Monday Mission

Willow leading the way

Good hike this morning for Dr. K, Willow and me.  We followed our regular route seeing no other nature enthusiasts in our section of northern Chihuahuan Desert.  So far the weather conditions have been fairly nice in the early morning hours, warming up quite a bit as the day goes on.  We're headed for a high of 88F this afternoon which is bearable, especially now that we have our swamp cooler ready to go.

I'll just hide behind this stick

This & next:  same White-winged Dove

Long view from here to Tortugas

Willow in ocotillo shadow

Looking northwest

Desert Checkered-Skipper

Willow and Dr. K

Willow and me

 

This & next:  Velvety Nerisyrenia

Dove tree

Yucca Fruit

Soaptree Yucca in the upper flatland area

Good hike this morning for Dr. K, Willow and me.  Not too hot.  We were fortunate to see the Scott's Oriole family foraging together again, this time just off LDR-A.  I got a few fairly decent photos of them.  Not much else of note out there today; we spotted no other nature enthusiasts during our outing.  When we got home we gave Willow a bath; she was very good about it.

A male Scott's Oriole foraging

A female Scott's Oriole foraging with the male

Adolescent Scott's Oriole foraging with mom and dad

Soaptree Yucca growing fruit

Soaptree Yucca fruit

Artsy Black-chinned Hummingbird

Pencil chollla about to flower

When I say I don't want a bath I mean it

 

Las Aves

Willow near the ancient Soaptree Yucca

The best thing about this morning's hike was the Scott's Oriole family we spotted foraging together in the right branch arroyo.  The male and female were accompanied by three adolescents.  They were so busy feeding that I was able to get some fairly decent photos of them along with a Black-chinned Hummingbird who seems to like spending time in said arroyo.  It wasn't too hot this morning so the trek was highly enjoyable.  After the outing we took a long drive.

Ocotillo leaves

Grey-checkered Whiptail lizard

I believe it's an adolescent female Scott's Oriole

This & next:  female Scott's Oriole (Mom?)

Angry Black-chinned Hummingbird

This & next 3:  male Scott's Oriole

 

This & next:  Black-chinned Hummingbird

The male Scott's Oriole again

Kate and Willow on the right branch arroyo trail

Friday Trio

Huge Soaptree Yucca with multiple flower stalks

66F when Dr. K, Willow and I hit the trail this morning.  It felt warm, but not as much as yesterday.  We're headed for a high of 91F this afternoon.  We followed our regular route today seeing some interesting desert denizens along the way:  a Gray Hairstreak butterly and a Crissal Thrasher.

This & next 2:  Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)

This & next:  Crissal Thrasher (Toxostoma crissale)

Willow and Dr. K

Some ocotillo leaves are yellow already

Willow paying attention

Stinging Serpent plant (Cevallia sinuata)

Artsy house finch pic

 

Nobody, Nadie, Nessuno

Jackrabbit at the waterhole

Even though the temperature was in the high 60s when we started off this morning it felt warmer than yesterday when it was in the low 70s.  Dr. K and I wondered if the humidity was a bit higher; Willow couldn't care less about these kinds of meteorological questions.  We followed our regular route seeing no one else in our section of northern Chihuahuan Desert.

Parade of Soaptree Yuccas

Heading down LDR-A arroyo

Prickly Pear flower and friend

Willow in the right branch arroyo

Interesting clouds

A female Scott's Oriole with a grasshopper

Little-leaf Sumac berries