Vince Pinto

Last month I focused this Nature column on our exceptionally dry, La Niña-driven winter. Hold the presses, however, for as you likely know, we received a substantial soaking in mid-February. At long last, the vast, stingy Pacific proffered precipitation. What are the implications of this long-overdue gift for our overall biodiversity and for select species […]

February is the heart of winter in the Sky Islands. Cold temperatures, overcast and rainy days, as well as howling winds can all combine to make life challenging for local wildlife. Herbivores and omnivores have less to eat in the way of plant-based food – spring’s ephemeral wildflowers not withstanding in some years. If the […]

Although there is no doubt that the earth is gradually warming with humans playing a key part, our temperatures of late are certainly no indication of this calamitous trend. Indeed, this past November and December have both proven to be rather frigid. Typically our coldest month on average is January. Here in the greater Patagonia […]

April is finally upon us – a halcyon time for all things wild, especially birds. This is peak migration time for many species in our famed Sky Islands. Thus, a wide variety of neotropical migrants make their return to our local haunts, either for mating or as a way station along their routes to breeding […]

March is a momentous month in our Sky Islands, as winter exits and numerous plants and animals make their inaugural appearances. While spring may be in the offing, March will likely be as schizophrenic as ever. Temperatures will swing all over the place, with some freezing nights as well as a few relatively searing days. […]

Which state boasts the most owl species? Arizona! We boast an impressive 12, of all shapes, sizes, and habits. February is an excellent month in the Sky Islands to see several species that either leave our area in warmer months or that become less visible once trees and shrubs begin to leaf out in spring. […]

January is upon us—the dawning of yet another new calendar year. The now past winter solstice often heralds the onset of much colder weather in our region and the commencement of winter. If we are fortunate, storm systems emanating from the Pacific Ocean dump their leftover rain and/or snow in the Sky Islands. The one-two […]

One palpable joy of being a naturalist in southeastern Arizona is that our winters are so eclectic. The variability in December invertebrate activity here generally trumps that of many other places in North America. The presence of any number of ectothermic species in what often can be a rather frigid month owes much to our […]

November. November. Hmmm. I keep searching for something that distinguishes this month in the natural history calendar. I’ll admit, it’s not easy. To me, November is characterized more by its voids and lacks than by what it does have. Gone are most chances of rain that lingered from monsoon season into September and October. Some […]