Who is a fan of birds? Whether you are a beginner or a veteran birder, you can find a wondrous variety of birds in Saguaro National Park in Arizona. From birds that are adapted to the extremes of the desert, to birds that prefer the tall pines of the mountains, over 200 species of birds live in or migrate through the park. This owl family looks quite at home in the crook of a large saguaro. Photo courtesy of Jeremy Johnson.
Photo of the Day – The Double-toothed Kite (Harpagus bidentatus) is named after its most distinguishing trait, two tooth-like emarginations on the cutting-edge of the upper mandible. This species is widespread throughout the Neotropics, and although it is superficially similar to many small raptors, it is easy enough to separate from all other raptor species by the dark line down its throat, its white leg tufts and its behaviour.
This photo was taken by Adam Riley in Ecuador
In late May we found a bird nest in a cactus by the driveway. There were three blue speckled eggs in it, and they belonged to a pair of curve-billed thrashers.
Soon enough, two of the eggs hatched. Both parents came and went all day with food. When they weren’t feeding the babies, they perched nearby and guarded the nest. Since they clearly didn’t like people nearby, we set up the animal camera and mostly left them alone.
Over the next couple of weeks the skinny baby birds, which started off with giant heads and the barest hint of fluff, grew into big grumpy looking teenagers who could hardly squeeze into the nest. And then they were gone.
Cochise County, Arizona, May-June 2018.
A Gila woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis)
emerges from her nest cavity in a saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea), Glendale, Arizona.
I spotted mama Gila while photographing saguaro blossoms at the local library. She popped out unexpectedly, but she seemed agitated by my presence, which was my cue to stop shooting. Birds that are made uncomfortable by people that get too close can usually just fly off, which isn’t the case with birds with a nest full of eggs or babies. When an animal signals distress or anxiety it’s time to move away.
Urocyon's Jaunts 2.0 
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