Tag: photo

Clifton Institute bioblitz May 2025

I participated in another bioblitz organized by the Clifton Institute, this time at Sunnyside Farm & Conservancy in Rappahannock County. I visited the farm last year for a dragonfly count for the Institute. With several insect experts in the group, I was able to file 57 observations, including

  • a Giant Bark Aphid (Longistigma caryae) resting on Dr. Hardtacks’ back bumper;
  • a Twice-stabbed Stink Bug (Cosmopepla lintneriana), always a popular common name;
  • a pair of conjoined Azure Bluets (Enallagma aspersum), a new damselfly for me;
  • a passable recording of Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor) against the background noise of breezes and naturalist chatter; I used my tablet and the Merlin app, rather than my dedicated audio recorder, trading off a better directional mic for on-the-fly ID suggestions;
  • a non-native cress that I didn’t know, Land Cress (Barbarea verna);
  • a very lucky shot of Common Baskettail (Epitheca cynosura) on the wing.

measuring the tare weightlogging the dataEarly in the afternoon, we took a break from chasing plants to observe technicians working with an American Kestrel (Falco sparverius), one of the study subjects in the Institute’s long-running research project into this species’ ecology on farmland and restored prairie.

New Mexico circuit: 8

It’s high time to wrap up the New Mexico trip reports.

Two trips to Randall Davey Audubon Center, just outside Santa Fe, turned up flocks of Common Ravens loudly kettling in the updrafts from the ridge, often in pairs. At times the birds swooped so low that I could hear wingbeats. Pretty cool.

I followed the loop trail just to where the ponderosa pines started to come in, at about 7425 feet. So I only got one observation, from a distance, and only good enough to ID to subsection. (I still remember the strawberry-scented pinebark from a visit to Rocky Mountain National Park a couple decades ago.)

Nice photos of Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli) and Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea). More Rubber Rabbitbrush; I can understand why there was an effort to tap the plant for rubber—it’s all over the place.

Persistence pays: on my second visit I located Juniper Titmouse (Baeolophus ridgwayi) (honoring Robert Ridgway), another lifer for the trip.

better than the birdingDripping Springs Natural Area, in the mountains east of Las Cruces, is a BLM property. When the birds don’t cooperate, take pictures of the landscape, eh? This is a view of the Organ Mountains from La Cueva picnic area.

I spotted a second butterfly species for the trip (it was February, so I was impressed): a trio of Sleepy Oranges (Abaeis nicippe) on Woolly Locoweed (Astragalus mollissimus). And a few snaps of Fishhook Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus wislizeni).

Thank you to all the local iNat folks concurring with and correcting my IDs! I ratcheted my lifetime ratio of species to observations back up to 1:2. (Just in time for EDRR season.)

Seven new birds for my list, bringing my ABA Area total to 440. Plus one for next time: at White Sands, a Sagebrush Sparrow (Artemisiospiza nevadensis) with photographs good enough for an observation, but I can’t say that I saw the bird well enough to count it for my list. My list, my hike, my rules.

New Mexico circuit: 6

Continuing to bounce around the state, let’s go to White Sands National Park next.

not snowI did the short walk on the Playa Trail, and then across the road I did the longer Dune Life Nature Trail (pic). I spotted a Southern Checkered White (Pontia protodice) (I was so surprised to find a butterfly in February that my first thought was that it must be a moth) and what turned out to be Sagebrush Sparrow (Artemisiospiza nevadensis). The sparrow would have been a lifer, but I can’t really say that I saw enough of it to make my own identification. So we’ll get it next time.

Much sand in my boots (sorry, cleaning staff!).

Also in the central-to-south part of the state is Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

I was too late in the season to find the cranes. The loop road is generously wide, a good thing with cars stopping at random to look at critters. 70 degrees and sun, but some cooling breezes off the impoundments. I found my first ever real live for-sure Coyote (Canis latrans). The birding highlight was seeing a small group of geese out of the water, drifting into the grass. Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) AND Ross’s Goose (Chen rossii) side by side! C. rossii is REALLY much smaller.

New Mexico circuit: 5

follow the cairnsAbout a hour and a half east of Santa Fe is Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area (look sharp for the tiny sign for County Road 016-Loma Parda County Road, which leads to the parking area). The Juniper Trail is easy to follow across the grassland, marked by cairns; the cairns are a bit of a challenge to find when the trail follows the rocky cliff edge overlooking the Mora River.

