Musings

We first spotted this critter starting to cross the path in front of us. S/he looked at our feet and apparently rethought that plan, and reversed to climb this not-particularly-large tree.

The exceptional element to this story is just to the left of the squirrel in this photo, and a bit down.

That funny beige thing is a crustless piece of bread that the squirrel had in his/her mouth from when we first spotted her/him, and decided to stash where you see it while s/he descended.

I guess s/he wasn’t worried about crows or other airborne marauders.

This was yesterday, I admit. I was overcome by laziness* today and stayed indoors where it is warm (awakened to 17.3°F temp outdoors)—brrr.

* There has been some discussion around here about whether this should be considered as true laziness. I say yes. Comment?

Posted at 6:37 PM | 1 Comment »

We looped by the library today, in the mist (again, but warmer), so the light was crappy.

The biggest excitement during our walk had to be the huge V of sandhill cranes that cruised by overhead, yes, southbound. We heard them before we saw them, and both of us couldn’t quite place/identify the sound initially. JCB got a good shot of them, but I decided to go with a more colorful picture. This is one hardy rose.

Posted at 4:51 PM | Comments Off on Winter signals

Over the last few weeks, we monitored migratory waterfowl movements, not in any systematic way, but sporadically across central North America. So, here’s the current data from Atlanta: traveling Canada geese are resting and catching some rays.

Hopefully these keep on moving…south…or west. Whatever!

Posted at 10:22 PM | 2 Comments »

We joined lots of people at the park today on this glorious afternoon. A few migratory waterfowl (say with a deep voice) were hanging, and some of them were begging, like these two. Working the crowds, getting ready for winter….

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Checking out the walkers

Several interesting adventures in this day, including a major karma call that ended up just fine (reminder to self: Priuses are pavement vehicles), but the ones I want to mention have to do with wildlife sightings at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Species sighted included snow geese (I think), many sandhill cranes (lacking hills of any sort down on the marshes of the Rio Grande), various ducks, hawks, and small birds, as well as a few (black tailed?) deer (okay, not in the park) and one dog-family creature we’re assured is a NM-sized coyote (much larger than those I know from the East).

Note: if you are in Albuquerque, you can’t do wrong dining at the Indigo Crow in Corrales, most especially if good friends join your table!

Posted at 11:21 PM | 3 Comments »

Tromp. Tromp. We were headed back out on the Catwalk trail near Glenwood, New Mexico, backtracking toward the parking lot after traipsing over two miles (up, at elevation, a considerable undertaking for flatlanders), when JCB spotted a family group of bighorn sheep spying on us from above.

I admit to occasional jealousy of the Marquis‘ close-ups of wild things—mostly birds—but today I think I scored a big one. These are wild bighorns, and we while we watched them the one that’s lower down on the rock face (a female with a radio collar) kept walking around and dislodging small stones that fell down on the trail in front of us!

Posted at 11:43 PM | 1 Comment »

Most of the time we were at Casa Grande today, we were thinking about ancient times, when Hohokam farmers kept irrigated fields between and around their mounds and houses, out in the flats near Coolidge, Arizona—not quite so near to the modern town of Casa Grande. One of those quirks….

Anyway, people go to the Casa Grande ruins to see the ruins, and we did, especially the big ruin protected from the rain by a big FL Olmsted-designed roof. We also spent time gazing up at this Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), denizen of the roof, keeper of the ruins, and demographic controller of the immediate area (for selected species).

Tidbit from USPS website: “Did You Know? Casa Grande Ruins National Monument was the first cultural and prehistoric site to be protected by the United States government. It was set aside in 1892 by President Benjamin Harrison.“

Posted at 11:22 PM | Comments Off on Owl’s classy digs

Harbor seal, or Phoca vitulina.

In La Jolla Cee-A (most expensive homes in the US of A).

Napping in the sun.

And paying no real estate taxes.

Posted at 7:08 PM | 2 Comments »

Yes, elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris).

These are members of a rookery of seals who hang out on beaches not far from San Simeon (yes, that San Simeon).

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Those aren’t rocks!

Down on the beach, I saw the usual mix of deer and bird tracks. We also had another recent visitor, a member of the Canis clan. I do not know them well enough to discern whether this is C. familiaris or a coyote.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Canis passing