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Thursday, January 9, 2014

For the Birds

Old NMSU experimental tower (for seismology, I think)
The Curve-billed Thrasher and Cactus Wren pictured here were in the same Yucca together, often less than a foot apart.  They stayed pretty still for me, but the wren was especially jumpy about my presence.  I often notice back home at the ranch that animals easily identify potential enemies.  If I step out into the yard, the White-Winged Doves are out of there.  But if they're hanging around when a cottontail or jackrabbit streak in the doves hardly notice.  Watch how the rabbits flee and the doves scatter, though, when a coyote shows up for a drink at the watering hole. 
Curve-billed Thrasher

Cactus Wren

The same Cactus Wren

Enormous Torrey Yucca

On high alert

Jet contrails in an overcast sky

A little independent bushwhacking

Not a stealth fighter jet, but a Raven in flight

Road back to Tortugas

JC and Shaque

3 comments:

Dr. K said...

That raven looks just like the Stealth.

Scott said...

I really like the first image of the Cactus Wren; it looks coy, like it's sorta' trying to hide from you, but not trying too hard.

I love the Raven image as well. We recorded a Raven on the Audubon Christmas Count for our valley this year--a first in over 50 years of Christmas Counts in our valley.

What's that whitish sort of structure in the background behind Shaque and JC? I can't quite make it out.

packrat said...

Thank you, Scott.

That white structure is another old experimental tower removed from the others by at least a mile. The one you see behind JC and Shaque is located near an old seismology trailer long in disuse. I've never got the complete story about the operation, but I'm determined to do some research now.

Thanks for your comment.

:)

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