Catching Up
(click photo to enlarge)
Our arrival in Arizona coincided with the start of the monsoon season. I always thought the “monsoons” were a weather event that occurred in the vicinity of the Indian subcontinent but according to Wikipedia there is a much broader interpretation of the word. So we have monsoons here in Arizona that begin in July and end around mid-September. Well, the rains came in fits and starts, and the desert responded by turning green and lush. Flowers appeared. This brought out all kinds of creatures — moths flocked to the house lights at night, nectar-seeking butterflies appeared in number and variety, frogs began chorusing, while Red-spotted Toads visited the area around our porch lights to glean insects. Birds began appearing at the feeders with recently fledged young. It is a rich and bountiful time in the desert. Despite the heat and humidity, I found I loved the monsoon season.
Red-spotted Toad (Bufo punctatus)
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