My first morning in Tucson, Arizona

Landed in Tucson last night after a comedic flight from LA. When I say comedic I mean it in the best way possible. The flight attendants were cracking gags throughout the flight over the tannoy - even when they were doing the safety demonstrations!

I was picked up by Sharon Arkin, proprietor of Bed and Bagels B&B on the eastern edge of Tucson. She took me and my photographer, Sharon Cavanagh (www.sharoncavanagh.com) to stay in her B&B for the time that I'm going to be in the city.

In the morning I got up and when for a walk around the immediate neighbourhood. It was typically chilly - being a semi-arid desert habitat, but after a while I was spotting Gambel's Quails, Coyotes, Cotton-tail and Jack Rabbits as well as universal Mourning Doves.

Got two lifers too. Gila (pronounced 'healer') Woodpeckers that seemed to be quite common though difficult to photograph and sticking with the woodpeckers, a male Gilded Flicker that I recognised after I had arrived for breakfast.

 Strolling around the vicintiy

 Looking east at the mountains

 A lifer - a male Gilded Flicker

 Mourning Dove

 Some of the semi-arid habitat

 Yellow-rumped Warbler

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Is this a female-type Yellow-rumped Warbler?

Tonight, I will be delivering a talk to the Tucson Audubon Society. Really looking forward to it.