Southern Sojourn

Dec. 17- Back in Santa Fe after being down south for more than 3 weeks. The day I left (Dec.15) I saw ants and butterflies, and some flowers in bloom. I'd been hearing crickets every night. By the time I got to Socorro it was freezing and when I got to Santa Fe there was about 8 inches of snow on the ground. From summer to winter in two days.

I spent almost all of my time hiking and camping in the Florida Mountains near Deming. Its a really rugged place, full of rocks, cactus and thorns. It was like bootcamp for couch potatoes. I saw more shooting stars in 3 weeks than I've seen in a year of "normal" life. I also saw lots of Persian Ibex, and golden eagles. Quail and roadrunners ("Paisano"or countryman to Mexicans) were also common. A few times I saw Peregrines, Prairie falcons, Merlins, and Pyrrhuloxias(a beautiful desert cardinal). Northern harriers were common over the mesquite flats and grasslands. Accipiters hunted the mountain and the valley.

Great Horned Owl & Magpie

Raptors have a hard time in this canyon, and the magpies seem to be having a population explosion.

Great Horned Owl

Nov. 11 - This morning I woke to the sound of magpies making a big fuss over something. I ran outside and found this Great horned owl perched in the Siberian elm behind the barn. About 20 magpies flew off when I appeared, but a few persisted in harassing the owl, which seemed fairly imperturbable. At least until they actually started plucking at its "ears". The owl opened its beak and gave a sort of wheezy exhalation at its attacker. It stayed in the tree enduring the magpie's insults for about a half hour before disappearing.

Northern Pike

Nov 1, Rio Grande

Northern Pike

Sugarite Canyon

Oct. 28- Sugarite Canyon

Oct 26, El Guique/Lyden

Also 1 Merlin &

some Wood ducks

Oct 25, Eagle Nest Lake

                                                              Oct 25,  Eagle Nest Lake