standing proudly above the Fish Lake trail this morning, gazing calmly toward the horizon and the future. This could be the logo for an insurance company.
Young male mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in velvet.
Danger on the trail...
early this morning when this unusually reddish rattler became annoyed and clearly announced its presence as I rolled by on the singletrack.
Hopi rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis nuntius), a subspecies of the prairie rattlesnake.
UPDATE: From Chris, a local BLM biologist: “Hopi rattlesnake makes sense for the color and smaller size. The taxonomy has changed recently so the subspecies is no longer recognized and is instead considered a dwarf variant of the prairie rattler.“
An exploding population of squirrels...
has invaded our high desert community this spring, the most I have ever seen in 22 years. A local litter has just begun to venture out and they have all discovered the ground feeding stations. Super cute but destructive varmints, especially around the house.
Juvenile rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus).
Evidence of night roosting bats...
can be found in the form of guano pellets and insect parts, dropped when insectivorous bats take a short break from their nocturnal foraging activities. If you ate half your body weight in insects every night you’d need to take a break and evacuate your bowels, too.
Bat guano is an excellent fertilizer and wars have been fought over this precious resource. Sweep these nuggets of concentrated nitrogen up and toss them in your garden.
It's been a bumper year...
for pesky and persistent varmints. Meet Number 10, going for a ride. Number 11 has already been spotted, hopping around and enjoying freedom for a short while longer.
Rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus).
Like a liquid buzz saw...
the Gunnison River has deeply incised the Black Canyon, exposing the ~1.7 billion year-old Precambrian metamorphic rock that comprises the enormous Painted Wall, caught at sunrise and the moment of first light.
Wide pre-dawn view of the 2,250 foot (686 meter) high Painted Wall, showing pegmatite dikes intruding the foliated gneiss and schist creating a natural abstract mural nearly a half-mile high.
Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) enjoying sunset near Cedar Point the evening before.
A nonvenomous striped whipsnake...
slithering through the buffalo grass, likely driven from its burrow by an intense rainstorm this afternoon.
Striped whipsnake (Masticophis taeniatus).
Munching on a locust seed pod...
out in the open, this squirrel is clearly mocking me. This is Number Four, having deported three others so far this season to other locations during the ongoing varmint war. They’re very cute but they can be very destructive.
Rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus). Click on image to enlarginate.
FOLLOWING DAY UPDATE: Number Four is going for a ride. Couldn’t resist the grapes and peanut butter in the live trap.
On the lookout...
from atop its underground bunker, this squirrel’s days of freedom are numbered as the live traps are set in the ongoing varmint war.
Rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus).
This solitary muley buck...
is one among more than 50 in a small herd that regularly aggregates behind the house around dusk. They’ll be moving up the valley now that spring has arrived.
Mule deer buck (Odocoileus hemionus). Click image to embiggen.
Look who's going for a ride...
in the live trap, down to the river for release, as the springtime varmint wars commence around the house. This is number two.
Rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus).
This junior muley...
enjoys a diverse diet during this dry winter, caught here through the front window at dusk.
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) browsing on sagebrush.
Smoking a honey locust seed pod.
First in line at the watering hole...
this evening is this handsome mule deer buck.
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus).
An end-of-year sighting...
of Bugs Buddy this morning confirms this long-lived wild rabbit is still in residence and is always a welcome visitor at the feeding stations.
Desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii).
My personal best was achieved today...
where the Arreaux model rocket soared to an apogee of 2,402 feet (732 meters) on a “G” engine at a remote launch site on the state line. I’m aiming higher.
Also, these launches push me over the century mark, now having sent more than 100 model rockets skyward this year. Huge fun.
The Book Cliffs serve as a backdrop as the Arreaux zooms off the pad.
The Nike Smoke Pro under chute after achieving an apogee of 695 feet (212 meters).
Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) wondering what all the commotion was about out on the range this morning.
A regular evening ritual...
is developing where a small herd of muleys pays a visit to the birdbath. First come, first served.
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus).
A soggy rabbit on a soggy day...
but still enjoying munching on succulent cheatgrass.
Desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii).
Setting out a hazard cone...
as an assist to a slowly moving turtle crossing the Fish Lake Trail this morning. Always happy to help my reptilian friends.
Painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) galloping across the trail.
Hanging out in the high country...
with a buddy from graduate school at a guest ranch near Creede, Colorado. Here are several of the local residents.
Our remote cabin for the week at about 9,200 feet (2,800 meters) in elevation.
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila).
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor).
Golden-mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis).
Why did the snake...
cross the trail? Why to get to the other side, of course. But this one wasn’t moving at all in the cool of the early morning, found fully stretched across the trail, basking in the warmth of the Sun. I brake for reptiles.
Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi).