Upper Sierra Vista OMDPNM

Old Curved Bill

Dr. K, Becca and I hit the Sierra Vista Trail (upper) in Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument early this morning for a long hike in gorgeous weather conditions; we're supposed to hit 75F today.  We only saw two mountain bikers on the trail during our trek.  We kept kicking up large flocks of small birds that I believe were Sagebrush Sparrows, but I can't say for sure.  Just as we got back to the parking lot a guy was pulling in; he left his car and headed across Soledad Canyon Road to hike north on that section of the Sierra Vista Trail.  We were the only people out there.  Everybody else was in church, I guess.

Our Jeep was the only vehicle in the parking lot at start and at finish

Long view to Bishop Cap

Jet heading east

Meh

Crossing an arroyo in the high country

Honeybee working an Apache Plume flower

Still a lot of pollen to be had

This is a large hover fly (I'm guessing)

Apache Plume flower

Curve-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostre) in a leafless Ocotillo

Abert's Wild Buckwheat (Eriogonum abertianum)

Fairy bird cloud

Why so serious, Becca?

That's better

Hard to believe Blackfoot Daisies are still flowering

No ID so far

?

Plant theft prohibited

Ah, Wilderness

Becca and Dr. K

A couple expired specimens

House Finches?

Don't bother counting

The usual suspects

Sleeping on the job

Leafless Ocotillo

This and the next two:  Sagebrush Sparrow, I think

Sotols in the high country

How big is this Sotol?

This big