A Charming Singer

The white-spectacled bulbuls which frequent the trees in our yards, serenade me throughout the day. Their beautiful, clear songs often draw me to the window and sometimes out the door, beckoning me to observe the creatures who sings so charmingly.

Today I spotted these bulbuls, resting after an brief afternoon concert and cozied up to each other in our pomegranate tree, which is nearly bare of leaves.

I tried to sneak around to the other side of the tree, guessing that they would spy me and fly away, and so they did, only to alight on a nearby olive tree.

This bulbul's white spectacles and bright yellow breast can be seen in this picture.

It spied a few olives on the tip-top branches, missed when Dear Husband and a friend completed the harvest a couple weeks ago...

...and found one within immediate reach. 

Early Mornings in Arizona

I've never been an early morning kind of person--except when I'm jet-lagging. Arriving back in the States via a five day stop over in Arizona, Dear Husband and I struggled to overcome our bodies' tendency to awake no later than 4 a.m. each morning. Five a.m. was sleeping in. The positive thing about rising so early is that early is just the right time to go for a walk in Arizona in the summertime.

Heading out the front door for a walk as the sun comes up--not my usual M.O., but I enjoyed it!

My dear in-laws live in a quiet sub-division near Phoenix, and just outside of the subdivision city planners have left a swath of land between two streets, running the length of several neighborhood blocks, as a sort of suburban nature reserve. All sorts of cacti, the likes of which I've never seen before, have been planted there, and the reserve is home to ground squirrels, rabbits, lizards--to name the fauna we saw during our walks--as well as many types of birds.

I was fascinated by the giant Saguaro cacti, often growing in peoples' front yards. Nearly every cactus had a cooing mourning dove (or two) sitting atop it and/or a woodpecker pecking it.

Mourning Dove

I learned a few names of the fascinating cacti flora. Let's see how many I can remember:

This is a prickly pear; I think it is designated as rose-colored, but I can't remember exactly...

Candlestick Cactus

Beaver Tail Cactus

I pointed out this heart-shaped cactus to Dear Husband as we walked along together--sweet!

Joshua Tree

Flowering Prickly Pear (I think). So pretty.

Senita Cactus

I was captivated by the teddy-bear cholla cactus. This is definitely not a cactus you'd want to cuddle up to!

The rosy-cheeked lovebirds were the prettiest birds that I observed  during my few days in Arizona.

This large lizard was nicely camouflaged among the twigs and dirt.

Saguaro flower--Arizona's state flower

Wadi Dana~Spring Scrapbook

We make our reservations to camp in the Wadi Dana Nature Reserve in the fall. We invite our friends in the winter. Anticipation for our annual trip rises with the first signs of spring, and by mid-March we are excitedly planning our menu and wondering (me) what the flora will be like.

Jordan had a very dry rainy season this year, with hardly any precipitation from December to the beginning of March. But, the country was inundated with snow for one week in December, and the south of Jordan unusually received snow and rain during the first week of March. I hardly dared to hope we'd see many wildflowers in Dana this year, given the unusually dry winter, but the snow made all the difference.

As we rounded the bend of the road leading to the reserve, I was pleasantly surprised to see the hillside dotted with fresh mounds of spurge. Perhaps a portent of wildflowers in the valley? 

Spurge

Euphorbia

As I carried our gear from the shuttle to our campsite, I noticed that the borage was in full bloom--everywhere--like I'd never seen it before. Not only were there many more borage plants growing and blooming, but they were covered with butterflies, and the hummingbird-like Palestinian Sunbirds were flitting amongst the the bushes, enjoying the nectar of their favorite flowers.

Borage

Anchusa

After arranging our camping gear and greeting our friends, I was off on a walk to survey the flora and to take a big, thirsty drink of Wadi Dana beauty. I never, never tire of it. The flora of the reserve was in rare form, a veritable botanical garden!

Thorny Broom

Calycotome

A delicately beautiful member of the pea family

I haven't identified this one yet.

Maybe a short-toed eagle?

Mounds of glowing pink sun rose were blooming all over the reserve:

Sun Rose

Helianthemum vesicarium

Tassel Hyacinth

Leopoldia genus

Sage

Fagonia

(My first time to spot this wildflower in Dana)

The grandeur of creation!

Yellow Asphodel

Aspheodeline lutea

Stork's Bill  (Geranium)

Erodium hirtum

Sage

I love  the architecture of these sturdy umbels. 

This inflorescence (made up of many individual flowers) had a diameter of about 32 cm

Goat's Beard

Tragopogon collinus

Roth Garlic

Allim rothii

One of the Dana guides gave me a short ethnobotany lesson; below are few plants which grow around the campsite and are said to remedy various ailments. Artemesia, or Wormwood (far left),  a common shrub whose leaves are brewed in the local Dana Tea, aids in digestion, among other things.

This spring we had the pleasure of camping with friends who have young children. Watching the children play and explore brought back wonderful memories of our own family camping adventures in Dana through the years. Tatya tells me that these trips are her favorite family tradition.  I took this picture of a friend's young son as he so reminded me of my own Artist Son at this age, patiently and intently observing the smallest bits of life. Sweet memories!

Big sisters studying the nature guide while little sisters wait.

Dear Husband enjoying the cuddles of one sweet baby boy. This little one is so generous with his affection!

In years past, our friend Pat has led the children in a Resurrection Sunday play. Pat didn't camp with us this year, so Dear Husband took on his directing and producing mantel, leading the children and few fathers in a Lenten season passion play.

And then, more hiking and more beauty...

Giant Fennel

Ferula communis

Milk Vetch

Astragalus cretaceus

Jerusalem Sage

The fruits (seed pods), or "silique"  of plants in the Mustard family are beautifully varied and the unique shapes are to be admired as much as the flowers themselves:

Biscutella

Sandwort

Minuartia formosa

A profusion of dandelions

Greetings from Wadi Dana! Enjoy the beauty!