Suddenly…

The other seasons blend seamlessly into each other, summer a gradual heating up of spring, autumn a slow predominance of the monsoon’s coolness, winter a brief deepening and a darkening. But even here in the desert southwest, spring is different. Just last week it was cold, bitterly cold by Tucson standards, and now these past two days have seen Mourning Doves in soaring display flight, Anna’s Hummingbirds and Lesser Goldfinches increasing in volume and in vocal persistence, and Gambel’s Quail prospecting for nest sites everywhere from the pots on the front porch to the top of our owl box. It’s spring here in southeast Arizona!

When he's not gobbling seed, this Gambel's Quail is on the roof singing.