to the feeding stations and sits for its portrait.
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus).
Dodging storm cells...
over Castle Valley during my daily ride on the singletrack. As good as the riding is right now, I really wish it would rain more.
A burgeoning population of lizards...
are occupying the rock gardens this spring, scooting and darting about and keeping the ants under control.
Northern whiptail lizard (Cnemidophorus tigris septentrionalis).
More lapis loveliness...
found in a hanging dish feeder, shoveling the seed down as if it’s never eaten.
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena).
An ocean of rolling sandstone slickrock...
is to be enjoyed on the famous Slickrock Trail. Don’t let the seemingly flat expanse in the image below deceive you but I cranked slightly more than 2,000 feet (610 m) of vertical ascent on the 10 mile (~16 km) trail. I first rode this line in the early 1980s on the upswing of mountain biking and it hasn’t gotten any easier at three score and nine years in age.
GPS track from my Garmin watch, color reflects speed.
Castle Valley Drive has finally reopened...
above the newly constructed monstrous arch culvert near the entrance to the community. It is astonishing that the natural streambed was not carried through the oversized rip-rap that is placed directly in the channel, choking it, rather than simply protecting the side slopes.
The natural cobble bed channel of Castle Creek versus the newly engineered channel choked with rip-rap.
Let's get small...
inside the blossom of a prickly pear cactus as the bees do their thing this time of year.
The cherry on top...
of my typical daily 18 mile (29 km) ride is the long and flowy descent on the singletrack from this high point on the trail, about 900 feet (274 m) above my residence in the lower valley. It’s all about the downhill flow!
An unremarkable spring bloom...
is well underway in the high desert, hindered by the exceptionally dry conditions through winter and early spring.
Narrow leaf yucca (Yucca angustissima).
Breeding males brighten the brush...
and are hands down my favorites at the feeding stations this time of year. They’re arriving in greater numbers now.
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena).
Peak cliffrose pungency...
is occurring right now with pockets of the sickly sweet aroma encountered on the trail.
Cliffrose (Purshia mexicana).
Sleeping bees in flower blossoms...
emerge as the petals open later in the morning when warmed by the Sun. Shelter, warmth and pollen, what more could a bee desire?
Globe mallow bee (Diadasia diminuta).
Flashes of blue with splashes of orange...
makes the return of this colorful bird a welcome sight around the feeding stations every spring.
Adult male Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena).
April showers make a rainbow...
in the light mist late in the day. Nearly a half an inch of rain fell today.
Hummingbird season arrives...
with steadily increasing visits to the feeders.
Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri).
Finally nearing completion...
with the road grade reestablished atop the new arch culvert on Castle Creek. Road paving and placement of rip-rap still remain as tasks to be completed before the main entrance to our community reopens to traffic.
It will be interesting to observe the backwater effects of the new structure and the rough, bouldery channel created by use of oversized rip-rap during future flood events. Upstream pooling of water, slower, less efficient passage of flood flow, increased deposition of fine sediments in the channel and increased bank erosion upstream are likely going to occur.
The sharp shadow of Castleton Tower...
commences its seasonal rightward march across the face of Adobe Mesa at sunset, achieving its furthest rightmost position on the summer solstice in June.
Sunning serpents...
stretched out across the singletrack today, miles apart from one another. Admittedly it was a pretty lovely day to catch some rays.
Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi).
Bright cactus blossoms...
are beginning to appear in the high desert.
Whipple’s fishhook cactus (Sclerocactus whipplei).
Claret cup cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus).
The stuff of nightmares...
found crawling on the trunk of a cottonwood tree at Lions Park.
Western tent caterpillar (Malacosoma californicum).