at the feeding stations this season is the usually melodic Western Meadowlark, though not very vocal this time of year as they are in the spring. But always dressed smartly for dinner.
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta).
A powerful symbol...
in mythology and folklore, this large and intelligent bird is checking out the feeding station this sunny afternoon. Quite the handsome bird.
Common Raven (Corvus corax).
Creepy: The nictitating membrane is a transparent or translucent third eyelid, caught in the closed position over the eye in this high-speed image.
Setting Full Beaver Moon...
above Porcupine Rim early this morning. The final supermoon of the year.
With clockwork precision...
the nearly full Moon rises next to Castleton Tower. Tomorrow night’s Full Beaver Moon will be the last of three supermoons for 2024. Enjoy.
The high country...
above red rock canyon country is getting dressed for the coming winter.
Rabbitbrush seeds are on the menu...
for breakfast this frosty morning.
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis).
The winter launch campaign commences...
with the Arcas model sounding rocket, seen here lifting off on a beautiful sunny morning from the driveway.
Accompanied by a cloud of smoke and a whoooosh, Arcas soars off the rod to an apogee of 488 feet on a standard “C” engine.
In a blur of motion...
this young bird of prey failed to strike its intended target that fled into the saltbush. It’s using my feeding stations to hone its hunting skills and I’ve got my camera ready.
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus).
One hundred million years of Earth history...
is exposed in the strike valley below Castleton Tower, seen below in this geologically annotated image that includes the formation names and ages (Ma = mega annum = millions of years). The tilted beds of the Cutler Formation (right) comprise the northeastern limb of the Castle Valley salt anticline.
View toward the southeast with Adobe Mesa in the distance. (Click on image to expandify.)
Yes, it was another terrific afternoon for a bike ride in Castle Valley National Park.
Weekend rains translate to mountain snows...
in the La Sal Mountains, with snow level occurring at about 7,200 feet (~2,200 meters). It’s too early for the SNOTEL network to yield any seasonal information on snow depth and water content in the high country.
These enormous imbricated boulders...
were certainly moving as bedload in this ephemeral wash below Adobe Mesa during the flash flooding events this summer. Here they now sit, shingled on top of one another, likely stranded for a decade or more until mobilized in the next extreme hydrologic event in this drainage.
As artificial as the sky and cloudscape appears in this image, it was that lovely of a day in Castle Valley.
A soggy rabbit on a soggy day...
but still enjoying munching on succulent cheatgrass.
Desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii).
The autumn palette of colors...
is being brightly expressed in Castle Valley. There’s a real chill in the air, too.
Significant scour and fill on Castle Creek...
occurred above the bridge on Castleton Road during this summer’s flooding, clearly evident from examining these images taken three years apart. Compare and contrast.
THEN: Castle Creek on 17 November 2021.
NOW: Castle Creek on 31 October 2024.
Molten gold drips from clouds...
across the eastern horizon during this morning’s sunrise behind Adobe Mesa, a welcome warmth following the first hard freeze of the season last night.
Exploring the interfluves...
in the first-order drainage basins beneath Adobe Mesa, with dramatic views to the northwest towards Castleton Tower, The Rectory and Parriott Mesa. A lovely but chilly autumn day.
A flurry of aerial activity...
at Castleton Tower commenced around noon and lasted through the late afternoon. I suspect some poor climber is in distress.
UPDATE: Full story in this week’s Castle Valley Comments.
The footprint of flood impacted areas...
throughout Castle Valley is clearly seen in the recently updated satellite imagery available in Google Earth and Google Maps. Light-colored sedimentary deposits paint the areas affected by overland sheet-flooding and where floodwaters escaped ditches and natural channels. Compare and contrast.
Imagery date: 7 August 2024.
Imagery date: 14 October 2022.
Hint: Learn to use the time slider tool in Google Earth to time travel into the past and examine earlier satellite imagery.
Erupting in a matter of hours...
from the lawn, this phallic fungus emerges on schedule in October. About a half dozen of these pungent and indecent structures have developed so far, likely triggered by the recent rains. Impressive.
Common stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus).
Odorous chemicals in the slimy cap attract insects which will collect spores and spread them to other locations.
UPDATE: The following day, still standing erect but the cap has been consumed by insects, still attracted to the pungent odors.
The first seasonal snow dusts the high country...
and signals a good start to the water year. I recorded a half-inch (12 mm) of liquid sunshine in my rain gauge yesterday.
The snowy summit of Mt. Waas is 12,306 feet (3,751 meters) in elevation and about 12 miles (19 kilometers) distant. Round Mountain in foreground.