Gila Woodpecker Nest (?)

Today we flew to Tucson, Arizona, and after a bit of a rest, at the end of the afternoon we went to Sweetwater Wetlands, a water treatment facility which includes substantial wildlife habitat; it's perhaps the best place to see birds within the city limits.

I took this shot at least 20 minutes after sunset. The Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) flew to the cactus, popped into the hole, and then stuck its head out. The cactus is a saguaro, which the birds regularly use for their nests. Gila woodpeckers are common in the desert areas of the American Southwest. (Gila is from the Spanish and is pronouced HEEL-ah.) Best seen LARGE.

We'll spend the next week in Arizona, and I look forward to blipping more birds.