Very Bad Air Day

Mormon Tea cone that wants to be a flower

We knew as soon as we started driving to the trailhead this morning that the air was incredibly bad--perhaps the worst we've ever seen it.  We haven't yet discovered the cause.  Dr. K, Willow and I did our daily hike as quickly as possible so as to get out of the poor air pronto.  We took a long ride afterward using the recirculating air control on the air conditioning to keep the bad air outside where it belonged.

Morning sky

This is how bad the air was this morning

This & next 2:  Desert Cardinal

This & next:  Willow and Dr. K

Wils

White-winged Dove and Desert Cardinal

 

Persistent Pyrrhuloxia et al.

Morning sky

Dr. K, Willow and I had a decent hike this morning.  The temperature was 70F, with variable skies and just a little breeze.  Best part of the outing was carefully tracking the Desert Cardinal that was chirping its head off.  I got some fairly decent pics of the beautiful bird.  We saw the Pickup Truck lady and her dog at quite a distance from us as we were starting down LDR-A, but we spotted no other nature enthusiasts.

This & next 2:  Pyrrhuloxia (aka Desert Cardinal)

Lizard

Prickly pear blooming

Bad pic of a Swainson's Hawk

Two jackrabbits

 

Hare and Prickly Pear

View to the northwest from the left branch arroyo

It was quite warm this morning when Dr. K, Willow and I did our daily hike; high temperature is supposed to reach 95F today.  On the way down LDR-A we caught a distant glimpse of one of the Basset people bushwhacking through the desert to the west, no doubt headed home.  That was the only person we spotted out there during our walkabout.

American Desert Hare action hero

Wilster on break

Interesting rock

Two barrel cacti, hedgehog cacti, yucca and prickly pears

Last 3:  prickly pear in flower

 

Wind Again

This & next:  small glossy snake in our backyard

Dr. K, Willow and I had a nice hike this morning despite the strong wind that seemed to come out of the south.  We saw Pickup Truck Lady's truck, but not her and her dog.  Nobody else was out and about in our section of northern Chihuahuan Desert.

Willow at rest

Last 2:  same Soaptree Yucca in the right branch arroyo

 

Few Photos Today

The ? bird

Dr. K, Willow and I had a nice morning hike in our section of northern Chihuahuan Desert.  Afterward we drove over to the Pan American Center across from NMSU to mail some letters.  After we got home I went grocery shopping at Albertsons.

Willow in yucca shadow

Yucca fruit

Yucca leaves

This & next 3:  sneaking up on the beak

Willow back on lead

 

Swainsy's Return

1st 3:  same White-winged Dove

It was cool this morning when Dr. K, Willow and I took our daily trek.  We saw the Pickup Truck lady and her dog bushwhacking in the desert northwest of us; we didn't see anybody else in our section of northern Chihuahuan Desert.  We were pleased to find Swainsy perched atop a yucca when we were ascending the left branch arroyo; wish I could have gotten a better photo of it.

This & next 4:  Swainson's Hawk

Willow at the ancient yucca in the left branch arroyo

White-winged Doves