Hiked the Wild Burro-Alamo Springs & Spur Loop early this morning. Have not been up there in a few months, as we had a poor wildflower bloom. However, despite the dryness, there are lots of great sights and sounds. Play the audio recording as you take a look at the photos: Panorama Looking Towards Marana, Desert Spoon in bloom, Saguaro flowers galore, but no fruit yet, Black-tailed Jackrabbit, and Red-tailed Hawk (click on photo to enlarge).

Dave and Ethan (authors of Animals & Plants of the Tortolita Preserve) let me know on 5/13/26 that one of the Queen of the Night cacti on the south side of the Tortolita Preserve (TP) was about ready to bloom. We all visited the Queen to try to catch the bloom, but we could not be there every night, and, unfortunately, we just missed it. Below are photos from the early morning of 5/17/26 showing the spent bloom, which is now forming the bright red fruit. Note how the Queen o

Happy Mother's Day from the Tortolita Preserve. About 2 weeks ago, the Tortolita Alliance (TA) North Camera picked up Mrs. Mule Deer on video and photo. She appears to be quite pregnant and may have given birth in time for Mother's Day 2026! Mrs. Mule Deer Expecting Fawn-Photo A-Tortolita Preserve-TA North Camera Mrs. Mule Deer Expecting Fawn-Photo B-Tortolita Preserve-TA North Camera Mrs. Mule Deer Expecting Fawn-Video-Tortolita Preserve-TA North Camera

Queen-Of-The-Night (Peniocereus greggii) The famous Queen-Of-The-Night (Peniocereus greggii) cactus (Queen) is native to the Sonoran Desert and several plants have been identified in the Tortolita Preserve (TP). The stems (few in number) emanate from a large underground tuber. The stems look like a dead stick and are very hard to locate and identify. In late May to early June, the Queen will flower at night for just one night. The flowers are white and about 3" in diameter