Melissa Crytzer Fry
banner
crytzerfry.bsky.social
Melissa Crytzer Fry
@crytzerfry.bsky.social
Writer, citizen scientist, conservationist, naturalist. Sharing a love of nature & the Sonoran Desert thru photos, camera traps. Married to an awesome man. Board Chair, Lower San Pedro Watershed Alliance. Fighting to save the Galiuros from copper mining.
This is utterly fascinating, but southern AZ is ☀️ today, except along the San Pedro -- covered in glorious clouds. Anyone know why? I presume moisture-related (groundwater almost exclusively along this stretch)?

First pic illustrates clouds/fog & a red-tailed #hawk landing upon the #saguaro.
November 25, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Arizona's #SonoranDesert belongs to THESE animals - NOT foreign #mining exploration companies. Galiuro Mountains.

#Ringtail (AZ's state mammal); Coue's #deer; #coati; northern #flicker
November 25, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Young #coatimundi caught on #cameratrap. Galiuro Mountains, a rare Sky Island in the #SonoranDesert.
November 24, 2025 at 1:49 PM
We got 1.45" of rain yesterday and into the early morning. We were greeted with this ethereal cloud cover upon waking today! #SonoranDesert #Saguaro
November 23, 2025 at 4:11 PM
This time of year is just so incredible for its sunrises.
#SonoranDesert #SkyIslands #GaliuroMountains
November 23, 2025 at 3:24 PM
It's #Caturday. Squeezy is such a ham ... he loves this keyboard cleaning brush.
November 22, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Giddyup, Rock Pony! (A little cowboy hat on top would be appropriate!)

This was a tiny earless #lizard outside my office window.
November 21, 2025 at 3:57 PM
An interesting way to jolt out of bed at 12:45 am: #desert hail storm hitting the windows at a 45-degree angle. Squeezy was nearly on the ceiling!
November 20, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Squee! We rarely see these guys. Look at the tail length of this hooded #skunk. (1.5 minute visit, trimmed).

(I really want to help him spiff that tail to greater grandeur with a good brushing... but we know how that would end)! #cameratrap
November 20, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Who's been hanging around the watering hole? #cameratrap fun! Name those desert mammals!
November 19, 2025 at 2:29 PM
"Boop!" goes the #coyote. Volume up for the sniff-bump.
November 18, 2025 at 4:18 PM
I'm not kidding. This is not photoshopped! Rock #squirrel filled to the BRIM.

"What? Who, me?"
November 17, 2025 at 2:03 PM
This is a great way to end a Sunday! Sunset on the Galiuro Mountains, part of the Madrean Archipelago. #SonoranDesert
November 17, 2025 at 12:31 AM
More great-horned #owl happenings. He flew in with a gopher #snake and ate it in front of the cam.
November 16, 2025 at 2:59 PM
I take entirely too many cute pictures of Squeezy. So, for #Caturday, you get four shots of him!
November 15, 2025 at 4:25 PM
You might have seen my earlier post this week about the San Pedro River BioBlitz, where community members document as many plants/wildlife as possible for science research. When I went on Sat., about 15-20 white-nosed #coati! Join in the fun: www.nature.org/en-us/get-in...
November 14, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Friends - I share this not to upset anyone or for shock value, but to illustrate what is happening in my beloved mountains & to wildlife (copied from an X account). It illustrates the type of mining company that is in our backyards, doing THESE things.

Warning: graphic wildlife content.
November 13, 2025 at 6:06 PM
SO happy to have multiple #bobcat visits this month (even if editing to fit BlueSky's tiny video constraints took three additional tries from what I'd posted on Twitter).
November 13, 2025 at 3:31 PM
It's not often the great-horned #owls come to visit in daylight. Look at this looker. #cameratrap Big feets, yellow eyes, and takeoff!
November 12, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Mammoth, Arizona 9:01 pm
November 12, 2025 at 5:06 AM
Well, that was fun! Taken with iphone, so not the greatest, but I could still see, with the naked eye, the Aurora lights tonight from the rooftop!
November 12, 2025 at 4:47 AM
Fun with gray #foxes. Our recent #camertrap footage is fantastic! Volume up for scratchy-scratchy.
November 11, 2025 at 2:23 PM
AZ Pima and Pinal county residents ... November is BioBlitz on the San Pedro. Join us to document plants/ wildlife on iNat. Had a blast at Adobe (SRP) mitigation property Sat. See flyer/QR code for more events upper & lower San Pedro!

#Cottonwoods, beaver pond, #beaver track.
November 10, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Fascinating great-horned #owl and common #raven interactions on #cameratrap. After fleeing to the tree, it swoops down for more drinks.
November 9, 2025 at 4:57 PM
It's #Caturday... A two-for-one video: Squeezy pawing at his #bobcat brother.
November 8, 2025 at 2:41 PM