A member of the Mormon-tea family, Ephedraceae, this plant has long green stems with tiny brown cones and yellow flowers.
Small birds such as this verdin are attracted to it,
and deer nibble on it.
Spring seems to be coming later than usual to this corner of the desert, but it is coming, and it's exciting to see new signs each day.
No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. ~Guinean Proverb
33 comments:
Wonderful photos today !
I love the way you always seem to see such great wildlife. Do you walk around Sabino Canyon ?
I was very surprised when saw some pink wildflowers a few days ago by Craycoft.
I'm going to drive back and bring my camera and see if they are still there.
cheers, parsnip
thanks for these gems!!
oh my word, these are stunning photograpgs!!
what a great start to the day.
thanks, dianne!
spring spung already.
b xx
I like the "mesh effect" of your first picture!
I am glad to learn about the Ephedraceae whose name I have been looking for for a while now...
Not sure I've spotted the cone and flower on the Mormon tea. Will be looking for them.
A good lesson today. Fantastic. That little bird is such a cutie!
Spring is catching up quickly.
Beautiful photographs.
Cosats
It reminds me a bit of forsythia. I love the bird and deer checking it out, too!
Beautiful close-up shots.
What a wonderful post! Love the flowers, bird and the deer..
Love how you caught that wee bird in the stems of it all!
Like your quote on spring:)
What a wonderful photos! I liked them very much!
Yes, spring is sure to follow winter...please always. I love the little Verdin. I call them "little pippy birds".
Oh, man, remember how we were all salivating over the beautiful Spring we had last year?
These yellow bush brightens up your desert. Perhaps they are cheering for spring ;-)
That last pictures is just dreamy! I'm thinking... where are my western love-story novels? :)
I like the colour, but it never seems like the color of spring.
It's finally here and I am glad. Now that I've done all the severe pruning our place doesn't look so nice but I see new buds and know it's gonna look great this summer. I love all the wildlife around you. I love the mule deer shot.
Diane, you so deserve this Stylish Blogger Award. Your blog is wonderful.
http://inovermyhead-magpie.blogspot.com/
You are a careful observer of the natural world, Diane.
I love that cute little verdin bird ... and the deer ... and the feeling of imminent spring!
Spring is late here too. Sigh. Soon???
Very nice shots! Thanks for sharing them with us!
Have a nice day! :-)
Love that shrubs with little yellow flowers! The bird and the deer at a touch to a wonderful wild life in your area..
Spring is surely slow this year for us too.
Beautiful colors!
The desert is so pretty right now!
I agree with EG Wow...
Lovely, as always.
Very fantastic shots :-)
All puurfect !!!!
Enjoy your sunday :)
oh, beautiful shots Diane, whether it does not look spring like yet.
Diane,
Your pics are so beautiful. The desert is an amazing place. Have a great week!
Beautiful post!
Beautiful shots and love those macros! Love that little bird and the yellow in the brush is great!
Spring is running late this year so even touches of color are appreciated. Beautiful photos.
I agree with all these comments...
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