I found twittery groups of Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus), a better observation of Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma woodhouseii), and Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides). And a first (for me) observation identified by scar only: Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana).

New Mexico circuit: 4

Here and there:

yellow and redI simply had to stop for this Googie sign on the I-25 business loop of Socorro. No time to drop in for a quick meal, alas.

paradecaughtThe Museum of International Folk art in Santa Fe’s Girard Collection includes hundreds, probably thousands, of small figurines. Every human type is on display, including mine.

Mariawaiting for the busMaria, my rental Ford Edge, and I stopped at Embudo Creek on the way back from Taos, in a fruitless attempt to find American Dipper. At left, the guardrails for the bridge over the creek are visible to the right. At least I could catch the bus there.

New Mexico circuit: 3

(You may have gathered that these trip reports are not in chronological order.)

The NPS’s driving directions to Chaco Culture National Historical Park read, in part, “13 miles (21 km) of rough dirt road (CR 7950). The 4.5 miles (7 km) before entering the park are very rough.” (Empasis added) “Very rough” means almost constant washboard conditions, 1 to 2 on my 5-point impassibility scale, mercifully little in the way of ruts, rocks, or potholes. This is not a place to drop in for a casual visit.

just thereBut O, it’s worth the drive. As the gravel road gives way to pavement within the park boundary, you’re confronted with Fajada Butte.

The centerpiece of the park is the (reconstructed) remains of Pueblo Bonito, a ginormous complex of what once comprised 600 rooms and 40 kivas, according to the NPS brochure. It’s so vast that trying to capture it in a photo or two seemed futile. So I snapped a Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) instead.

windows and supportsHungo Pavi is of a much smaller scale. I was taken by the rhythm of small windows and openings for the roof supports.

no cornersCasa Rinconada is a large kiva, roofless but otherwise restored to grandeur.

Turning Maria back to base, I abruptly stopped for a small herd of Wapiti (Cervus canadensis).

The next day, I visited another unit that is managed with CHCU. Aztec Ruins National Monument is much more accessible by vehicle, and more interactive, if you will. A walking path takes you through the fully rebuilt Great Kiva, as well as a series of rooms—it’s not a walk for the claustrophobic.

On the grounds just outside the monument, Gunnison’s Prairie Dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni) were keeping an eye on things.

And then on to Navajo Dam State Park, for a stop that wasn’t too fruitful, before moving on to Santa Fe. But I did find a second species of ground squirrel, Rock Squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus) and a life bird, Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma woodhouseii).

New Mexico circuit: 1

A new place to explore! The Land of Enchantment, or (to judge from the snazzy new black license plates) The Land of Red and Green (Chilies).

I debarked (detrained?) in Albuquerque, and scheduled some light touristy activity to get used to the altitude. First order of business was picking up my prepaid rental car at the Hertz office next to the Amtrak station. Except—no Hertz office. One of the train station staff told me, oh, yeah, that building burned down and they never replaced it. We keep telling Hertz to remove it from their listings.

So, after a somewhat tense call to Hertz to book a car at the airport, and a quick ride to same provided by Anthony, I was on my way to my Old Town motel.

first stopAfter a day of finding all the yummy food and taking a guided tour of Old Town ABQ, I was ready to get out in the field. Sevilleta NWR is two counties south, along the Rio Grande. The loop trail from the visitors center has some very helpful ID markers for some of the desert plants, but that didn’t stop me from misidentifying Rubber Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa): the stuff is everywhere, short and tall. I found two life birds: Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris) and Chihuahuan Raven (Corvus cryptoleucus). I got a lucky shot with my long lens and caught one of the birds with white throat feathers ruffling in the wind.

Next day was a disappointment: I rode the Sandia Tramway to the peak, only to figure out that the way to the spot with the bird feeders was a snowy 2-mile hike away from the tram terminal. So no rosy-finches this time. I moved on to my next city, Farmington.

