Bird Bonanza

This and the next three:  Cholla flowers on our property

It felt pretty hot this morning during our hike west of Tortugas Mountain primarily because there wasn't a breath of wind.  I'm not exactly sure why, but this smoky haze we've been living with for four or five days now makes conditions seem even worse.  About a mile into the trek I was treated to the spectacle of a hummingbird sipping nectar from an Ocotillo flower at close range.  I'm sorry for posting so many photos of this aerodynamic beauty, but I was simply fascinated by its maneuvers.  I felt lucky, also, upon hearing the wooden-clacker trill of a Roadrunner, to turn and see the magnificent creature about ten feet off the ground in an Ocotillo.  Greater Roadrunners are such characters.  No wonder Wile E. Coyote always had it in for the Roadrunner.

Last night's moon

Craters more visible on the lower right limb

Who's that?  (This and the next 16: same hummer on an Ocotillo flower)

Apologies for so many humming bird shots

Upper foothills trail

Becca on upper foothills trail

The old and the new in Ocotillo flowers

Still dealing with smoky haze from forest fires in other states

Stingleaf

Stingleaf

Stingleaf

Stingleaf

Why they're called "Paperflowers"

Breaktime!

Chihuahuan Flax not quite open

Greater Roadrunner in an Ocotillo

Same Roadrunner