Desert Museum
We were looking for some place close to home to go take some pictures and get out of the house. I may have also been looking for an excuse to try out my brand new Nikon Z6 III. After searching online for ideas, we decided to go to the Desert Museum.
Right away we were in luck. At the entrance they were showing a burrowing owl. I was able to get some amazing photos of the owl while we spoke with the gentleman showing the owl. I had seen the owls many years before while I was still in the military. They would make their burrows near the taxiways of the local Air Force base. While doing security patrols, we would see them out hunting bugs and such at the edges of the flightline.
We spent the day wandering and I was super happy when I discovered that there were squirrels all over the grounds. When we got some quiet between groups of kids they would come out and were super fun to watch and photograph!
Our luck continued as this is also the time of year when there are migrating butterflies that spend the day feeding on fall blooming flowers. This allowed us to spend time photographing butterflies and get some amazing pictures.
Most of the time we had was super fun, though I will admit, sometimes seeing some of these animals in captivity is also sad. The one that made us really talk about it was the black bear. You could see in its eyes that it has lost all its will and drive.
While seeing some of these animals in captivity is sad, it is also good to keep in mind that some of these animals are here because they had health issues that would have been a death sentence had they been left in the wild. They also try to do their best to balance the size of their living area size and layout with being able to have visitors see them. While this still makes me sad, zoos are a great way for people to learn about animals and bring awareness to helping them. I just wish more people treated zoos as the learning and exposure environment they are meant to be instead of a general babysitter. So many times, I have seen people come and just walk through fast and loudly, scaring off any animals that may be around. The kids yelling and screaming, stomping around instead of stopping and respecting the animals that are there for them to see.
One last moment of sadness before coming back to the joy of our trip. We found out yesterday that the mountain lion was named Cruz and he passed away. He had some health issues, and they decided to put him to sleep on the 13th. Our pictures were taken just 9 days before his passing. RIP Cruz.
Back to a lighter and more positive topic, while you walk around feel free to talk to the staff. Many of them have really interesting nuggets of information that add to what is already posted at the exhibits. While talking with one of them on our first trip, he was telling us that the large black lizards are a species of black iguana that is not native to Arizona. Somehow, they were released at the Desert Museum grounds at some point in the past and they began to reproduce. There are now quite a few that wander the area. They don’t stray from the grounds as they would be taken out by predators rapidly. Once we knew about them, we started to see more of them around.
Another interesting thing we learned was that the big horn sheep were actually born there. The parents had many children that were adopted to other zoos and sanctuaries around the country. There is also a squirrel and a black iguana that hang out in their pen. The iguana is most easily found around feeding time as the sheep get strawberries and the iguana has a taste for them as well.
All across the grounds you will find local wildlife both inside and outside the exhibits. If you take the time to look you will see local pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
If you are not lucky enough to see a wild hummingbird, there is a exhibit for them on the grounds with a walk-through enclosure and several different species. If you relax and sit still, quietly, on one of the benches, they will come out where you can watch them.
If you have never been to the Desert Museum and you would like to learn more about the local wildlife and ecosystem it is a great place to visit. As the seasons change the museum does as well. Each visit you will probably see something new.
