As late Autumn seamlessly melds with early Winter here in our Sky Islands, we find ourselves devoid of many of our characteristic warm-weather bird species. Gone are the vast majority of the gaudy neotropical migrants that lent color and flare to our all-too-brief monsoon season. Summer Tanagers no longer sing here, living up to their […]
Vince Pinto
Posted inColumns
Desert Bloom…Pariah or Pollinator Paradise?
It’s late October and I am already reminiscing about the profuse display of diversity that the land proffered during our all-too-brief monsoon season. It will be an entire year until once again I’m witness to the annual summer exuberance that always seems to take me by surprise. Looking in nature’s proverbial rearview mirror can be […]
Posted inColumns
Monsoon Madness: A Profusion of Life
Strolling along a small arroyo in a light rain recently, I experienced my yearly monsoonal “fig beetle fakeout.” These comely insects flash iridescent green in their hard outer wing coverings, rendering them a welcome and attractive sight. It was the buzz of their inner flight wings, however, that got my attention. The sound was just […]