It has been too long since we posted anything on here!

We’ve been busy at our place. A lot of guests, a lot of gardening, photography and riding.

Let’s start with a “CJ’s Desert Dwellers” and go from there.

CJ’s Desert Dwellers: Desert Spiny Lizard Sceloporus magister

Family:Iguanid

There are several large male Desert Spiny Lizards running around the property. They are in full breeding color and are quite territorial, right now. There are nine subspecies of this lizard. This is our Desert subspecies, (S.m. magister) identified by the black short stripe behind the eye.

They do a display to claim territory. We call it ‘doing push-ups’. See for yourself on this video…

Click this link for a larger version on Vimeo CJ’s Desert Dwellers: Desert Spiny Lizard from CJ .

With tail, this big guy is about a foot long.

NOTE: Click photos for larger versions!!!

]]> http://wownature.wordpress.com/2009/06/15/way-too-long%e2%80%a6/feed/ 0 wownature lizard lizard2 http://wownature.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/bugs-bees-butterflies/ http://wownature.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/bugs-bees-butterflies/#comments Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:45:18 +0000 wownature http://wownature.wordpress.com/?p=78 ]]>

We did a quick video, today. We shot this after working at the farm this morning. It’s a real quick edit by ME and me. The butterflies are really starting to increase in numbers.

We did this fast. ME wanted to see how to use the program, so I gave her an accelerated tutorial, covering titling, slomo, imbedding/importing, etc. A few little things to make iMovie do a little more without having to resort to a full-on Premier job. We have raw footage of mating roadrunners and a mother bobcat chastising her offspring for not killing Harris’s Hawks fledglings (the adults weren’t keen on the idea) that we are processing. Thanks for looking…now, go outside!!!

Our last entry showed how to make bird Crack (suet).  We have a feeder right outside our ‘breakfast nook’. The birds love it, and subsequently, so do the predators.

The Western Diamondback waits for dinner under the 'crack' feeder

This is the Western Diamondback, Crotalus Atrox, photographed  from the open window. This spot is frequented by this particular snake (Chong) and he can be found here almost every day.

CLICK all photos for larger versions

Note the heat sensitive 'pits' midway below the eye

A young Curve-billed Thrasher, Toxostoma curvirostre, was carelessly moving about under the feeder when this occurred.

Using his 'pits' the snake located the largest blood supply/area and struck.

The other birds went into a noisy raucous mode and when the snake went to swallow the bird, others of the species made very desperate sounds!!!  (You can hear them in the video)

Here’s the whole process edited to 8 minutes (in real time) I was concentrating on my photos, so there are some exposure issues with the video. I was shooting into the sun.

…and the same video reduced further as a high speed version to two minutes

The snake manipulated the bird into the standard ‘head first’ position and started to swallow him.

always head first…

Rattlesnakes can dislocate their jaw to allow swallowing of large prey.

open wide…

It appeared the wing might be a problem, but, it just opened it’s jaws wider.

yum! hot wings!!!

As soon as the wing was covered, it was a short time until the whole bird was gone.

almost done…

We’ve watched this snake eat two birds and a rat since July 4th. After eating this bird, he moved right back into position and waited for more.

We were using commercially purchased suet cakes. An acquaintance told us of another home recipe. We tried it and it was quite successful. After several revisions and refinements  we have arrived at this current recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:

Bird "Crack' (Suet) Ingredients

1 lb. lard
48 Oz of H20
1 18 oz. jar peanut butter
1 lb quick oats.(about 4 cups)
4 cups bird seed
Plastic forms (old suet containers, plastic storage containers, etc.)
Cornmeal (optional)

Use any inexpensive peanutbutter, (Fry’s/Kroger/Family dollar was cheapest per ounce, both shown) and bulk oats (seventy-nine cents a pound at Sprouts/local cheap produce). The lard was also purchased at Fry’s/Kroger.

Heat lard and water until emulsification takes place. (boil) While heating lard and water  remove the peanut butter from the jar and put it on a plate. Turn off the heat. Slide the peanut butter into the hot mixture. Slide don’t plop!

Carefully, slide peanut butter into mix

Peanut butter will burn very easily so you must turn off the heat. Dissolve the peanut butter in the lard and water. You need to be able to stir the mix continually.

Add the 1 lb. of quick oats.

Add oats to mix…

Stir until all the oatmeal is wet.

Stir oats into fluid mixture until uniformly coated and moist

Heat, very briefly, again until it bubbles and it looks like normal cooked oatmeal only greasy. Turn off the heat and add the bird seed,

add commercial bird seed…

stir until evenly dispersed through out the mixture. Continue to stir as it cools for about 5 minutes. It will pull away from the edges of the pan as the gluten from the oats binds the mix. If you want a thicker mix, add a little optional cornmeal.

