A Sunny Day

Grassy Chihuahuan Desert

A beautifully sunny morning in the desert today as Dr. K, Willow, Frio and I trekked along our normal route.

Highlights of the hike were seeing both a Loggerhead Shrike and a Curve-billed Thrasher.

We all got our daily exercise in and enjoyed ourselves in the process.

Loggerhead Shrike

This & next:  Curve-billed Thrasher

This & next 2:  Loggerhead Shrike

Last 2:  distant views of Tortugas and the Organs

 

Bad Morning for Pics

1st 3:  sky at start

Dr. K went shopping this morning so it was just me and the Heelers again on the daily trek.

I didn't think lighting conditions were good for photos today, but I seem to have managed to get a few good ones.  The images of the American Kestrel seem to have come out OK.

We didn't see anyone hiking in the desert during our outing, but we did spot a guy walking east on Tellbrook Road as we were driving out of the upper flatland area.

Barrel Cactus with a single fruit

Tortugas and the Organs

Clouds over the Organs

Frio and Willow on LDR-A

Clouds blanketing the Organ Mountains

Ocotillos and the Organs

Long view to the southwest

Which way did it go?

Prickly Pear pad McMuffin

Organ Mountains

This & next:  Willow and Frio

This & next:  Tortugas and the Organ Mountains

Long view across the Mesilla Valley

Way up in Right Branch Arroyo

Last 3:  who's this?

It's our buddy the American Kestrel

 

Ride and Then a Hike

All pics save two are of the snowy Organ Mountains

Early morning rain (snow in the Organ Mountains) delayed our hike for hours; in the meantime I took Frio for a ride in the Jeep, stopping quite a few times for photos of the snowy mountains.

When it became evident that the storm had passed we returned home, and I decided to take both Willow and Frio on our daily hike.  Dr. K chose to remain behind.

The three of us descended from the steep hill west of Right Branch Arroyo into the arroyo, hiked down to the intersection with the left branch, trekked up to the crossover to the middle branch, descended that arroyo and hooked back up with the right branch.  The Heelers were off lead for the middle and last portion of the hike, and they behaved excellently.

Tortugas Mountains from Baylor Pass Road

Frio and Willow on alert

 

New Year 2023 Hike

1st 4:  Organ Mountains

Our first trek of 2023 was a good one even though the opportunities for interesting photos was limited; a rather hazy light infused the desert this morning, and it left me unenthused.

We followed our usual route today, and got through the whole outing without spotting other critters, though both Willow and Frio acted as if they were onto something interesting both down the middle branch and up the right one.  Due to their alerted behavior I let them off lead only briefly.

After the hike we drove to our local Circle K, gassed up the CR-V and took a short ride around the NMSU campus before heading home.

Frio and Willow