Day of the Nighthawk

Along the ridge

We saw several Common Nighthawks this morning.  If you don't see these birds land you will never spot them on the ground--as evidenced by the two images below.  Also, capturing them with your camera while they're in flight is a nearly-impossible task, almost the equivalent of photographing bats.  In fact, they almost seem like a kind of day bat, their erratic flight very much reminiscent of the echolocation-based flight of the winged bloodsuckers. (Actually, bats don't suck blood; they live primarily on insects.  Vampire Bats lacerate prey and lap the blood that flows out of the wound.  Also, there is no evidence that Nighthawks rely at all on echolocation.)

Southwest across a vast desert

Going down

Desert Cottontail

Red earth under dark sky

The long road

Nearly leafless Ocotillos

Yucca and the Organ Mountains

Southern section of the Organs

Common Nighthawk

Flank of Tortugas and the Organs

Large arroyo west of Tortugas

Barrel Cactus in late bloom

Orangish-red flowers

Humongous Soaptree Yucca

Headed back up the mountain

Spotting two hikers behind us