The Sniffer

Thanks for checking out yesterday's Acorn woodpecker, caught sticking out its tongue.

This fella is also known as a coati, white nosed coati or coatimundi. It's in the same class as the raccoon and the ringtail (sometimes mistakenly called a ringtail cat). It's native to Mexico and Central and South America but can be seen in the U.S. in southeastern Arizona (here!) and southwestern New Mexico.

More relaxing than photography has been this trip's modus operandi. I have been completely shut out of any decent shots of hummingbirds. There are only three species here at the moment so I don't feel too bad about it. Hope you're not disappointed so far.

Today, I saw (but didn't shoot) a varied bunting, a dusky-capped flycatcher, a brown-crested flycatcher, a hepatic tanager, a painted redstart and a bridled titmouse.

I put in several extras. The first was a challenging shot I was able to get of a slurping Mexican Jay. The second is a juvenile lesser goldfinch. The last is the larger coati from which I produced the blip. I didn't catch much of its tail but it is almost as long as its body.

In other news...I was informed that Steve, the owner of the place, is giving me a free night in a casita. I'll add it t my October reservation. I guess I'm appreciated around here  :-)