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Birding Flowers and Plants Insects

Exploring New Areas at Granite Gap

This morning I took off on a long hike to investigate a mountain I can see in the distance from the rim of the Peloncillos. The mountain had a sheer face with lots of large boulders piled up at the base. Looked like good herp habitat. In addition, the big rock face will run off lots of rain into the boulders at the base, therefore should be much wetter than most of this area. When I got to the scene, that is what I found. The mountainside is pure granite with a large jumble of boulders at the base. There are many types of plants growing in the boulders that I don’t see elsewhere around here. Most notable, lots of Soapberry. There is a butterfly called a Soapberry Hairstreak that I’ve been looking for, this could be the place to get it. I didn’t see any today though. There was also more Gambel’s Oak.

I’ve never seen this flower before, Buckley’s Centaury, Zeltnera calycosa. What a beautiful flower! Typically, this plant grows in wetter places and the boulder field seems to be good enough.
Another view with a different angle.
Desert Holly, Acourtia nana, is flowering, first time I’ve seen this happen.
I got two lifer butterflies today. This one is a Texas Powdered Skipper, very similar to the Arizona Powdered Skipper, but there are differences.
The other lifer butterfly, an Acacia Skipper.
I was checking the Turkey Vultures soaring overhead and found this Zone-tailed Hawk in with them.
At the base of the boulder field, there was a lot of Cane Cholla in flower.
I tried to make this into a Mexican Fritillary, but it isn’t, just the ordinary Variegated Fritillary.

One reply on “Exploring New Areas at Granite Gap”

You are seeing so many awesome sights. The flowers and butterflies are beautiful. And zone-tailed hawk, can’t ask for better than that.

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