A trip to the desert museum.

Leaving Harley at home with a provision for walks and play from a local woman we'd met and her dog, Lucy, we set out for the two hour drive to Tucson  and specifically the Arizona - Sonora Desert Museum, where they have a number of great exhibits, but for me the very best is the Hummingbird Aviary - which is truly amazing and because of the confinement, and the density of birds (four species) I am almost guaranteed good photographs... And as they buzz around they often pass within inches of you. 

 The males who have all the color - only display it when the light hits it just right.  According to the docent there are "bubbles " embedded in the feathers.

 

A male Costa's

The females, who do ALL the work, make their nests out of spider web and bits of grass.  Spider web is sometimes a difficult material to work with - especially without opposable thumbs.

Male Broadbill was very cooperative, my new lens paid off.

A male Harris hawk

 

Well, yes.

 

Cactus wren

 Nearby the museum the terrain gets rocky. And otherworldly.