment is so different from your walks at home.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

What a beautiful place you visited. Sorry you didn't see that many birds but you got a lifer and I love that squirrel you photographed. I love the desert and especially the saguaro cacti which are really beautiful with their blooms.
Thank you for hosting!!

Rostrose said...

Dear Eileen, you saw wonderful landscapes. And WOW, the Saguaro blooms are beautiful - and apparently extremely attractive to insects, too! I'm happy for you that you saw your lifer Bell's Vireo, even though there weren't many other birds around. The Abert's Squirrel looks very similar to the European squirrels, which also usually have such cute ears with tufts of hair. Most are reddish brown, but there are also dark color variants.
You may have a look here: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasisches_Eichh%C3%B6rnchen
All the best and happy weekend, Traude
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2024/06/weltreise-2024-immer-noch-neuseeland.html

Miradas desde mi lente said...

Las flores del cactus están demasiado altas y esto dificulta su captura. Tu acercamiento a ellas, nos ha hecho admirar las flores tan bonitas, que ahora lo adorna.
Que tengas un feliz domingo.

Yvonne said...

This all looks amazing. I'm glad you got to make the trip.

Spare Parts and Pics said...

Such beautiful views from the various overlooks. Love seeing them!!

italiafinlandia said...

The Saguaro blooms are my favourite in this post.
Hope you are fine.
Happy weekend!

Lowcarb team member said...

Hello Eileen
Many thanks for sharing your sightings.
I did like the cactus flower, the view from the overlook is amazing and what a cute looking squirrel that is.

Enjoy your Saturday and weekend, it's the last one in June! The year is flying by.

My good wishes.

All the best Jan

HappyK said...

Such beautiful pictures. Love the blooming saguaro!!

Red said...

You went from desert to snow. I like to see the cactus in spring when if conditions are right you can see the blooms.

Lydia C. Lee said...

I love those cactus flower shots. Is it true they only bloom every 7 years (or 12 years?)?

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Eileen Love the Cacti and their flowers. another lifter -well done. Looks like a lovely spot. Thanks for hosting and commenting. Have a wonderful week ahead

Linda said...

Thanks for sharing this journey. I especially like the squirrel and the Saguaro blooms.

EricaSta said...

It's Sunday, early in the morning... and the storm is sweeping us indoors. Storms and heavy rain have been with us for weeks. So once again I'm enjoying the virtual trip to Arizona. Dear Eileen, what a beautiful Post again. I love the squirrels too. And See here wonderful blooms. Thank you for sharing and thank you for your nice comment.

Have a very good week. Hugs by Heidrun

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jenn, for your link and comment!
I hope is going well with battling the Lyme Disease.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Mae, for your link and comment!
If we were there just for the birds, I might have looked into going with a guide.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Tom, for your link and comment!
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Chica, for your visit and comment!
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Bill, for your link and comment!
It was a pretty squirrel.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Iris, for your link and comment!
It was a wonderful trip!
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Marie, for your visit and comment!
The Saguaro blooms were pretty.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you YAM, for your link and comment!
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for your link and comment!
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you David, for your link and comment!
I loved Madera Canyon, it was a great place to see the birds.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Alexandra, for your link and comment!
The squirrel was a cutie. Arizona is a great place to hike and visit.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Barb, for your link and comment!
I am a little slow this weekend, due to a bad cold.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Lea, for your link and comment!
The squirrel's ears were so cute.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Sandra, for your visit and comment!
The squirrel was a cutie, different than our usual gray squirrel we see here.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you William, for your visit and comment!
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Nick, for your link and comment!
The cactus blooms were a pretty sight.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Marit, for your link and comment!
I enjoyed seeing all the cactus blooms.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for your link and comment!
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Angie, for your visit and comment!
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Ellen, for your visit and comment!
We had fun exploring!
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Irma, for your link and comment!
I thought the squirrel was cute too.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Diane, for your link and comment!
The rock formations are amazing, we do enjoy our travels.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Katerina, for your visit and comment!
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Carol, for your link and comment!
The cactus flowers were a pretty sight to see.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Cloudia, for your link and comment!
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Debbie, for your link and comment!
The squirrel's looked so cute!
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you RedPat, for your link and comment!
Yes, this place is so different than what we see at home.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Yogi, for your link and comment!
We may have missed the birds we still enjoyed the scenic drive.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Traude, for your link and comment!
The squirrel is cute with those ear tufts.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for your visit and comment!
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Yvonne, for your visit and comment!
It is always nice to take a trip to a new place.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for your visit and comment!
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for your visit and comment!
The blossoms are beautiful.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jan, for your visit and comment!
The squirrel is a cutie.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Red, for your visit and comment!
It was neat to see all the snow.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Lydia, for your link and comment!
I am not sure, I did read that once they reach the age of 35 they bloom and the blooms depend on the winter rain.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Margaret, for your link and comment!
I was happy finding the one lifer. The cactus flower are beautiful.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Linda, for your link and comment!
The squirrel was a cutie!
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Heidrun, for your link and comment!
We had storms last night too, our power was blinking off and on.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

Jeanie said...

