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Thursday, April 4, 2013

Thursday's Fauna

Desert Cottontail
It was really nice on the mountain today.  Besides the wildlife we encountered, we saw a few other outdoorspersons in the area.  We ran into Jimmy in the outback and stood gabbing for about half an hour while Becca tried to catch numerous flies.  She hates flies with a passion.  Jimmy said he'd been up in Soledad Canyon a few days ago and saw a drone circling over the Organ Mountains.  It made me wonder if it had anything to do with the Border Patrol vehicle I'd seen several days ago.  Hard to believe undocumented immigrants would be crossing the desert here.
Black-throated Sparrow

Caninus deserticus

Yucca as Shinto shrine

Shadow of the Old West

On down the road

The desert shrub affectionately called "Catclaw"

Looking for deer

Old, thornless Ocotillo

Packrat and Becca

Typical Chihuahuan Desert scene

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great shot of Peter Cottontail:)

I saw where you commented yesterday that it irritates you to hike with chatty folks - I guess that rules me out for any desert tours:)

I am curious why the older bush had no thorns...was the whole bush already dead?

Dr. K said...

That cottontail is so cute.

Scott said...

You posted late yesterday, Packrat. I missed getting my quotidian desert fix; don't let it happen again. :)

Have you, Dr. K, and Becca ever visited Prehistoric Trackways National Monument just north of Pichacho Mountain? Or Ft. Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area near Capitan/Lincoln when you're up at High Rolls? There are no trails at Prehistoric Trackways, so it would be bushwacking, but there are trails at Ft. Stanton.

packrat said...

Ruby:

The ancient Ocotillo--while mostly devoid of thorns--had buds erupting from the tips of its wands. Puzzling because I've never seen an Ocotillo without thorns.

packrat said...

Scott: We've never been to either of those places, though we're anxious to go to Prehistoric Trackways. The last time I checked you have to sign up for a guided tour, but perhaps they've changed their policy now.

Sorry for the late post. :)

packrat said...

Dr. K: Becca wasn't looking at that cottontail as if it was cute.

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