Spring migration brought a stark contrast to the quiet winter where all we had to listen to was the drone of the helicopters facilitating the desecration of the west side of the valley. Even with the dramatic increase in activity relative to the previous season, the numbers of species and the numbers within species seemed to be down. Those that keep track were continually commenting on the lack of birds and other critters like butterflies.

My observations concurred with others. Especially when the purple martins finally arrived in much lower numbers than I am used to. In the past, we have had half a dozen or more pairs negotiating contracts for the accommodations in our local saguaro cactus condominiums for the spring. This year I have only seen two pairs around our property and other smallish groups out on range. At least I still get to hear their chatter in the mornings and evenings, though not quite as persistent as past years.

Some have reported an uptick in the number of birds at their feeders. I don't have feeders, so I don't have anything to compare to, but my guess is that the dry spring has something to do with that, especially if they have water available.

We did get a short influx of western tanagers for a few weeks that helped brighten, literally, the season. Being the bird that first triggered my interest in feathered critters, it was a nice uplift to see them. There also appear to be a healthy number of desert cottontails and greater roadrunners.

Oh, and lizards. They are not back in the quantities that have amazed me in past years and I'm guessing the roadrunners are partially responsible for that. I try to be very clear that the lizards around my living space are not for them! As usual, my concerns are rarely heeded.

I made three visits to the Chiricahua Mountains this spring to expand my experience of the biodiversity of the region. It had been seven years since my previous visit. The most recent trip was for five days at the end of May and a good break from the heat, constant drone of helicopters, and just a change of pace. Katie joined me and we ended up seeing our first ever spotted owl. Being from the Pacific Northwest and having to come to Arizona to see my first spotted owl probably says something about the status of the species. We also saw the two species I had hoped to see: the elegant trogon and the red-faced warbler. We missed on the white-eared hummingbird that others were there to see, but I've never been much of a rare bird chaser. At least that one is known to be in the area occasionally.

June turned into a real furnace with little hope being offered by those predicting the future that there would be much monsoon relief this year. However, a tropical storm in Mexico in the middle of June did seem to supercharge the beginning of Monsoon Season, and we have already gotten about an inch of rain in June. The first cicadas took a while to get their little bandsaws running, generally needing temperatures to reach 90° F to get revved up. Now that temperatures have headed into triple digits, the second cicada type has started up and they sound more like loud, highly charged, electrical wires shorting out. 
 
It is almost hard to remember the desert bloom that graced early spring (desert dandelion carpeting the land around our trailer accented with lupin, poppies, and numerous other blues and golds) as I dig the stickery leftovers out of my socks each day.

Early monsoon-like weather brings hope that the prognosticators are wrong and something resembling a full monsoon will be conjured and a great awakening will once again occur when the true biodiversity of this region shows itself. Last summer never woke up, so I will be putting out the rinds of the saguaro cactus fruit from our property to signal to the universe that rain would be truly welcome.