The Sonoran Desert, in Saguaro National Park, after a brief rain shower.
Saguaro National Park, Western District - panorama. Wasson Peak at center in distance.
Photo of the day - 27 Jun 2016
Photos of the day - 21 May 2016
Saguaro cactus in bloom
Saguaros are one of the "type species" of the Sonoran desert. They are very tolerant of drought, and their pleated trunks expand and contract as their shallow but broad root systems pull moisture from the ground whenever it rains. However their northern range is limited by their low tolerance for freezing temperatures.
It was a special year for the Saguaro cacti around Tucson, Arizona this Spring. In all my years living in and visiting Tucson, I have never seen such an explosion of Saguaro blooms as I did this year.
Cactus Wren, Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus, outside a nest in a teddy bear cholla cactus, Cylindropuntia bigelovii, Arizona.
Photo of the day - 14 May 2016
The Sonoran Desert outside Tucson, AZ - with rain averaging 12 inches per year, one of the world's "lushest" deserts.