I’m still here at Granite Gap. No break in the heat out in the Sonoran Desert. That’s OK because this is a great place for astrophotography and nights are currently moonless. Every night is good, clear, usually no wind, dark. Compared to South Dakota, this is great for astro. Up there I can only wish for a good night or two during the new moon period. Yesterday I put quite a bit of time in on Sage Thrashers trying for a better shot of them eating juniper berries.
Finally, I got a good shot of a Sage Thrasher eating juniper berries. Once they get used to me sitting there, they will come out in the open, but it takes awhile. It is too bad that branch is covering the tail, but nothing I can do about it. This is M15, the Pegasus Cluster. Located, as one would suspect from the name, in the constellation Pegasus. M15 is about 33,600 light years from Earth, and is an estimated 175 light-years in diameter. It is one of the oldest star clusters known, at around 12 billion years. The Cocoon Nebula. I have done this before but it is quite small and by using the C8, it looks much more impressive. Located in Cygnus, it is is a stellar nursery where star-formation is ongoing. M33, Triangulum Galaxy, which I have done many times with the 500 f4 lens. This image was done with the C8. The galaxy is nearly too big to get it framed but it does fit.
As always, right click on any image to open in a new tab if you want to see it at full size.
I’ve been at this campsite in Granite Gap since last Thursday. So far, not one person or vehicle has come by on this road. The highway (Highway 80) is only a few hundred yards away but traffic is light and the road into the BLM land is gated, so I suppose that deters most people. Nights are getting darker now that the full moon is past and I did a few hours of astrophotography last night. Otherwise, I’ve been hiking and reading. There has been a surprising variety of birds here. I saw one Hermit Warbler, a species usually associated with forested areas. This is mostly desert here, with a few small Gambel Oak and junipers in the rocky slopes, so not typical habitat for birds like Hermit Warbler. This morning I saw a Vaux’s Swift fly by. There is a mountain lion roaming around too, I’ve seen the tracks in several locations, from the size of the tracks I’d say a large male.
Bewick’s Wren having arachnid for breakfast. Cliff Chipmunk, the only species of chipmunk in this area. This one was in the yard at the George Walker House. Not a very good photo but here is the Hermit Warbler. Young male Rufous Hummingbird, photo taken out the back window of the Scamp. I see this Sage Thrasher all the time but it has been difficult to photograph. Here it is photographed between some juniper branches. Elephant’s Trunk Nebula, from last night. I want to add a lot more photons to this tonight.
This morning I decided to drive north to Granite Gap and investigate some dispersed campsites on BLM land in the Peloncillo Mountains. About halfway there, I came upon a Peregrine Falcon perched on the cross arm of a powerline. It let me get pretty close and then gave me a nice chance at takeoff/flight shots. I think the flight shots are probably the best ones I’ve ever got of an adult Peregrine Falcon.
The campsites look pretty good, should be quiet there, good cell phone service, and free. The drawback is, like here, it is 45-60 miles to a grocery store, depending on whether I go to Douglas or Lordsburg. The Lordsburg grocery store leaves a lot to be desired but it is closer then Douglas (60 miles from Rusty’s RV Ranch). I have two more days to decide….
Peregrine Falcon on the cross arm. Take off! Nearly perfect light for a change…A Steller’s Jay at John Hands Campground. Redwhisker Clammyweed (Polanisia dodecandra). This photo is from the Valley of Fires BLM area I was at last week.
This morning, I went back for more Eared Quetzal photography. I’m glad I did too, I got really nice shots of both the male and female. I’ve been reading about these birds and from what I’ve learned they are a late summer/fall breeding bird. I wonder if these two are starting a nest in this area or maybe thinking about it. They have been at this general location for quite awhile now, since at least September 15, according to Ebird.
Male Eared Quetzal. Is he old enough for breeding?Female callingMale
The only nest record for Arizona that I know of was in October 1991, when a pair of Eared Quetzals was found feeding young in a tree cavity in in the Huachuca Mountains.
I drove over to the the Chiricahua Mountains area yesterday. I usually stay in the Forest Service campgrounds in Cave Creek but they are all closed. So, I’m in an RV park, Rusty’s RV Park, north of Rodeo, New Mexico. The bird I wanted to see here is the Eared Quetzal (pronounced KET-zal). There have been some seen in the Chiricahua Mountains off and on all summer. This morning, I saw one of them in Cave Creek and heard another. ABA Life Bird #603.
The Eared Quetzel is an uncommon, large trogon of pine and pine-oak forests in mountains and canyons of northwest Mexico. North of Mexico, this species is very rare. A wary bird, they will fly long distances when disturbed but can be found feeding quietly at fruiting trees. That is what this one was doing, feeding on hackberry fuits.
Young Male Eared QuetzalEared Quetzal. There were at least 15 other birders present this morning. A life bird for many.
Here’s another series of images from Baldwin Spring. This Spotted Towhee came in for a bath. It was quite energetic.
Spotted Towhee taking a look around to make sure it is safe. Now he is getting his wings going. Full motion. His beak looks like an eye now. I am always telling people how far I can see from my campsite (astronomy distances don’t count but that would be about 2.5 million light years with the unaided eye). On a clear day, the Laramie Mountains are visible on the horizon. I have never bothered to check how far that is, but yesterday was one of those very clear days so I took a photo. Then I used Google Maps to determine that it is about 150 miles. Laramie Peak is the highest point in the Laramie Mountains with an elevation of 10,272 feet. The ridge in the foreground with the dead trees on it is part of the Elk Mountains, about 15 miles from camp. Taken at 400mm focal length.
A strong cold front moved through yesterday and this morning, for the first time in long while, it was cold. I decided this would be a good day to hike over to Baldwin Spring and hide in my blind to see what would come in. As it turned out, lots of birds were coming to water. I saw a few obvious migrants, including Orange-crowned Warbler. One Virginia’s Warbler is still present, I assume a bird that has been here all summer. The numbers of Townsend’s Solitaires was amazing, sometimes there would be a dozen or more at the spring. One Clark’s Nutcracker came in too.
Townsend’s Solitaire with gloomy, cloudy sky reflecting off the water behind it. Townsend’s Solitaire with a more colorful backgroundPlumbeous Vireo that landed on the perch I placed near the water. The red background is a sandstone cliff behind it. Clark’s Nutcracker
A few days ago, I put out the trail cam on the dirt road going by camp. I got over 500 photos of branches and grass blowing in the wind, so I took it down. That next night, a Mountain Lion came strolling down that road and right by my camp, about 50 feet from where I was peacefully sleeping! The photo above is the proof. I guess I had better leave that trail camera out there. I would have had some nice video of the lion if I hadn’t taken it down. As for the mystery tracks of my last post, I think I have a solution. Probably not a Wolverine, but maybe two Mountain Lions, one walking behind the other. That could explain the pattern or 3 or 4 tracks grouped together. I have to wonder if a female with a kitten could be in this area. If so, would the cat walking behind place its feet in the tracks of the cat in front with a purpose or just coincidence? The lion that came by my campsite was apparently alone. Perhaps more evidence will be coming soon.
