Catalina State Park

Day 36 to 43, Monday to Monday, February 27 to March 6, Catalina State Park, Oro Valley, AZ

We drove to beautiful Catalina, settled into our campsite, and then headed down to Green Valley to visit old friends of Jim’s, Greg and Kathy Stotz.  They fixed a great dinner for us, and we had a nice visit!  There is so much interesting a beautiful art work in their home.

Jim got a great picture of a coyote trotting through the campground!  Of course, we hear them at night!

Another desert sunset!

Wednesday we went for a bike ride, out of the park, and south on the Tucson paved bike paths.  We stopped at a deli and had a delicious lunch.  We have a nice campsite, and our bird feeders are very popular with the goldfinches and house finches.  As Jim was hanging up the bird feeder, the birdies were waiting eagerly.  A lot of the folks who come to these state parks in the winter are interested in wildlife, especially birds, so many campsites have bird feeders and hummingbird feeders.  The Catalina Mountains in the background are always beautiful.

  

Bike Trail near Oro Valley

Fishhook Barrel Cactus Fruit

Bike Trail with the Catalina Mountains in the Background

Entrance to the park, two Compass Barrel Cactus pointing to the southwest!

Thursday we rode out of the park and farther north, on the bike paths and across Tangerine to lots of nice neighborhoods.  We stopped for a picnic lunch at a little park and saw a vermillion flycatcher!  First time!  (Later in the week we did see more of them!)

Can you see the Vermillion Flycatcher?

How about now?

Friday morning was a bird walk that was great.  We saw Vermillion Flycatchers again, Verdins, Blue-Gray Flycatchers, White-Crowned Sparrows, Gila Woodpeckers, and a Great Horned Owl perched in a tree – also a Great Horned Owl sitting on her nest right by the group camping area!  Lots of ground squirrels in these campgrounds for the owls to eat!  Jim’s heel is still bothering him a lot, making it difficult to walk very far, so he rode his bike around the campground and on some of the trails.

Bird Watchers on the Bird Walk, lots of people to catch sight of birdies!

Great Horned Owl in a tree

See him now?

Catalina Mountains from our campsite

Saturday morning there was a Nature Fair at the trailhead, and we rode up there, saw various critters exhibited, including non-venomous snakes they let the kids hold.  On the way back we rode by the overflow campground so I could show Jim the Great Horned Owl on her nest!  Saturday afternoon there was a 4 pm concert at the trailhead, nice music and a nice view!  We rode our bikes up to avoid the parking crowds, although it would have worked fine to drive up.

Brave girlie holding a snake at the Nature Fair

Nice music at the trailhead

Sunday Linda went for a hike on an official but unsigned trail near the campground at Catalina, heading up towards the Romero Ruins, then heading to the right, up the hill along a canyon, to an area with pretty pools.  The trail back down was a little rough at the top.  On the way back down I saw a wild fox ahead on the trail!  He rushed over to smell some coyote scat on the trail, not noticing me, tossed it in the air playfully and followed it up the hill, then came back to the trail and finally noticed me.  He trotted off unhurriedly, not minding that his picture had been taken several times!  How special to see a wild desert fox!

The trail faded into a wash as I headed back down, so I followed the horse manure, knowing that the stables were above the campground on a side road.  So I did make my way back, although I did not know where I was going, really.  A little tired at the end.  We went to the grocery store to get goodies for dinner.

Fruiting Buckhorn Cholla

Globe Mallow

At the pool at the top of the trail

Desert Poppy

Slender phlox

Winter stream in the desert

Desert Marigold

Fox playing with coyote scat, tossing it around

Fox finally noticing me!

Sunday night it was fun to have Greg and Kathy for dinner at the motor home.  We fixed salmon, broccoli, rice, cantaloupe and strawberries, and for dessert, mango sorbet.