Front desk staff at my Albuquerque motel gave me two great restaurant recommendations: Church Street Cafe (tasty “Q” salad) and Sawmill Market, a food hall with too many good choices. And I found Flying Roadrunner Bakery around the corner from my tour guide’s kiosk. The things they do with blueberries there…

Philadelphia getaway

In the winter holiday break, I Amtraked up to Philadelphia to take in the Barnes Foundation (underwhelming: the pictures can’t breathe) and reacquaint myself with the Duchamp room at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. And to be a bit of a transit flâneur.

my ridemore ridesChanging plans at the last minute, I staked out a loop with the Market-Frankford line1 (heavy rail), the 102 line toward Sharon Hill (light rail/streetcar), and the Wawa line (commuter rail2). The interchange at Clifton-Aldan is apparently an afterthought, as there is no streetcar platform and the operator warned me to look out for cars passing the streetcar on the right. Here’s two shots of the 101/102 rolling stock at 69th Street.

finally cameTo get to the Museum of Art, I took my old beloved rattletrap subway-surface line3 to 22nd Street to catch a bus up to Fairmount Avenue.

mini machinetailor shop windowIn the vicinity of my hotel, I spotted a fun tailor shop window,

bays and stairsand a lovely fire escape.

first bodega catAnd I photographed my first bodega cat! This is Chaucer, mascot of Book Corner, for the benefit of Friends of the Free Library. I found a Joseph O’Neill that I’d been casually looking for.

1SEPTA is rebranding the subway and light rail lines, but apart from colors on the signage, nothing is carrying the new designations.

2Somewhat confusingly called “regional rail” by SEPTA. Philadelphia’s gonna Philadelphia.

3The subway-surface would drop me right at the corner of Chestnut Street for Grad Towers. It’s not as rattly as I remember.

On deck: 27

another on deck picThe shelf was getting a little unbalanced toward fiction, so I ordered some new titles and now it looks like back-to-school time. Still not keeping up with Kate Atkinson.

During 45’s term, I reread Faulkner’s Snopes trilogy. I wonder what would be a good palliative read this time around.

Postcards from Ohio: October 2024

I made another road trip to Dayton and environs, primarily to inspect new memorials for Mom, and secondarily to see… stuff.

the bench in its settingthe plaqueMom’s new bench in Stillwater Prairie Reserve is looking quite sharp, although it appears that the plaque has already acquired a bit of scratchiti.

Also spotted at Stillwater were several Eastern Fox Squirrels (Sciurus niger).

where am I?In Greene County, I walked Sibenthaler Fen and Russ Nature Reserve. I do like a well-executed trail post. The lat-long is a nice touch.

I'll get the next oneheading downtownSome transit geekery: I rode the Cincinnati streetcar up to Findlay Market for a spot of lunch.

As for Cincinnati’s two connector expressways linking I-75 and I-71, the short Norwood Lateral (Ohio 562) might be the only freeway in the country whose control cities on the big green signs are the same at each end, namely, Norwood, because that’s the only place the freeway goes. On the other hand, Ohio 126 is only signed Ronald Reagan Highway—because it won’t take you anywhere useful, mayhaps? Ohio 126 smooshed property values on Mom’s condo when the road was built to Reading Road.

my ride's herenext busAnd I rode Dayton’s 4 bus downtown, with a return on the 7. The 4 was running trolleys and diesels, while the 2 and 7 were only diesels. I rode bus #1958, pictured at left; in the photo at right of bus #2064, the trolley poles are easier to see. There are no trolley wires at the end the the 7’s run, but the new hybrid equipment allows the driver to “drop the poles” for a stretch. Downtown I saw buses on the 8 doing that.

worth a shotI tried this place for dinner, and it was pretty good. I broke my vegetarianism to sample goetta.

VNPS 2024: Maple Flat and Cowbane Prairie

Two field trips for this year’s annual meeting, both of them in the vicinity of Stuarts Draft on the western slope of the Blue Ridge.

sinkholeGary Fleming led the walk to several sinkhole ponds in the Maple Flat area of the George Washington/Jefferson National Forest. Limestone/dolostone account for the sinkholes, but unlike the karst landscape of Lee County, here the soft stone is overlaid by alluvium/colluvium and a layer of clay. One of the specialties of this site is Boltonia montana, only recently scientifically described.

wet prairieNate Miller was our guide to Cowbane Prairie NAP, a wet meadow. I would have done well to bring my LaCrosse boots. I didn’t get great images of any of the specialties here (and they were not in flower, anyway). The group enjoyed multiple plants of Bottle Gentian (Gentiana clausa). On a goldenrod, a Spotted Cucumber Beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata) made for a nice image, after cropping. It’s probably time for me to start paying more attention to orthopterans.