8:30am, warm, nearly calm, plenty of running water with the attendant water sounds coming from the creek, very high and very thin clouds.
Saw a black-headed grosbeak with its robin-like song. It appeared to be sucking on the nectar of (still) actively flowering Arctostaphylos pringlei, but I had left my binoculars at home and I only had my small 8 x 24 monocular with me which requires the eye of an army sharpshooter to lock onto a bird and the hand of surgeon to hold steady. This is a very fragrant plant and has been flowering actively, non-stop for over a month. I was also able to see a hepatic tananger and hear numerous canyon wrens and what I think were bewick’s wrens.
There are curious monochromatic bees all over the trail that look like they are searching for something. The grayish, translucent gray wings are held perpendicular to the darker, black body, and each bee has a hair thin snout, extended straight and about 3/16ths of an inch long. They are alternating between hovering just inches above the dirt trail surface and landing for short periods without any evidence of accomplishing anything in the process. From directly above, they look like tiny hummingbirds but with the familiar buzzing that you expect from a group of bees. I assumed that they were ground nesting bees but I have no basis for thinking that except for memory of seeing the emergence of similar bees from holes along a similar dirt path at BTA several years ago. I have video of it.
Saw a black-headed grosbeak with its robin-like song. It appeared to be sucking on the nectar of (still) actively flowering Arctostaphylos pringlei, but I had left my binoculars at home and I only had my small 8 x 24 monocular with me which requires the eye of an army sharpshooter to lock onto a bird and the hand of surgeon to hold steady. This is a very fragrant plant and has been flowering actively, non-stop for over a month. I was also able to see a hepatic tananger and hear numerous canyon wrens and what I think were bewick’s wrens.
There are curious monochromatic bees all over the trail that look like they are searching for something. The grayish, translucent gray wings are held perpendicular to the darker, black body, and each bee has a hair thin snout, extended straight and about 3/16ths of an inch long. They are alternating between hovering just inches above the dirt trail surface and landing for short periods without any evidence of accomplishing anything in the process. From directly above, they look like tiny hummingbirds but with the familiar buzzing that you expect from a group of bees. I assumed that they were ground nesting bees but I have no basis for thinking that except for memory of seeing the emergence of similar bees from holes along a similar dirt path at BTA several years ago. I have video of it.
Around 5500 feet, the native hedgehogs are flowering, as are Indian Paintbrush, New Mexico groundsel, Senecio neomexicana (photo), Fleabane daisy, and small groups of the white Sago lily,Calochortus ambiguus (photo). Some of the flowering Agave chrysanthas are already 8 to 10 feet tall; I also photographed another Agave chrysantha along the trail that got a late start and was barely 3 feet high. This one is not far from the iron gate and might be worth photographing regularly.
All trees and shrubs are completely leafed out now, even up by the 4th creek crossing. The evergreen oaks have just lost their leaves (fall is spring) and have upward growing new leaves on top of the branches and pendulous, wind pollinated flowers below. On one shady north facing slope that appeared to be fed by a spring, I found New Mexico raspberry, Rubus neomexicanus, False Solomon’s Seal, Smilacina racemosa (photo), Wallflower, Erysimum asperrum (photo), and many white-flowered Canada violets.
Just above the trail from this little wet spot is an even wetter spot, easily heard from above as the creek pours down a series of 30 or 40 feet of vertical steps into a dark pool. It’s easy to get to from the trail and just hidden enough from above to engage in a clothing optional dip with a friend. In my case, the friend is my dog Bela who, though still afraid to put her head under the water, is always ready to splash around up to her neck. The pool is about 20 feet across and as deep as 3 or 4 feet in places with a rounded, cobble stone bottom.
There are a total of four creek crossing and the waterfall and swimming pool are just below the third crossing.
There are a total of four creek crossing and the waterfall and swimming pool are just below the third crossing.
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