(C. C. C.)

Cagey Cactus Cretins

"Ooo cagey - what you got? What you got there dummy? What you got there man? Ooo cagey - what you got? What you got there, honey? What is it, a worm ...?" A conspicuous sight and sound of the Southwestern deserts, the Cactus Wren is the largest wren in North America. Although it can be found in urban backyards, it is a true bird of the desert and can survive without freestanding water. The Cactus Wren is an active "mobber" of nest predators. A pair was observed attacking a Yuma antelope squirrel so vigorously that the squirrel became impaled on the thorns of a cactus called the cholla. The wrens continued to peck the squirrel until it was knocked to the ground where it escaped. This wren was found repairing its nest in the branches of a prickly Staghorn Cholla cactus. 11/11/2010