Nary a Breeze

Red-tailed Hawk hunting for breakfast

I can honestly say that this was the worst Becca and I felt during a hike so far this summer.  The humidity was incredibly high, and there wasn't even a hint of a breeze.  I made the mistake of pushing ourselves a bit further than usual for a summer trek, and both of us suffered.  We took plenty of shade and water breaks, but both man and dog were thankful to get back to the soon-to-be-air-conditioned car at the trailhead.  We'll definitely shorten our hike tomorrow morning if these weather conditions persist.

Same hawk on a yucca

Hmm--wonder what human and dog taste like?

Black-throated Sparrow

Flank of Tortugas Mountain and the distant Organs

Westward Ho!

Red Velvet Mite (Trombidiidae) aka "rain bug"

Intrepid hiker

I'm guessing Cactus Wren nest, but it's an unusual location

Caught in the act of yakking

Black-chinned Hummingbird

An attempt at adjusting the lighting

Break in a narrow shaft of shade