Red Birds of Paradise

Red Paradise Portrait © 2013 Bo Mackison

I’ve been dreaming of the desert the last two nights — first there was a wild dream of boat rides through canyons surrounded by skyscraper high cacti and then I was on a trek through the desert with a rattlesnake wrapped around my leg the second night! I thought perhaps I would pay homage to the desert with a few photos of one of her prettiest stars, the Red Bird of Paradise, and maybe tonight I can get some sleep.

Red Birds of Paradise © 2013 Bo Mackison

When I visited Arizona in September, I took quite a few photographs of these beauties. These Red Birds of Paradise (or Mexican Birds of Paradise) were in bloom. It was a glorious waving of oranges and reds, caught in a strong desert breeze, while several hummingbirds darted about. Quite the show.

Seeds of Paradise © 2013 Bo Mackison

I was even fascinated by the long seed pods twirling amidst the flowers. There’s always a bounty of glorious botanicals growing at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum., one of my favorite haunts in the Tucson area.

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Bo Mackison is photographer, book-maker, collector of stories, naturalist, curator and owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC.   Though I am mesmerized by the varied colors of this Wisconsin autumn, thoughts of the Sonoran Desert are often on my mind.