I'm bored
Bored, bored, bored. Once I discovered iNaturalist in January, observations came fast and furious. Though spring rains were sparse, plants made enough of an appearance that I could keep busy (when I wasn't busy elsewhere) making observations. My recent resolve to learn more of the local bird fauna also kept me busy, and I learned a few more species.
But that dry spring has led to an unusually hot and dry early summer. Conditions are as dry as I've ever known them in 30 years of living here. Trees are dying. Shrubs are dying. Spring tree crickets were barely heard. Creosote bush leaves have turned orange in distress. Nothing is flowering. Most birds have abandoned the area. The usual summer influx of moths seeking shelter in the house has not occurred. That the same is true for the cursed Triatoma is no consolation.
I have not seen one baby quail this year.
Yet I hold out hope that someday it will rain again.
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It will rain. Tucson has just had several days of .5" in a row. More for later today. Red spotted toads are mating in Sabino Creek, although I haven't seen them (a friend showed me photos). I'm laying low with a little health problem for a few days. Hope to get back out by next week.
Just got back from Flagstaff and it's nice to see we finally got some rain! Too late for things at your place, I'm guessing. Flag was very dry too. Wildflowers were very few are far between which meant bugs and butterflies were scare too and forget about fungi. Rains did come the last few days so I have high hopes for my fungi trip at the end of the month.
Yes, it will rain again. Good rains today all around the area, though none here yet. Bradshaws got buckets today, over two inches at a couple of stations. Rackensack Canyon had 1.4 inches today, so should be good to visit through August; same amount at Horseshoe. (Numbers from here.) In the McDowells, Lost Dog had over an inch, too.
In the meantime I've been delving deep into taxonomic conundra such as this one. Anything to pass the time.
I hope you're feeling better, Ken, and back at it sooner than next week.
To help with your boredom, here are some plant observations from Arizona that need some help... http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?place_id=40&taxon_id=47126
Haha! ;) With iNat, it's impossible to not have anything to do! Although, it is true that adding observations can be more fun than ID'ing other folks'.
I'll be doing a rain dance for ya, Steve!
Many thanks, Sam, for the dance and the link! I let the curating work interfere with hitting those Arizona ID's. I'll take a run through 'em.
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