Protecting Your Arizona Nest
The Cactus Wren is the Arizona state bird. Cholla and Saguaro cacti are the favorite places for the wren to nest. Wren are very noisy, screeming as people get too close to their nest and are frequently seen perched on top of the Saguaro cactus.
A few days ago I stopped to visit a client in Sun City Grand in Surprise AZ and heard the familiar screeching of a Cactus Wren. The wren was making people aware of its presence. This bird was perched on a Prickly Pear Cactus, an unusual cactus for the Cactus Wren.
The Prickly Pear Cactus has a large leaf that is flat and fleshy. Referred to as pad, the leaf stores water. Pads are frequently prepared as a vegetable dish. The fruit is used in Prickly Pear jams and jelly. This cactus has spines and very tiny glochids. The glochids are somewhat difficult to see and are easily removed from the pads. You don't want to get the glochid on your body, on your pet or on your clothing.
After moving here from Hawaii, I realized that Arizonans slow down to smell the roses and they slow down to watch the wren and cacti grow.
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If you looking to buy a home or sell a home in Sun City Grand in Surprise AZ, please contact me or visit my website at www.LEOLINDA.com.
I am a year-round Sun City Grand resident and a full-time Associate Broker Realtor®.
Leolinda Bowers
Associate Broker
Ken Meade Realty
Cell (602) 403-6865
Business (623) 937-5701
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About The Author |
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© 2010 Leolinda Bowers (Arizona Retirement Communities Sun City West & Sun City Grand Real Estate). Unless otherwise noted, the content, both pictures and written, is the property of Leolinda Bowers. Reproduction in part or whole without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. |
Leolinda Bowers TM
Associate Broker
Ken Meade Realty
Cell (602) 403-6865
Business (623) 937-5701
http://leolinda.com/
If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in any Phoenix Arizona retirement community, consider hiring me as your Realtor®. I am the 2011, 2010 and 2009 Top Producing Agent in Ken Meade Realty. In 2011, I successful closed 71 transactions. As a year-round Sun City Grand resident and full-time Associate Broker Realtor®, I am familiar with Phoeniz AZ retirement communities Sun City Grand, Sun City West, Corte Bella, Arizona Traditions, Sun Village, Pebble Creek and Trilogy at Vistancia.
Looks familiar Leolinda! I've got several of these in my yard. Sometimes we have a family of quail nesting underneath the pricklly pear - ouch! I suppose they're safe as nobody else wants to nest there! My big tall cactus has more buds than I've ever seen - ever. I'm going to take a picture of it now and when it blooms.
Living in Arizona sure is wonderful!
Anna, it sure is nice here. I especially like the cactus in bloom.
Great looking photos LeoLinda! That's cool how many uses you guys have of the cactus there! I see the cactus pads for sale at the grocery store, but I've never tried it out. Your town seems like a great place to smell the roses or "cactus" :)
Christopher, use a pair of thongs to pick up the pads. Please don't smell the pads, you don't want the glochids in your hair, nose, face or eyes.
Leolinda,
I love Cactus Wrens, but this lovely bird isn't one of those. It's a Curve Billed Thrasher, and you captured it perfectly!
Mike in Tucson
Mike, Curved Billed Thrasher, that's good information. I've always thought it was a Cactus Wren. Do you have any pictures of the wren?