The few nights I’ve had for astro I’ve been concentrating on two nebulas that are actually connected but too big for me to fit in the frame using the C8. Once I collect more light on the Fox Fur Nebula, I’m going to try to create a panorama with the two images. It has been frustratingly cloudy, windy, or very poor atmospheric seeing. Birding hasn’t been much better. As always, images can be opened in a new window or tab to see a larger image.
This morning I was in The Thicket looking for owls. I found the two Long-eared Owls that I’ve been seeing. Then I saw something I’ve never seen before, a Gray Fox in a tree. I’ve read many times about Gray Fox climbing trees but this is my first experience at seeing it. I went back later in the day hoping it would still be there and in better light, but it was gone.
I know it is only January but here in the Sonoran Desert, there are hints of spring already. Yesterday, I stopped at the ponds in the late afternoon and just after sunset I saw a Lesser Nighthawk foraging over the water. There are more flycatchers of every species now. Where there was one Black Phoebe, now there are two or three. I’m seeing more Ash-throated Flycatchers everywhere I go. The moon has been bright and the nights fairly cloudy but soon I will be able to do astro again, hopefully in the next few days.
Hard to believe it is already January and it sure feels like it. By Sonoran Desert standards, it has been cold. Temperature dropped well into the 20’s two nights in a row. To make matters worse for me, this is the period when I should be doing astrophotography, but it has been cloudy every night until just a few nights ago. Now I only have a couple more nights before the moon starts getting too bright. I hope next month is better! The Ajo Christmas Bird Count was yesterday and joined in on that. Otherwise, not much has been going on.
