We’re seeing the beginnings of spring in Southern Nevada. Green bursts on cottonwood trees. Creosote sprouting its fluffy, white fruit.
On a recent morning, I rose from sleep to a long litany of whoo-HOO-whoooo-whoooo-whoooo’s from a mourning dove. Such a soothing sound, and it reminds me of what an ancient woodwind instrument might have sounded like.
A rock wren at the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument on Feb. 4, 2023.
I did a little scrambling over some small hills and rocks yesterday — going off-trail and traversing the opposite side of the outcroppings I perused last week while at the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument.
Now and then when it was too tempting to resist, instead of remaining linear, I’d venture over yet more hills and rocks to detour into the farther reaches to see what there was, and of course, there was more scrubland and outcroppings — a scattered labyrinth of the large formations.
These sculpted masses are replete with crevices, holes and indentations, seemingly offering many places for desert wildlife to hide or nest. They are basically compacted sandy terrain and deposit soils, and though they appear solid, they crumble at the touch, making them unfit for larger creatures, I would surmise. Continue reading Animal bones, a rock wren and visions of mountain lions
A Gambel’s quail at Clark County Wetlands Park on Jan. 21, 2023.
This morning it is raining in Southern Nevada, making it cold and dreary, though I know it’s necessary. I mean, I love the rain, don’t get me wrong. But are Mondays necessary?
Regardless — precipitation this time of year is particularly important. The soil has more of a chance of absorbing and even retaining the moisture. There’s less evaporation. Also, the rain is more persistent and slower, resulting in far less flash flooding and runoff. Continue reading On the bright side of a rainy Monday
Outcroppings at the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument.
A small group of horned larks took me by surprise today at the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument. They fluttered so suddenly near a small creosote bush and chirped in chorus before dispersing just as quickly and flying away from the park.
I had just finished photographing some sandstone outcroppings and was on my way back to my car. I managed to get only one shot of one of the birds, and it was a lousy one at that, because my camera settings were arranged for the outcroppings, which tended to glare harshly and needed toning down.
The monument is a rough-cut place, so don’t expect a visitor center, maps or restrooms. There’s minimal signage. The trail is gravel with many larger rocks scattered about, requiring you to watch as you walk lest you trip. Continue reading Lurking in the creosote at the fossil beds monument
A great egret near a lake at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs, 1/15/23.
A desert cottontail bolted when it saw me approaching yesterday in a scrubland section at my go-to park as of late: Floyd Lamb. I guess this behavior surprised me, because at Clark County Wetlands Park, the cottontails are more generous than that: they will let you stand there and stare for a bit, as long as you keep your distance (maybe about 15-20 feet).
I think the one at Floyd Lamb was more skittish due to the exposed area where it roamed, vs. at the wetlands, where there’s so much vegetation in most places, making for good hiding in a pinch, eg, the willow or reed thickets. Continue reading A day where you really had to look and see what there was
The northern mockingbird and the phainopepla are birds of a feather when it comes to their winter diet. Both eat desert mistletoe.
Here the mockingbird perches on what looks to be a barren honey mesquite with some mistletoe. This was at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs today. Another interesting similarity between these two birds is that they both flick their tails. It’s a signature part of their body language. Of course they also share the same habitat spaces.
Mistletoe attaches itself to honey mesquite as a parasitic plant.
A verdin in a honey mesquite tree at Desert Breeze Park on 11/21/22.
The mesquite trees are down for the season at my local park. It was jarring yesterday to see that they’re barren now. As can be seen by the photo here with the verdin, which I took in late November when I was last there, they were still primarily displaying green.
After doing some quick research on this, I discovered that mesquite leaves can remain on the tree until as late as March during mild winters. That’s according to the Arizona Cooperative Extension.
A male peacock takes a walk at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs on Christmas Eve.
Holiday orphan that I am, I spent Christmas Eve meandering at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs. There were a few pleasant surprises during my visit.
A group of three people stopped to chat when they saw me aiming my camera at a perched bird. We got to talking about rabbits, and I got a nice tip from them on where to find black-tailed jackrabbits so I can photograph them. I had been researching this with little to no success, trying to find specific locations within reasonable traveling distance.
Before I left the park, ,I was surprised to see the two male peacocks lounging and roaming on a patch of grass near one of the parking lots. I had already put away my camera, but of course, I scooted back to my car to get it.
A male peacock lounges at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs on Christmas Eve.
A greater roadrunner at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs on Christmas Eve.
During my travels that day at the park, I also spotted a greater roadrunner, which dashed back through the tree litter and into the bushes before too long. And a random person wished me a merry Christmas, which was nice.
A Bewick’s wren searches for insects at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs, Dec. 18, 2022.
I think there might be a bounty of insect eggs on the forest floor in a remote spot at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs. I was at the park Sunday morning and spotted what looked as if someone snapped a pearl necklace and the pearls dispersed in the bed of dead leaves, twigs and branches. Maybe it’s the reproductive work of beetles? I’ll take a photo next time and post it here.
Passing by one of the lakes, a squabble broke out among ducks. Always comical to watch these otherwise serene creatures up in arms. There was a sudden din of quacks, and then one duck lunged at another, creating a splash. There were about 5 or 6 of ’em, having it out in this one tiny section of the water, even though the rest of the lake was empty. I saw mallards and American coots involved in the skirmish. Continue reading Possible beetle eggs and a duck rumpus
The northern mockingbird and the 
