Great Horned Owl

Let's start this new process off with something fun. We have Great Horned Owls in our neighborhood! And rumor has it, there were also some owlets, or baby owls, in our midst as well. The young owls and parents were seen near Saint Peter and Paul Church on Adams last week.

I went on a walk in search of the owls. As luck would have it, a balloon in a tree caught my attention and as I looked up, I saw this beautiful adult.

Unfortunately I don't have the best camera for these types of shots and it was getting dark, so the pictures aren't very good. (If anyone does have better pictures they would like me to post, feel free to e-mail them to me).

Bill Mannan, at the U of A, has done quite a bit of research on urban raptors. He has some interesting things to say about raptors, much of which makes me think we are lucky to have their presence in our neighborhood.

Typically, Great Horned Owls will nest in areas that are moderately developed, as opposed to a more urban area like downtown. They depend partially on other raptors like hawks by occupying their nest sites. (From what I was told, these owls took over the nest of a hawk and the church had mixed-feeling because the hawk had been eating the pigeons which were becoming a nuisance). The owls will also nest at the cup-like form that is created at the base of some palm trees or at man-made structures with the right conditions. The presence of large Aleppo pines and eucalyptus trees helps raptors, who use them to hunt from and nest in...and indeed this owl was seen in an Aleppo Pine.

Here are a few other interesting facts about the Great Horned Owl:

• They occur all over the U.S. and parts of Canada, making them one of the most wide-spread species of owls.
  
• They weigh from 3 to 4 pounds, are 18-25" tall, and have a wingspan of between 3 to 5 feet. The females are typically bigger than the males.
• They use their ear tufts as a form of communication, moving them in certain ways to convey different messages. If they are irritated, the tufts lay flat, if they are inquisitive they stay upright.
• Their call sounds like they are saying "Whose Awake, Me too" in a series of deep hoots.
• They are one of the earliest spring nesting birds.
• They eat a variety of prey including cottontail rabbits, squirrels, mice, snakes, scorpions, other birds, and even cats and small dogs. (Keep an eye on your animals).
• They can rotate their head 270 degrees. Amazing!

These facts were found at DesertUSA and where you can find more interesting facts if you click here.

Block #1

This block is comprised of a large parking lot, commercial buildings, the Lutheran Ministry, and a couple of homes.

At the entry to the parking lot is some dense, ground hugging vegetation made up of mostly native or near-native plants. It's a good example of making every space count, and I noticed several lizards and a few birds making use of it.
On the edge of the alley between the commercial buildings and the parking lot, a natural succession is beginning where some pioneer plants like Desert Broom and Mexican Palo Verde are taking root. It's part of the cycle of reestablishing the desert, and I suppose a reminder that natural cycles are working all around us. This house is a good example of the beautiful mortar washed red brick that makes up many of the homes in the neighborhood. Notice the nice details around the door and window and the depth to the textures on this home.

Urban Wildlife

Although the Blenman Elm neighborhood lies in central Tucson, it is fortunate to have quite a bit of urban wildlife. While walking through the neighborhood it is fairly common to see Gambel's quail, northern cardinals, Gila woodpeckers, cottontail rabbits, ornate tree lizards, hummingbirds, butterflies and much more.
We know the diversity of wildlife in our neighborhood can't be compared to that found in the natural desert, but it does do fairly well when equated to surrounding neighborhoods. This we should be proud of. It gives us a sense of belonging to the Sonoran Desert in which we make our home. It's also exciting to watch the wildlife...the quail with their little top-not that bobs as they scatter...the hummingbirds and their high pitched chirp fluttering from flower to flower...the stately Northern cardinal calling to its mate...

There are some good reasons the wildlife likes our neighborhood. We have many mature trees, both tall exotics and the natives of shorter stature. Both are extremely important for nesting and cover.
There are quite a few yards that maintain a native landscape; lawn is sparse.

Lower growing shrubs are extremely useful to ground loving wildlife like the quail, rabbits, and lizards. They use it to escape predators and even nest.
Thanks to places like the Arizona Inn and other neighborhood stewards, we have some remnant patches of the old creosote flats that once occupied this area. I believe these are one of the main reasons that so much wildlife exists here.
We are fortunate to share our neighborhood with this wildlife, but it should not be taken for granted. As our old trees begin to die and other vegetation reaches the end of its lifespan, it is important that we replace these, especially with natives.
And while we are doing good, there is always room for improvement. Many bare patches exist. There are swaths of gravel where there could be cover for lizards...there are non-native African Sumac where native mesquites could thrive. We have the ability to make this neighborhood even better...for us and wildlife.

I'd like to hear about your experience with urban wildlife. What's your favorite or the most interesting wildlife you have seen in our neighborhood?