This is my last day here at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, and while it has been cold and rainy for the last couple of days, the sun has finally come out and it is a bit warmer. So, I decided to take a walk around the campground to take some photos of the yucca, which are just beginning to bloom.
Right behind my motorhome is one yucca which is just budding out. In a couple of days, it will be in full bloom. Blooms are white, but this bud is pink on the outside.
Another bud just down the roadway.
Down the hill a bit and at the far end of the campground, are three yucca plants in full bloom. I am not 100% sure, but I believe these are banana yucca, based on the fruit they produce late in the summer.
A closeup of one of the blooms. They are about 15" high and 6" wide. Apparently the petals are edible, and if this is a banana yucca, the fruits are also edible.
I will miss the views of these mountains!
As I was walking around, I saw this grass nest in a mesquite tree. As I watched, one of the birds returned with a sprig of grass to add to the nest.
A slightly closer view of the nest and the little bird beside it.
And this is a closeup of the bird. It is a cactus wren!! They are a small bird, but large for a wren, and very common in the southwest deserts.
Can you spot the two nests in this cholla? One is in the upper left and the other is on the right side at about three-o'clock. No birds in sight, but they are clearly the same type of nests as I saw earlier, so they are the nests of cactus wrens. Below this photo is a closeup.
Can you believe these little birds can land easily on these spine-covered cholla? Unlike a lot of nests, the entrance to these is on the side. Unfortunately, I was not able to get a good photo of the entrances because there were too many spiky things to have to climb over to get a good view!
And of course, the views of the mountains behind me.
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