Journal archives for March 2019

March 12, 2019

March 8, 2019 3.4 Mile Circuit Report

Notables: At least three raptors, good photos of a Ferruginous Hawk sitting on a crossarm, the usual Kestrel on a wire, a hulking shape in a tree overlooking the dig site that might have been a Red-tailed, plus 3 glimpses of a grayish raptor in flight soaring low.

A single Cedar Waxwing near the dig along with some Robins.. Song Sparrow (best pic I ever got of a Song Sparrow) and White-crowned Sparrow in the mesquites near the SW corner. Thought I saw a White-throated Sparrow in that area but no photo, and unless there is a pic it didn't happen, possible only. A fuzzy-haired coyote (mange?) came to the SW fence, eyed me, then backtracked toward the south. At least 6 Jack Rabbits spooked in the NE quadrant; never saw more than two there before. At least one Bufflehead Duck on a pond. A strangely-marked male Mallard cross.

Encountered several Echinocereus reichenbachii where the bench is near the west boundary toward the north. (Most I've seen are on the east side at what I call the cliffs.)

Posted on March 12, 2019 04:50 PM by thebark thebark | 0 comments | Leave a comment

March 26, 2019

Dunbar Lake Ramble.

Ramble around Dunbar Lake this morning. Took trekking poles on a nature walk for the first time, and so emboldened by being 4-legged scrambled up a number of cliffs and bluffs for just under 3 miles. FRINGED PUCCOON is beautiful on the north side ridges, and I saw at least 10 Escobaria I had not cataloged before, on the NW canyon rim and on the central knoll on the south side.

(Are the Escobaria more visible now, swollen after the rain? I do know that on a knoll where I found 7-8 today I had twice been unable to refind the one I knew about, until today. There are 2-3 Horse Crippler cacti on the NE side of Dunbar Lake I have been unable to refind since they bloomed last year; need to look again.)

First EGRET of the year, a Cattle Egret. Handful of Cormorants, few Northern Shovelers, Coots, Pied-bill Grebe, one gull and one Cackling Goose. Saw no Black Crowned Night Herons or Great Blue Heron (quite unusual) and noticed no hawks.

My camera insists on labeling recent photos a month prior, and this has messed up my photo archive.

Trekking poles besides camera, binoculars and 12 lb backpack and boots at 2 lb each might seem to be too much to tote around, but were little trouble and added safe mobility. With the poles I spent more time looking around and less time worrying about footing and balance, and the pole tips are featured for size comparison in a number of photos.

Fringed Puccoon is one of the first wild flowers I learned to identify after starting the TMN class, thanks to @dare2bloom who showed us some a year ago at Tahoka Lake Pasture. They are blooming in clumps and in their prime right now in the heights overlooking Dunbar Lake on the NW side not far from MLK Blvd. Ellen5 found some at Dickens Spring 10 days ago; those off the Cap might have bloomed earlier.

Photos & observations coming soon. Have a backlog of 200+ photos going back 10 days.

Posted on March 26, 2019 11:58 PM by thebark thebark | 0 comments | Leave a comment