No creatures to share this week but I love seeing yours. I especially love seeing the cactus blooms -- that's something I rarely see. If I could get a photo of the mosquitoes zipping around in this damp weather, I could add something. Alas -- too fast for me!

21 Wits said...

Hello Eileen what wonderful photos from Arizona a place dear to my heart. Lovely views you've captured such beauty. It had to have been an excellent time weatherwise. Your other nature photos are beautiful too, and you have inspired me to build up my own little bird area right here in front of my window as they like this spot. Enjoy your week ahead and the fourth as it is approaching us quickly, can you believe it?

Marco Luijken said...

Hello Eileen,
Very nice post!! Great al the cactussen and the view over the landscapes of that higher point.
Funny picture with the squirrel, so cute. The last shot is very impressive, so nice!!

Many greetings,
Marco

Teresa said...

Un precioso reportaje como siempre, me encanta pasar por tu blog. Un abrazo.

Rose said...

That squirrel is so, so cute...love the views you showed.

Shiju Sugunan said...

Sounds like a lovely day on Mt. Lemmon! Beautiful saguaros and great finds with the Bell's Vireo and Abert's Squirrel.

Jill Harrison said...

Those cactus blooms really are amazing! Have a fabulous week Eileen.

Laura. M said...

Que podamos seguir viendo preciosas vistas. Como es eltísimo cactus y la linda ardilla.
Buena semana Eileen.
Un abrazo.

Sharon Wagner said...

Look at those squirrel ears! So cute. Beautiful desert blooms.

EricaSta said...

Thank you for being part at MM. It´s a wonderful post for this Linkparty!
Have a good time, hugs by Heidrun

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Linda, I appreciate your comment and visit. Have a great day and happy week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jeanie for your comment and visit. Have a great day and happy week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you, Karen! For your comment and link.
I am sure you can attract some pretty birds to your yard.
Have a great day and happy week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Marco, for your comment and visit. Have a great day and happy week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Teresa, for your comment and visit. Have a great day and happy week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Rose, for your comment and visit. Have a great day and happy week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Shiju, for your comment and link. Have a great day and happy week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jill, for your comment and visit. Have a great day and happy week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Laura, for your comment and visit. Have a great day and happy week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Sharon, for your comment and visit.
The squirrel was a cutie, love those ears.
Have a great day and happy week!

Veronica Lee said...

Eileen, your post beautifully showcases Mt. Lemmon's beauty!
The Saguaro blooms are stunning.
I especially love the adorable squirrel.

Happy Monday!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Veronica, for your link and comment. The cactus blooms are beautiful. Have a wonderful week!

DeniseinVA said...


Thoroughly enjoyed these Eileen, thank you! This is an area I can’t wait to get back to.

eileeninmd said...

Thank You Denise, for your visit and comment. We enjoyed this trip! Have a wonderful week!

Ana Mínguez Corella said...

Hi Eileen.. Wonderful place..Beautiful views, birds and cacti.. Happy week

Natasha said...

Thank you dear Eileen for hosting. I'm late to the party, but better late than never. Just published my post and it's almost midnight. Will be back to read your tomorrow morning. Can't wait. :)

Have a great week!

This N That said...

Beautiful Saguaro blooms..lovely pictures...Thanks for sharing..Enjoy your week..

Natasha said...

I dropped a comment yesterday, Eileen, not sure it came through. I hope this one does.
Thank you so much for hosting and sharing your adventures with us.
That sounded like a delicious day at Mt. Lemmon. The flora-fauna and food included. :)

Have a wonderful rest of the week.

I

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Ana, for your comment and visit!
It is a wonderful place to visit!
Take care, enjoy your day and the week ahead.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Natasha, for your comment and link! Take care, enjoy your day and the week ahead.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Missy, for your comment and link!
We were lucky to be there during the bloom time.
Take care, enjoy your day and the week ahead.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Natasha, for your comment! Take care, enjoy your day and the week ahead.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Karen, I appreciate the comment and visit. Take care, enjoy your day!

Majo Dutra said...

A very happy and smiling day, dear Eileen...
Despite the clouds, your country is the most powerful in the world.
A big hug.
~~~~~~~

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for the visit and comment! Take care, have a wonderful day and happy weekend!

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