Breeze to Wind

Yuccas on a hill south of Tortugas Mountain

Willow, Frio and I started our morning hike in a breeze, but ended the trek in a wind.  Things are supposed to get nasty this afternoon with gusts up to 50 mph.

We followed our normal route, and while we were headed up the left branch arroyo we spotted the man and woman with Basset Hounds hiking north along the ridge west of the Organs.

I let the "O"s off lead for a bit longer today, and they didn't disappoint; both were well behaved, following close behind me the entire time.

Willow and Frio

This & next: blooming yuccas

Loggerhead Shrike

I think it's a Verdin atop the right flower stalk

There's a Loggerhead Shrike atop the dead yucca at right

This & next:  Willow and Frio

This & next:  two versions of the same scene

Distant yucca in bloom

This & next:  Frio and Willow

This & next 4:  flowering yuccas

Claret Cup Cactus

 

Same Raptor, Same Spot

Artsy Red-tailed Hawk on yucca

We got an early start on our morning hike today, and all involved--Dr. K, Willow, Frio and me--had a good outing.

We saw the Basset Hounds with their two people descending LDR-A while we were headed up the left branch arroyo; they were the only hounds and humans we spotted during our exploration.

I photographed what I thought to be the same raptor on the same yucca I photographed yesterday, but now I'm uncertain of several things.  Did I erroneously ID yesterday's hawk as a Swainson's when it was, instead, a Red-tailed, or is today's hawk a light morph Swainson's?  I'm inclined to believe I misidentified yesterday's raptor, and the one I photographed today is, indeed, the same bird--a Red-tailed Hawk.

This & next 2:  Red-tailed Hawk

Torrey Yucca

Mormon Tea

Frio and Willow

I keep photographing this yucca

Last 2:  Claret Cup Cactus

 

Bring on the Heat

1st 2:  Swainson's Hawk

A tad chilly when we started off this morning (48F), but that soon changed as the sun heated up the desert floor.

Dr. K, Willow, Frio and I did our usual hike spotting only a man and woman running down LDR in the distance.  We saw many birds, the most notable of which was a Swainson's Hawk sitting atop a blooming yucca on the ridgeline west of the Organ Mountains.

After our trek we took a drive around various neighborhoods while listening to Sunday Morning with Matt Jones and Myron Medcalf.

After we'd been home for a bit I took Frio out in the Jeep in order to get gas:  $46 for two-thirds of a tank.

Yucca in bloom

Swainson's Hawk

Willow, Dr. K, Frio

Yucca with four flower stalks

Chorus line of blooming yuccas and a distant hawk

This & next:  Willow and Frio

Yucca flower

Claret Cup Cactus

White Tackstem

 

Beautiful Spring Morning

Natural or man-made clouds?

It was absolutely beautiful when Dr. K, Willow, Frio and I set out on our morning hike today:  no wind, plenty of sunshine and moderate temperature.  Because we got a somewhat late start we only saw the man, woman and their Basset Hounds in the distance trekking toward their home as we were driving up Tellbrook.

Saw no other humans or canines during our hike, but we did spot the two White-winged Doves pictured below as they perched on a tree down near the Tellbrook Arroyo.

There were lots of Torrey and Faxon Yuccas putting up their flower stalks and opening their blossoms along our way, some appearing in today's post.

A new Torrey Yucca

Tortugas and the Organs from LDR-A arroyo

This & next:  White-winged Doves

Massive yucca in the distance

This & next:  large Torrey Yuccas near the left branch

This & next:  Willow and Frio

I've decided this is a Faxon Yucca

Sky from the right branch

Last 2:  Claret Cup Hedgehog Cactus