Having spent most of my summer in the Oro Valley Hospital, missing my article publishing deadline for the past two months, I find myself at home again enjoying the never-ending monsoons and my… Read morePhoenix and Birding Mythology

When I first realized how much I enjoyed birding, I knew I needed some new binoculars. I owned a pair of Bushnell porro prism binoculars at the time. Porro prisms are the ones that have a ‘z-s… Read moreBest Binoculars for Birding

We recently returned from our sixth road trip to Baja California, another 2,000-mile drive to see the gray whales that annually migrate five thousand miles from Alaska to have their babies in … Read moreBaja California Birding

Professional advice is easy to come by with respect to interior decorating, but fewer suggestions are available when our yards are involved. Less often, those ‘exterior decorating’ ideas seldo… Read moreLandscaping to Attract Birds

As I write this column (on Tuesday, January 9), there have been a pair of Streak-backed Orioles observed 90 miles north of SaddleBrooke at the Riparian Reserve at Gilbert Water Ranch since Sun… Read moreWinter Orioles

Your SaddleBrooke/SaddleBrooke Ranch Master Gardeners are pleased to invite you to attend a Zoom webinar presentation with Dr. Shaku Nair on Wednesday, May 10, at 1 p.m. Dr. Nair will give a p… Read moreMaster Gardener Zoom Webinar Presentation with Dr. Shaku Nair

Becoming a Master GardenerOrientation at SaddleBrooke Ranch will be held Monday, February 6, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the La Mesa Room. Read moreSaddleBrooke/SaddleBrooke Ranch Master Gardeners Upcoming Events

Becoming a Master Gardener Read moreSaddleBrooke/SaddleBrooke Ranch Master Gardeners Upcoming Events

SaddleBrooke/SaddleBrooke Ranch Master Gardeners are delighted to bring Mark Sitter, owner of B & B Cactus Farm in Tucson, for an in-person presentation, Cold Hardy Cacti, on Wednesday Dec… Read moreIn-Person Presentation with Owner of B & B Cactus Farm

Friday, July 15, 2022 On this morning, we watched for two-hours: the hatching of three baby chicks from their nest in our large patio pot containing a Jade plant. “Nest” is the wrong word sinc… Read moreQuail Socks

One day, several years ago, I saw a very strange looking snake crawling across a trail. It was a kingsnake, but without the yellow and black ring patterns—in fact, it had no pattern, but had p… Read moreFamiliar Strangers

Over the years, I have met far too many SaddleBrooke residents that have lost their much loved pets to a predator. Even though a resident was in the yard with his dog and had the patio lights … Read morePets and Predators

I got many calls last summer and fall from residents wondering who or what was digging up their gardens and potted plants. The answer is skunks. Then they wanted to know if they could relocate… Read moreWho Dug Up My Garden?

Great Horned Owl Read moreNaturalist View: Wakeup Call