Birding Saturday

Say's Phoebe

Really wet out in the desert this morning for our daily trek.  None of us minded, but there was a lot of whiskbrooming of boots when we got home.  Saw the Basset People and their hounds heading down the long dirt road when we were taking a break in the left branch arroyo.  After the trek Dr. K, Willow and I took a long drive in Whitey the CR-V.

Fog in the Mesilla Valley

This & next 2:  three Mourning Doves

Desert Marigolds now

Willow (aka Dirt Nose)

Best photo of a female Pyrrhuloxia today (pathetic)

This & next:  sparrows on prickly pear pads

View from the right branch arroyo

 

Regulation Trek

While the yellow lasts

Nice hike for Dr. K, Willow and me this morning:  cool, but a tad humid.  No breeze to speak of.  We saw no other outdoor enthusiasts while we followed our regular route.

LDR-A arroyo

Willow in wet sand

Black-throated Sparrow

Black-throated Sparrow (impressionism)

View from the middle branch arroyo

This & next:  juvenile White-crowned Sparrows

Male house finch

Female house finch

Barrel cactus and marigolds

Say's Phoebe, I think

 

Thursday Trekking

This & next:  old-timer barrel cactus leaning severely

Not as cool this morning due to humidity flowing into the area; chance of rain today, tonight and into tomorrow.  Dr. K was, as usual, a bit cold, but Willow and I didn't mind the weather.  We followed our regular route, seeing, while we ascended the left branch arroyo, the Basset People and their hounds heading northward on LDR.  When we went up the right branch arroyo and scaled the steep hill just to the west we saw several vehicles parked in the Tellbrook/Sonoma Ranch lot, but we didn't spot any of the occupants.

Bicolor Fanmustard (Velvety Nerisyrenia)

Soaptree Yucca

Western flank of Tortugas Mountain

Barrel cactus and the long view

Blackfoot Daisies, Ragleaf Bahia, blue Dayflower and yucca

 

Nice Day

From LDR-A arroyo

Dr. K, Willow and I had a nice hike this morning, following our regular route from start to finish.  We didn't see any other nature lovers out there today.  As far as precipitation goes our area is over 5 inches above normal; the "lush" desert shows signs of its appreciation:  flowers are still in bloom everywhere.

This & next:  Desert Globemallow

Wils!

Slimlobe Globeberry growing across prickly pear

Long, thin cloud

Amaranth

4210 hill and the flank of Tortugas Mountain

Slope of 4210 hill, Organ Mountains behind

 

Warmer

I am a Ladder-back for the county

The morning was significantly warmer for our hike today, sunny, though no less humid.  Dr. K, Willow and I followed our regular route, seeing the Basset People and their hounds when we were ascending the left branch arroyo.  No other nature enthusiasts seemed to be out and about.  After the trek we returned home and I left twenty minutes or so later for my weekly shopping stint at Albertsons.

Waning Gibbous 97% illuminated

View from LDR-A

This & next:  Willow on break in the sandbox

Dainty Sulphur

Blackfoot Daisies

Last 2:  Feather Dalea blooming in late October

 

Chilled Hikers

1st 3:  views from the upper highland road

Definitely more chilly this morning for Dr. K, Willow and me, though Willow was oblivious to the temperature.  The wind made conditions feel worse than they were.  We did our regular hike nonetheless, seeing no one else while we were out there.  Clouds provided some interesting light, and a few photos I took during the trek were slightly interesting.

East side of LDR-A

Clouds over the Organs

Bicolor Fanmustard (aka Nerisyrenia Camporum)

Desert Unicorn-plant

Willow and Dr. K

Clouds over the Organs

Wils on lead