After Polo

East to the Organs

Dr. K, Willow and I had a good hike this morning.  We got quite a bit of rain yesterday from the remnants of Hurricane Polo, but it wasn't as bad as some had predicted it would be.  The arroyos weren't cut nearly as severely as they might have been had the runoff been greater.  We saw a few other nature enthusiasts out there today.  What we didn't see were the coyotes that were yipping and yelping very close to us while we ascended the left branch arroyo.  I was disappointed not to have gotten a glimpse of them.

Headed down LDR-A

Tortugas and the Organs

Waning gibbous 82-87% illumination

Backlit barrel

Ocotillos and the Organs

Willow on the cross trail

Southwest of Tortugas

 

Rain Switch Up

1st 3:  clouds over the Organs

During a break in the rain early this morning I took Willow into the arroyo beside our house to do her business.  Since the rain started again shortly after that Dr. K and I decided to postpone the daily hike until I got back from my shopping stint at Albertsons.  Fortunately there was a good rainless streak that allowed us to get in half a trek before returning home.

Artsy flowers

Wils

 

Chinchweed and Trailing Four O'Clocks

View from right branch arroyo

Dayflower and four o'clocks

Dr. K and Willow

Chinchweed bouquet

Chinchweed and Trailing Four O'Clocks

Blackfoot Daisies and Desert Marigolds

Distant view of Tortugas and the Organs

Ahead of Polo

Waning gibbous (95-97% illuminated)

Cooler, but humid at the start of the hike for Dr. K, Willow and me this morning.  Sun broke out later to heat things up.  Then the advance clouds from the remnants of Hurricane Polo began to slide in.  Now, in the early afternoon, we've already had a few sprinkles from the coming storms.  There are flood watches and warnings for much of the state including the southern area in which we live.

Desert Marigolds and Dayflowers

Tortugas and the Organs

Desert Marigold bouquet

This & next:  Sacred Datura

Two arroyos converge in a desert wood

One of Willow's favorite spots

This & next:  Desert zinnia

 

Exploring a garden in a side arroyo

Sacred Datura again

Remnants of Hurricane Polo are coming

Barrel cactus with new fruit

This & next:  Curve-billed Thrasher

Organ Mountains

Good Sunday

Willow sees Basset Hounds

Good weather for our morning hike today; Dr. K, Willow and I all enjoyed the outing.  Nothing of particular interest to note, although we did have a semi-close encounter with the Basset people and their hounds; the Bassets (hounds, not people) only barked at us a few times.  After the outing we took a long drive around several different areas because that's what we do on a Sunday morning.

Ocotillos and Faxon Yucca

Left branch arroyo

Cross over trail (right)

Desert dog

Barrel cactus and three-headed barrel

View from the middle branch arroyo

This & next:  Tortugas and the Organs

Double barrel, creosote bushes and ocotillos

 

Swainson's Hawk Encounter

1st 3:  Swainson's Hawk

Weather conditions were pleasant for Dr. K, Willow and me on our morning hike.  Not long after we started down the LDR-A arroyo I spotted a raptor perched atop a Soaptree Yucca trunk.  The telescopic lens on my camera confirmed it was a Swainson's Hawk, one of my favorites.  Got one decent photo of it even though I took about 20 pics.  The bird I photographed later in the creosote bush took me quite a while to ID later at home.  With the help of AI I confirmed it was an immature Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow; not sure I've ever seen one before.  We took a long drive after the trek.

Willow thinks she sees something

This & next:  immature Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow

Same Swainson's Hawk, different location

Variegated Meadowhawk

Twin-leaf Senna

Distant Curve-billed Thrasher on ocotillo branch