2019 Big Bend National Park/Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Photographs
Sunday, April 14. Fire in Laguna Atascosa WMA. The crew passed me while hiking and had this under control in hours.
Little Blue Heron.
Road side campground somewhere just north of Laredo, TX.
The moon was full at the start of the trip. This is at the Laredo campsite later that night.
Me on the south rim of the Chisos Moiuntains, in Big Bend NP, April 20th. Next few shots are from Big Bend National Park.
Atrytonopsis edwardsii, in Juniper Pine Canyon wash. These disappear by 1 pm, to escape the heat of the day, by perching in the shade on canyon walls.
Same specimen.
Northern Mockingbird. These were quite common and noisy.
Scenery shot from Juniper Pine Canyon.
The edwardsii liked to perch on the bare branches on the left of the photo.
Just on the other side of the previous photograph.
Now looking in the opposite direction.
On Monday morning, I encountered this western diamond rattlesnake on the trail. Saw another later that morning in the wash.
A closer photograph.
Several Reakirt's Blue dining on a rock.
A robber fly dining on a Kricogonia lyside.
A closer shot.
Still closer.
These suck fluids from their victims, you can see it extruding a drop.
Another Reakirt's Blue party, on a rock under a tree.
A closer shot.
These next few shots show Reakirt's Blue flying. Look for blurry blue in the photographs.
You can see one flying in the middle of this photograph, just above the perched Blues.
Here is a full view of the site. The ground on the canyon wall was probably slightly moister from run-off and hence the Blue's party.
Another shot.
One last shot.
A Codatractus arizonensis. These are territorial, attracked as one walks nearby, and frequently perch on the end of a branch. Here's a typical pose.
Another view.
Now I am in SW New Mexico. I encountered these Pronghorn Antelope.
Another shot.
Same group.
Incidentally, the road ends just 5 miles to the west. I thought I could get to Arizona, but had to backtrack a few miles to the Geronimo Trail to get to Douglas, Arizona.
Last shot.
Near the top of Diablo Canyon, in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The next few shots were all shot in the park on Saturday evening.
Another shot.
A hole in the mountain.
A closer shot.
I went for a short hike about 6 pm along the road. Saw a few interesting animals. Here is a Gilded Flicker perching near it's nest.
The bird just entering the nest.
Now fully in the nest.
Another view. Note how the cactus needles are removed from around the entryway, so the bird can perch pinch-free.
More Saguaro flower buds.
Common side-blotched lizard.
A cactus wren.
A saguaro cactus with buds.
A closer photograph.
Giant Cactus Longhorn Beetle.
Later Friday evening, hiking down the road from the hole in the mountain trail head, I spied my first Gila Monster, a poisonous lizard.
These are very slow and not a threat, unless you get too close with your hand or foot.
Prowling in the bushes and tough to get a good shot.
One more shot before I left him alone.
More saguaro flowers photographed on Saturday morning.
A closer view.
Full zoom, 15X.
One more set of flowers.
Encountered this rattlesnake as I left the park. It slithered sideways off the trail.
Now just moving off the road, still slithering sideways and rattling at me.
Sunday, April 14. Fire in Laguna Atascosa WMA. The crew passed me while hiking and had this under control in hours.
Little Blue Heron.
Road side campground somewhere just north of Laredo, TX.
The moon was full at the start of the trip. This is at the Laredo campsite later that night.
Me on the south rim of the Chisos Moiuntains, in Big Bend NP, April 20th. Next few shots are from Big Bend National Park.
Atrytonopsis edwardsii, in Juniper Pine Canyon wash. These disappear by 1 pm, to escape the heat of the day, by perching in the shade on canyon walls.
Same specimen.
Northern Mockingbird. These were quite common and noisy.
Scenery shot from Juniper Pine Canyon.
The edwardsii liked to perch on the bare branches on the left of the photo.
Just on the other side of the previous photograph.
Now looking in the opposite direction.
On Monday morning, I encountered this western diamond rattlesnake on the trail. Saw another later that morning in the wash.
A closer photograph.
Several Reakirt's Blue dining on a rock.
A robber fly dining on a Kricogonia lyside.
A closer shot.
Still closer.
These suck fluids from their victims, you can see it extruding a drop.
Another Reakirt's Blue party, on a rock under a tree.
A closer shot.
These next few shots show Reakirt's Blue flying. Look for blurry blue in the photographs.
You can see one flying in the middle of this photograph, just above the perched Blues.
Here is a full view of the site. The ground on the canyon wall was probably slightly moister from run-off and hence the Blue's party.
Another shot.
One last shot.
A Codatractus arizonensis. These are territorial, attracked as one walks nearby, and frequently perch on the end of a branch. Here's a typical pose.
Another view.
Now I am in SW New Mexico. I encountered these Pronghorn Antelope.
Another shot.
Same group.
Incidentally, the road ends just 5 miles to the west. I thought I could get to Arizona, but had to backtrack a few miles to the Geronimo Trail to get to Douglas, Arizona.
Last shot.
Near the top of Diablo Canyon, in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The next few shots were all shot in the park on Saturday evening.
Another shot.
A hole in the mountain.
A closer shot.
I went for a short hike about 6 pm along the road. Saw a few interesting animals. Here is a Gilded Flicker perching near it's nest.
The bird just entering the nest.
Now fully in the nest.
Another view. Note how the cactus needles are removed from around the entryway, so the bird can perch pinch-free.
More Saguaro flower buds.
Common side-blotched lizard.
A cactus wren.
A saguaro cactus with buds.
A closer photograph.
Giant Cactus Longhorn Beetle.
Later Friday evening, hiking down the road from the hole in the mountain trail head, I spied my first Gila Monster, a poisonous lizard.
These are very slow and not a threat, unless you get too close with your hand or foot.
Prowling in the bushes and tough to get a good shot.
One more shot before I left him alone.
More saguaro flowers photographed on Saturday morning.
A closer view.
Full zoom, 15X.
One more set of flowers.
Encountered this rattlesnake as I left the park. It slithered sideways off the trail.
Now just moving off the road, still slithering sideways and rattling at me.
