One plant I like to introduce from my succulent collection is the rat tail cactus. I love it when they bloom, as the flowers come in an orange red color.
When I first got a small cutting of this succulent (a few years ago) it was just one prickly stem. And now it’s just spilling out all over the pot.
Rat tail cactus originate in the highland plateaus of Mexico, but are cultivated throughout Latin America. In my case, they are growing very well in our northern California climate.
Doves are one of my favorite birds. They are part of the Columbidae family, which also includes pigeons. Young doves and pigeons are referred to as “squabs.” Pigeons and doves are stocky birds and range from being solitary to extremely social creatures.
Doves and pigeons build nests from sticks and other debris. And depending on the species, the nest are usually found in trees, on ledges, or on the ground. They lay one or two eggs, and both parents care for the young. The squabs then leave the nest after 7 to 28 days.
Cactus Doves are one of my favorite type of Doves. They are found in the South West U.S. and build their nest on the Saguaro cactus. Although I have never seen one in real life, I think the idea of building a nest on a cactus is very neat! They also love feeding on the ripe cactus pears.
A collection of Dove photos from flickr.com
I like this photo of a beautiful mother Dove sitting on her nest. A spiky home in the Saguaro cactus. - Photo by Wolfzonie1 of flickr.com
