Sam And Saundra's Year Long Adventure - Part 23

Sam And Saundra’s Year Long Adventure – Part 23

12/13/08-01/16/09  Tucson  - Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Museum Room

This is a case of saving the best for last.  Although we still have not seen everything in this area, we have to assume that this is THE place to see in Tucson!!  We were enthralled, awed, amazed, tickled and scared!  Grace and Wayne obtained coupons for us that reduced the cost of entry by half (thanks Margo). It is well worth full price.  If you ever get here – get here early.  In the summer they have nights that they are open due to the nocturnal animals residing here.  The ‘museum’ is huge and contains a zoo-like feel in places and an outdoor park ranger education station in others. There are people who know information all over and are just waiting for you to ask them questions.  They love to tell you all about it.  One woman started telling us about snakes, but I walked away shivering in the sun - just to end up going into the reptile, underground, dark, yucky place where snakes, spiders and their kin all were waiting for me. 

Javalina

Humming Bird

On to the mineral gallery where we did not spend too much time due to our Bisbee tour.  We hit parrots, deer, wolves, coati, bighorn sheep, beaver, otter, ocelot, humming bird walk through cage, blue jay, another bird walk through cage, bobcat and fish.  We saw JAVELINAS, finally.  After looking for them constantly wherever we went, we saw them here.  They usually are limited to an area by a peek-a-boo fence in terrain that makes you look for them.  It was under repair and we saw them in a fenced in area, but we finally saw them.  There is wild life here that we did not see, as they were sleeping.  This included the coyote, mountain lion and owls.  The bear exhibit is being replaced.  The vegetation and areas that the animals live in are very well maintained and appears to be natural, although they will show you how they make the rocks to create the ‘natural’ habitats. 

Harris Hawk Coming Our Way

He's Here!

The ‘star’ of our trip was the afternoon bird of prey presentation:  the Harris’ hawks.  The main presentation was on a lower loop, and we opted to see the show from a ways off and above that area. We were on the Cat Canyon overlook.  It turned out that although the main presenters were below, a bird handler (catcher) stood right next to me on Cat Canyon and each of the three Harris’ Hawks came several times to land on her arm.  I have the most awesome pictures of these beautiful birds leaving below, flying at us and landing on the catcher.  Two of the birds flew to a second handler in back of the area we were standing on and when they did, they flew over Sam.  I am telling you that they barely flew over him. They teased his hair a little as they made their pass.  Sam says that he was stoic the first time, stood tall and still, and he could feel the bird actually skim his hair.  When the younger bird came by, Sam said he could not stand still and he ducked a little.  The presentation was OH!!!WOW!!! Can I see it again???!!! I have ‘foot’ prints from three of the animals and pictures of all of them (except the snakes sssss).  I have pictures of the cactus that looks like a camel and I have pictures of the Boojum tree. Sam and I want to go again!

Cactus Giraffe

Boojum Tree