Guaymas

I just returned from a four-day weekend in the Guaymas area of Sonora. Nacapule Canyon was the main focus, and I must say it was more amazing than I expected. I can hardly imagine a young R Felger so many years ago entering this oasis and deciding to document the flora. The diversity is overwhelming and the scenery spectacular. The temperatures were very hot (9 thru 12 Sept. 2017). I chose this window in part because a recent tropical storm visited the area with good rain, which I anticipated would bring out a lot of flowers and insects.
From Phoenix I took a very comfortable Mexican bus line departing at 8:30 p.m. I arrived in Guaymas the next morning at 6 a.m., not fully rested, but rested enough to begin my excursions by foot. I had booked a room in Guaymas not knowing how easy a ride to San Carlos was. Within Guaymas there are a number of tall rocky hills and with recent rains these were verdant with fresh vegetation. Along the roadways I found a number of widespread tropical weeds, plus a few native plants. Shorebirds were scarce. Aedes mosquitoes and no-see-ums (Culicoides) were enough to be unpleasant. Humpfrey's Grasshoppers were seemingly everywhere.

Posted on September 12, 2017 07:56 PM by mjplagens mjplagens

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Yellow-footed Gull (Larus livens)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 06:06 PM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Needle Grama (Bouteloua aristidoides)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 08:03 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Puncture Vine (Tribulus terrestris)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 08:16 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Palmer's Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 08:16 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Desert Horse Purslane (Trianthema portulacastrum)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 08:13 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Coral Vine (Antigonon leptopus)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 08:32 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Double-banded Bycid (Sphaenothecus bilineatus)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 08:23 AM MDT

Description

Chewing flowers of Melochia tomentosa

Photos / Sounds

What

Fourspike Heliotrope (Euploca procumbens)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 08:20 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Purple Bush-Bean (Macroptilium atropurpureum)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 08:27 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Mexican Yellowshow (Cochlospermum palmatifidum)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 09:01 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 09:04 AM MDT

Description

Gaudy blue and yellow.

Photos / Sounds

What

Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 08:49 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 08:45 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Sweetbush (Bebbia juncea)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 09:34 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Elephant Tree (Bursera microphylla)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 09:08 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 10:19 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 10:16 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 06:17 PM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 09:33 AM MDT

Description

Sitting close to a larval host plant, Amaranthus palmeri.

Photos / Sounds

What

Castor Bean (Ricinus communis)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 09:14 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Long-jawed Longhorn Beetle (Dendrobias mandibularis)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 10:23 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Pacific Mottled Shore Crab (Pachygrapsus socius)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 06:38 PM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 06:31 PM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 06:21 PM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Slender Range Grasshopper (Acantherus piperatus)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 05:56 PM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Sleepy Morning (Waltheria indica)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 04:56 PM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Mexican Palo Verde (Parkinsonia aculeata)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 10:21 AM MDT

Description

I was surprised that a number of beetles and other insects were feeding on the new growth.

Photos / Sounds

What

Tropical Yellow-banded Bycid (Lissonotus flavocinctus)

Observer

mjplagens

Date

September 8, 2017 10:21 AM MDT

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