No Prizewinners

Wils, sand break

It was hot out there already when Dr. K, Willow and I began our morning hike.  We decided early on to cut the trek short because Willow wasn't really into it.  After my 45-minute afternoon bushwhack to photograph blooming barrel cacti yesterday I wasn't into this morning's outing that much, either.  We heard a young bird calling for its mother (we think) and then I spotted a hawk on a yucca stump way over on top of 4210 hill.  I got some pics of it, but not good ones.  From a YouTube video of a  baby Red-tailed Hawk calling for its mother I think the raptor I photographed was a young Red-tailed Hawk.

This & next 3:  distant pics of a young Red-tailed Hawk?

Right branch arroyo

 

Afternoon Delight

All images are of barrel cacti this afternoon

I went back out alone this afternoon to photograph barrel cacti I felt certain would be flowering.  It felt brutally hot: sun directly overhead, furnace breeze, no shade to stop in for relief.  I was in the desert approximately forty-five minutes, and when I got home I had to take shower #2--a cold one!

 

Bad Bad Air

Yellow, blue and purple flowers

We don't know where the smoke was coming from--northern New Mexico, perhaps--but the air was atrocious this morning during our hike.  Nevertheless, Dr. K, Willow and I did the entire trek.  We could feel the smoke in our lungs, though it wasn't overly irritating; still you wish you didn't have to breathe that type of pollution on a morning outing.

White-winged Dove

This & next:  5 White-winged Doves

This & next:  Desert Marigolds

This & next:  really ripe prickly pear fruit

Barrel cactus buds, some flowering

Post-hike heeler

 

Nothing Much

Desert Marigold

It felt pretty uncomfortable out there this morning for our daily trek; it seems as if humidity is creeping back into the atmosphere.  Dr. K, Willow and I decided to cut the hike short for obvious reasons.  We were out there long enough for me to get a few fairly decent photos.  The beetle I'm never able to capture a decent image of--I learned today from conversing with Gemini--is a desert blue-ball blister beetle.  Apparently they are extremely dangerous if touched; they release a chemical that can burn the skin.  Good to know, though we'd never try to pick one up; and now we'll always make certain that Willow doesn't get near one.

LDR-A arroyo

Willow on sand break

This & next:  desert blue-ball blister beetle

Cysteodemus wislizeni

Curve-billed Thrasher

 

Pre-Shop Trek

Roadrunner on the move

We cut the half roughly in two this morning because Willow wasn't enjoying herself and we weren't either.  We were out there long enough for me to get some decent photos of our desert denizens, including a Jewel Beetle which I hadn't seen in years.  After the outing I got ready and left for my weekly shopping stint at Albertsons.  After lunch Dr. K did her rounds at Target.

One second later

Willow on one of her many breaks

Cloud over Tortugas Mountain

Greater Earless Lizard

This creosote fruit is tasty

Southwest of Tortugas Mountain

Last 2:  Gyascutus caelatus (metallic wood-boring beetle)

aka Jewel Beetle

 

Whole Hike

Starting down LDR-A

It felt pretty hot out there when Dr. K, Willow and I started hiking this morning; the humidity was high and the clouds weren't shielding us from the blazing sun.  The only question in the humans' minds was whether to cut the hike short or not.  Dr. K and I couldn't decide so we left it up to Willow, who, at the judgement junction, chose to do the whole trek.  We stopped plenty of times for shade and water often having to depart early due to the appearance of ants; they've been everywhere this season it seems.  We had a good hike, none of us overly tired from the effort.

Clouds over ocotillos

Willow on sand

This & next 4:  Sacred Datura

This & next:  barrel cactus with buds and flowers

 

Blackfoot Daisy

Last 2:  barrel cacti again