Eric Gofreed
Well-Known Member
(I won't be home for a few days)
Winged Wednesday: January 21, 2026 – Desert Birds
It’s Winged Wednesday, where feathers, flutters, and flight steal the show! Whether they’re zipping, swooping, sunbathing, or just striking a sassy pose, we want to see your favorite winged wonders. Birds, bugs, bats, or butterflies—if it’s got wings, it’s fair game. You can share up to six photos each week.
Last week I shared a burst of rainforest color with the tanagers. This week, I’m drying out—and dialing in on desert birds. My contribution features species that live, nest, or perch among cactus spines and sunbaked branches.
No dripping moss.
No bromeliads.
Just grit, heat, and birds that treat a saguaro like beachfront property.
Costa’s Hummingbird
He’s not big, but he glows like royalty. That iridescent purple crown and mustache aren’t just accessories—they’re declarations. When the sun hits just right, this tiny desert hummer becomes a living jewel.
Crissal Thrasher
When your bill curves like a saber, but your legs say “sprinter.”
This desert specialist prefers skulking to soaring—running full tilt through thorn scrub like someone late to a duel they didn’t agree to.
Gilded Flicker
The desert’s idea of a glam woodpecker. Nests high in saguaros, drums like it’s in a rock band, and wears gold under the wings.
Cactus Wren (standing on nest)
Arizona’s state bird—and probably its loudest. They don’t just live in cactus—they broadcast from it.
Great Horned Owl – Saguaro Nursery
When real estate is scarce, you nest where you can. These Great Horned Owl chicks hatched in a shallow depression atop a broken saguaro arm.
Winged Wednesday: January 21, 2026 – Desert Birds
It’s Winged Wednesday, where feathers, flutters, and flight steal the show! Whether they’re zipping, swooping, sunbathing, or just striking a sassy pose, we want to see your favorite winged wonders. Birds, bugs, bats, or butterflies—if it’s got wings, it’s fair game. You can share up to six photos each week.
Last week I shared a burst of rainforest color with the tanagers. This week, I’m drying out—and dialing in on desert birds. My contribution features species that live, nest, or perch among cactus spines and sunbaked branches.
No dripping moss.
No bromeliads.
Just grit, heat, and birds that treat a saguaro like beachfront property.
Costa’s Hummingbird
He’s not big, but he glows like royalty. That iridescent purple crown and mustache aren’t just accessories—they’re declarations. When the sun hits just right, this tiny desert hummer becomes a living jewel.
Crissal Thrasher
When your bill curves like a saber, but your legs say “sprinter.”
This desert specialist prefers skulking to soaring—running full tilt through thorn scrub like someone late to a duel they didn’t agree to.
Gilded Flicker
The desert’s idea of a glam woodpecker. Nests high in saguaros, drums like it’s in a rock band, and wears gold under the wings.
Cactus Wren (standing on nest)
Arizona’s state bird—and probably its loudest. They don’t just live in cactus—they broadcast from it.
Great Horned Owl – Saguaro Nursery
When real estate is scarce, you nest where you can. These Great Horned Owl chicks hatched in a shallow depression atop a broken saguaro arm.
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