lunamothkd's Journal

Due to a dead phone battery and a camera shipped off for repairs, I decided to do this walk in more detail on another day and only traveled a very short distance on this trail.

I did not want to miss the amazing finds that may be available farther down this section of the Arizona Trail without being able to document it, so I turned back after observing the toadfax, getting a picture in the mints right before my phone died completely. I decided not to use my external charger since it was already getting close to sundown. But, as expected, it was inevitable that I encountered more wildlife that I was not able to properly document on this walk. Nature does not stop for the personal desires of humans.

Observations that were not documented include robins, mule deer and an interesting variety of grasses that I have not yet become familiar with. The dandelions were also making their mark at the campground before the trailhead.

Sidenote: I have received my digital camera microscope in the mail. I had to order a wifi adapter in order to take it out into the field, but I feel that it will add an extra dimension to my observations that I am extremely excited about.

I am testing out using my phone exclusively for observation and my camera for landscape photos (once it is fixed). So far, my macro lens is great, but I still have to get comfortable with attaching my scope to my phone...

Since there is no real way for me to verify the following statement as a human being who did not study meteorology, it can only be considered speculation, but...those heavy winds that we experienced here the other day (just in time for me to test out my new hat) may have blown in, or stirred up, some much-needed precipitation here.

Yesterday and today have both brought rain and snow, which is a much-welcomed gift after a mostly dry winter. I hope that the soil and wildlife (and also to my sinuses) benefit from this moisture and I look forward to seeing what the precipitation does for the wildflowers in the area.

I got my field microscope in the mail recently. Yay!

And after overcoming the frustration of installing the software on my computer and figuring out how it works, I took it out for a test run today.

Even though I chose a relatively easy spot to try out my new equipment, I was quickly reminded that the outdoors is not the same as the controlled environment of my office desk. The wind on this 70 some-odd degree day felt wonderful on my skin when I was standing in the shade, but, with my level of experience using my new digital microscope, it made photographing anything a somewhat arduous task.

I did manage to get a few photos of some flowering plants growing under the shade of a tree though...and that's at least a decent start to getting comfortable with my new equipment!

Today, I came home from my two-day trip to Tucson and received a warm (according to my interpretation) welcome from a new hummingbird friend. I had set out my hummingbird feeder in early April in anticipation of the tiny birds' arrival and they had started making morning visits (announced by loud chirping) about a week ago. They had not had face to face interaction with me until today, however, so when a little one flew up to my face while I was taking a short rest on my patio, ate from my feeder and rested on the feeder's little perch for a few seconds before flying away and then returning a few minutes later to feed again, I was thrilled!

Making a tiny new bird friend was an additional treat after returning home from a wonderful trip where I was fortunate enough to have two "just learned about this and now I see it" experiences. My Creosote Gall Midge lesson came from stevejones here on iNaturalist and after learning about black bears at the Sonoran Desert Museum, I was fortunate enough to see my first wild bear scurry across the street and up a hill when I pulled off the road for a few minutes while driving down Mt. Lemmon at dusk (I cannot remember why I stopped, but it was most likely because I was considering the spot as a location for washing my eyes, which cannot tolerate any sunscreen or sweat near them for too long before they start to burn).

I was not fortunate enough, however, to capture the moment on camera. As I sat in my car in amazement and gratitude that I had not gotten out of the car as the bear hurried by, I savored the moment because "my dash cam will get it..." I thought. My dash cam did not get it. Hours and hours of driving footage was caught on camera, but as if it was stolen by devious aliens, about 30 minutes was non-existent from my replayed footage. Just my luck! It had to be the one minute that my bear friend decided to make its appearance! I did manage to capture some footage of a part of my hand while trying to replay and save my bear sighing after it happened though...

The Museum (where I spent over 5 hours on May 8th) was an incredibly useful resource for learning about the flora and fauna of the Sonoran desert. Although I generally find zoos and other places where animals are held in captivity to be incredibly depressing, I found it very useful to be able to see some desert-dwelling creatures that I had not yet seen in the flesh. Seeing the animals and some plants with labels put things into perspective. Having a live example of the size of a fox, a bear, some insects, reptiles other creatures (as well as kneeling on the ground with my arms halfway in salt water to pet the stingrays for fun) provided knowledge that was worth way more than the 19 dollars or so that I paid in admissions. I must donate more money to this cause!

Being a new resident of Arizona, seeing saguaros thrive on the hills in Tucson and feeling the heat of a 107-degree day and the city lit up at night from atop Mt. Lemmon was a delightful experience. As my picture of Arizona becomes clearer and clearer with every new city that I visit in this state, my appreciation of the beauty and diversity of the desert deepens. I am falling in love with Arizona and the story of the seed that germinates to a full plant that flowers beautifully and fragrantly and then bears fruits that ripen sweetly in incredibly harsh conditions. I am amazed by the animals that survive in these environments (including the humans who ride their bicycles up hills in weather that I could barely function in).

I am grateful that I chose Arizona to be my home (sorry Kauai and Washington State--I'll just visit) and I am even more grateful that I chose Flagstaff specifically...because although it does not boast the amazing cacti and reptiles that southern Arizona rightlfully feels proud of, I can function effectively in this climate and the Coconino Forest and the surrounding area is full of immense beauty (like the rest of this state), and even a simple stop to enjoy a magnificent sunset can lead to even more amazing things, like an observation of a Western Blue Flag and an amazing moth (that I only got a fuzzy picture of) trying to extract nectar from that iris at the very same moment that I am taking a picture of it.

The creeping mahonia was no longer in bloom and the valerian and wax currant were dwindling in their number or fresh blossoms, but there was still much to see on the trail.

As expected, the legumes (I still do not have a definite ID on these) that were just starting up when I visited last time were more abundant this time around and there were lots of signs of new types of flowering plants to come.

Lots of butterflies and little flying insects can be spotted along the trail at this time and the hummingbirds were very active and curious as well. I was followed by hummingbirds for my entire walk. For the majority of my walk, I could only hear them twittering around me, but when I was close to reaching the trailhead on my way back to my car, they decided to show themselves. A couple of them flew directly in my line of sight and then closer and closer to me as I rested on a rock. One particularly curious hummer chose a spot on a wax current bush directly in front of me to perch and observe me observing it, and because it hung around for quite some time and also came back to the same spot after defending its territory from another hummer, I was able to take its photo with my phone. The fact that I got the picture felt like a real accomplishment because I spent at least 5 minutes trying to get my scope attached to my phone in order to take the photo and then at least another three minutes trying to locate the spot that the bird was in with my legs arranged in just the right way to serve as a tripod.

After the trail, I took a short stop at the Lake Mary Narrows, which is now open for the season. Free admissions to wander around that area is now on hold until next winter.

Take-Aways:
1) Remember to bring my tripod next time.
2) Fully charge all equipment before heading out (I tried to use my microscope camera to photograph some really tiny bugs only to find that the battery was dead. My watch battery was also dead.)
3) With all of my attachments, my phone turns out to be comparable to my regular camera for documenting observations, plus it obtains coordinate information for all photos. Having my two cameras together is perfect.