Tonight I'm filming the batty bats at the hummingbird feeder from above, camera extended on a pole above the tripod.

Well, that's the plan. I thought I'd be clever and set everything up before dark. This time I've got the light and camera hooked to external power banks, so no worries about the light in particular running out.

I set everything up, went inside to read Mastodon and...the damn light turned itself off. Dunno why, but going out to turn it back on scared them off.

They're back now, but only hitting the feeder without the camera/light set up. But, that feeder is almost empty and I put an extra-rich mix in the feeder being filmed, so I think they'll go back to it. Here's an iPhone clip through my dirty office window. There are at least 6 of them tonight, maybe more.

#bats #battyBats #WildlifePhotography #SonoranDesert

Woolly Star is a small (7mm) but lovely lavender flower that grows in groups in our Tucson, AZ yard in Spring. Here’s one I illustrated for my Perpetual Journal, drawn about 6x life size. 😃 Read more on my latest blog post https://paulaborchardt.substack.com/p/twice-as-nice-two-types-of-spring

#SciArt #art #illustration #watercolor #painting #sketchbook #NatureJournal #NatureJournaling #PerpetualJournal #blog #Tucson #SonoranDesert #NativePlants #biodiversity #environment #ecology #nature #outdoors #flower #wildflower #BloomScrolling #Spring

It's that time of year! 🌼 Some fun saguaro facts:
- Saguaros do not begin blooming until they are at least 30-35 years old
- Each flower is only open for 18-24 hours
- Saguaros appear to flower in a counter-clockwise direction, with buds first appearing on the east side, then the north, and then the west

#arizona #phoenix #sonorandesert #bloomscrolling #saguaro #cactus #CactusBlossom #flowers

Our Penstemon (illustrated here for my Perpetual Journal) have gone to seed & I just harvested & spread 100s of the seeds around our Tucson, AZ yard. 🌸😍 Read more on my recent blog post https://paulaborchardt.substack.com/p/pretty-pink-penstemon-petals

#SciArt #art #illustration #watercolor #painting #sketchbook #NatureJournal #NatureJournaling #PerpetualJournal #blog #Tucson #SonoranDesert #NativePlants #biodiversity #environment #ecosystem #ecology #nature #outdoors #flower #wildflower #BloomScrolling #Penstemon #Spring

Yellow bells!

#bloomscrolling #sonorandesert #yellowbells #arizona

Earlier this year we had over 30 Queen Butterflies eclose in our yard! 😍 Here’s my Perpetual Journal art chronicling this excitement! I also posted 3 Butterfly success stories with photos on my blog https://paulaborchardt.substack.com/p/lots-and-lots-of-queen-butterflies

#SciArt #art #illustration #watercolor #painting #sketchbook #NatureJournal #NatureJournaling #PerpetualJournal #blog #Tucson #SonoranDesert #biodiversity #environment #ecosystem #ecology #nature #insect #arthropod #entomology #bug #bugs #bugstodon #butterfly

Here’s the 8th page of my new art project, an Illustrated Journal—my art & notes celebrating the little things in everyday life, like watching the ISS, counting chrysalises & seeing Raccoon tracks! See more on my blog post https://paulaborchardt.substack.com/p/lots-and-lots-of-chrysalises

#SciArt #art #illustration #watercolor #blog #Tucson #SonoranDesert #nature #outdoors #NatureJournal #NatureJournaling #environment #ecology #flower #wildflower #BloomScrolling #poppy #bug #bugs #bugstodon #butterfly #pupa #chrysalis #ISS #Raccoon