Birds and Butterflies

1st 2:  Ash-throated Flycatcher

Good hike in the high country forest this morning; Dr. K, Willow and I enjoyed it immensely.  I took some fairly decent photos of birds and butterflies.  The weather here in the mountains--after yesterday's horrible wind--was quite pleasant:  no wind and much sunshine.  It's supposed to get a bit windy this afternoon, but nothing approaching yesterday's wind storm.

This & next:  Willow the mountain heeler

This & next:  Black-throated Gray Warbler

This & next:  Damianita

Ash-throated Flycatcher

 

This & next:  Empress Leilia (Asterocampa leilia)

Before Big Wind

Soaptree Yucca

Dr. K, Willow and I got in a regular hike before the winds came.  At home we finished packing for a trip to the high country where we are now.  The drive up was somewhat difficult due to the gusty wind; now it's downright horrible here in the mountains.

This & next:  Swainsy on a distant yucca

Mockingbird on yucca saber

Willow taking it easy

Cane Cholla

Cactus Bee on cane cholla flower

Cane Cholla blossom

Dr. K and Willow in the right branch arroyo

Multi-crowned Soaptree Yucca

 

Duo

1st 2:  same Soaptree Yucca in bloom

Just Willow and me on a Saturday morning hike.  It was a bit chilly at first, but warmed up nicely.  We saw no other outdoor enthusiasts while we followed our regular route.  I got some decent photos of Soaptree Yuccas blooming and in bloom.

Willow headed down LDR-A

Soaptree Yucca buds flowering

Wils on break

Prickly Pear flowering

Picacho and surroundings

Last 2:  same sky, different perspectives

 

Meep or Beep?

1st 5:  Soaptree Yucca with flower stalks

Dr. K, Willow and I did a nice hike on a morning very similar to yesterday morn.  We saw, just as we started our trek, the Basset People and their hounds bushwhacking through the desert far west of us; didn't see anybody else until we had finished our outing, and that was the Pickup-Truck-Lady who was just exiting her truck near the Tellbrook/Sonoma Ranch parking lot east of us.

T

Willow in ocotillo shadow

Prickly Pear

Prickly Pear and Soaptree Yucca

Small Soaptree Yucca crown with new flower stalk

Waiting for delivery of the ACME coyote caller he ordered

 

Few Photos

Coulter's Wrinklefruit (Tetraclea coulteri)

Dr. K, Willow and I took a regulation hike on a warm spring morning:  61F at start.  We saw no neonatal snake this morning, even though we kept our eyes peeled.  Mountains were rather hazy in the distance due to strong winds yesterday; we're supposed to get gusty wind again today.

Preparing to bloom

Mormon Tea flower-like cones

Buds coming soon

Hedgehog and prickly pear

Willow in the narrow section of the right branch arroyo

On the hill just west of the right branch arroyo

 

Snake and Flowers

Strange cloud over the mountains

Our regular hike was made a bit interesting this morning by the discovery of a young Western Diamondback rattlesnake at one of our stopping spots in the LDR-A arroyo; it looked like the same individual we spotted two days in a row previously, this time maybe 100 yards west of where we first saw it.  This is clearly within the range of said snake, so we were pretty sure it was the same one.  We saw the Basset People and their hounds while we were out there; in fact, the hounds did a lot of barking at us until we got out of their sight.

Same rattler 100 yards west of where he was before?

Wils

Mockingbird

Cactus bee on Cane Cholla flower

Bicolored Fanmustard

Prickly Pear flower with dove egg?

Same flower as above

Cane Cholla flower trio