Woody et al.

1st 3:  male Ladder-backed Woodpecker on ocotillo branch

Dr. K, Willow and I took a slightly different route this morning, but pretty much did the entire trek we usually do.  We saw a pickup truck on the long dirt road just on the far side of the Tellbrook Arryo, but we didn't see any driver nor any other hikers in our section of northern Chihuahuan Desert.  We spotted some other subjects of interest, most notably a male Ladder-backed Woodpecker on several different ocotillo branches.  I even made a short video of him which is so shaky you'd think I'd been drinking beforehand.

Huge pencil cholla

Somehow this ancient Soaptree Yucca has survived drought

Seed pod of the Desert Unicorn-plant

This prickly pear has recovered from consumption and drought

Hedgehog cactus

Eastern Side-blotched lizard

 

Cool and Humid until . . .

Sun rays across the west face of the Organ Mountains

The first two-thirds of this morning's hike felt fine even though the humidity was noticeably high; after that, though, the sun appeared from behind the huge cloud pictured in images #2 and #4 causing Dr. K, Willow and me to broil.  We got a few moments of respite after that, but the final third of the trek was quite unpleasant.

Huge cloud over the Organs

Organ Mountains in partial sunlight

Huge cloud transformed by wind

Bluntscale Bahia

Willow and Dr. K

Next 3:  prickly pear fruit

Faxon Yucca shadow next to Soaptree Yucca

 

Two-Thirds Trek

Desert Marigold

We cut the hike short this morning due to unpleasant heat and humidity; we all were in agreement to abbreviate the outing.  We saw no other nature enthusiasts in our section of northern Chihuahuan Desert.  After the trek we returned home and I got ready to leave for Albertsons.  Did my weekly shopping stint and returned with the goods.

Some kind of hover fly

Not much of a shade break, Willow

Interesting rock

Black-chinned hummingbird

No sign of survivors

Narrow, deep arroyo

Last 3:  Swainson's Hawk

 

Reprieve

Willow in LDR-A arroyo

Dr. K, Willow and I got a break on our hike this morning; the sun spent a lot of time behind clouds and a consistent breeze kept us cool.  We followed our regular route seeing no other nature enthusiasts out and about in our section of northern Chihuahuan Desert.

Willow and Dr. K

Productive Prickly Pear

This & next:  Mournful Duskywing

Sleepy Orange on Slimlobe Globeberry

This & next:  Curve-billed Thrasher

Last 2:  Greater Earless Lizard

 

One-Third Less

Someone put up a little free library in our neighborhood

Dr. K, Willow and I were in agreement that this morning's near-brutal weather conditions required us to cut the daily hike short; we abbreviated it by a third.  None of us seemed to mind the shortened version of the trek.  Afterward we took a long ride around several different areas in our section of the city before heading home.

View from LDR-A arroyo

Li'l Wils the sand potato

From here to the foothills

Double barrel with buds

 

Sirocco

Weather at start

Extra warm and humid when Dr. K, Willow and I began hiking this morning.  Adding to the discomfort level was a hot wind (not really a sirocco) that blew for much of the trek.  Things got worse when the sun refused to stay behind the clouds and added blazing heat to the mix.  We did the entire route nonetheless, taking a long drive after the outing in the air-conditioned comfort of Whitey the CR-V. 

Willow pushing grass

This & next 2:  Desert Cardinal

This & next:  same barrel cactus

Allthorn flowering

Same Texas Horned Lizard we met yesterday

In an arroyo looking north to Tortugas Mountain