Line the forms with plastic wrap. Put the mixture in the forms when it is comfortably safe to handle. The filled form should be able to sit in your hand comfortably, no warmer than a hot shower.

Press mix into forms…

Cover, cool to room temperature, refrigerate.

After they are cool, put in your suet feeder.

Ladderback enjoys the crack

They are easily made out of a 1×4 and mesh screen or are avaialable commercially. (We have both, the one pictured is a copper piece, about eight to twelve dollars.)

Weekend Report

Saturday:

I’d never ridden with tunes before. I was afraid I would miss the “all senses” outdoor experience by filling my ears with music. So I had been resisting Dr. Decadence’s (CJ) “you have to try this” prodding.

He arrived home yesterday, with 2 IPOD Shuffles. One of which was for me. I probably would have been able to resist, but he pulled it out of the bag and it was purple. I love purple, and he, of course, knows this. I caved!

Then he connected my computer to his so I had access to the 65,000 songs he has on his computers hard drive, (give or take a few doubles). I then put myself to the task to choose my “riding” music.

We got a late start for an evening ride yesterday. So it was a sunset setting in which I launched my first “musical” ride.

Click photos for larger version

Happily, I could still hear the crunch of my tires on the trail, and the yipping of the coyotes through the beat of the tunes. I found myself swooping magically, winding my way up, down, and across to our pre-planned stopping spot at the top of the Chutes.

CJ looked at me, started laughing and asked, “What’s that look on your face? Do you like it? Talk to me?”

As the light was fading, I pointed my bike downhill towards home. Appropriately, at that moment I was listening to Paul Simon. I sang along out loud with the music…”STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, Y…E…A…H, STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.”

Sunday: 6:30 AM

CJ and I were pedaling our bikes to the 50 Year Trail. We started the climb up Rollercoaster. Almost to the return for the Chutes…

…and my legs felt yesterday’s ride. I was glad to have the music. The beat let me detach and creep the rest of the way to the top.

That uphill warm-up to the 50 Year Trail definitely has it’s rewards. It leads to one of the best trail systems on the planet.

We saw few people out enjoying the trails. We met Dee and Randy. It was Randy’s 1st mountain bike ride. Dee was navigating using a map, and was looking for the easiest route back to the parking lot. CJ suggested I take the lead. CJ being an IMBA certified instructor, coached the ladies as they rode. He’s very good at it, and they were enthused. At the corral, we said good-bye to them and continued our ride.

We kept riding, moving at a pretty good pace. After a few hours, it was getting toasty.

My Camelbak was empty ( CJ shared his), but my iPod was still full. With the rising temperatures and low fluids, we started our return. We got back on Rollercoaster and cruised. I’m very thankful its downhill to go home.

Riding is always a glorious time and, I have to say, the music made it that much better.

MaryEllen

Flying forcefully
Ambushing prey in mid-flight
Munching off the head

CJ’s Desert Dwellers: Damselflies & Dragonflies

Order:Odonata

These creatures are fascinating. Using their four independently functioning wings, they dart over ponds of water, catching dinner, mating, laying eggs…all while in flight! Their legs aren’t for walking, they’re for holding ‘lunch’. These insects CANNOT fold wings flat against the body. The dragonfly extends its wings horizontally while at rest and the damselfly holds them towards the rear in a vertical position. The giant bulging eyes give them a cool quality.

5000 species worldwide and over 450 in North America. Fossils from these creatures go back over 300 million years.

They lay their eggs in the water which hatch and become ‘niads’ that wriggle around in the pond ooze, catching prey. When mature, they crawl out of the water, their ’shell’ splits, and a new insect flies away!

Familiar Bluet Enallagma civile male
28-37 mm (1.15-1.5 inches)

Second – Desert Firetail Telebasis salva male

Flame Skimmer Libellula saturata
28-61 mm (1.15-2.45 inches) Wingspan 85-95 mm (3.45-3.75 inches)

We had a great and productive day at Way Out West. Dr Al Zimmerman, MaryEllen Landen and I conducted an extensive and thorough species count and survey of MOST of our place.

So, first, the ’stats’ of the survey site. We did this at our place, but, here’s the official spot. Total species numbers are at the end of the post.

• Location:
  5494 East Edwin Road
  Catalina Arizona, 85739
  32�30′29.42″N
  110�52′35.23″W
  3150 Feet elevation
  2.87 acre census area/habitat
• Conditions:
  84° at 9:30 AM (start)
  99° at 4 PM (conclusion)
  Lunch from 12:30 -2 PM
  15% Humidity
  Sunny & Clear

With just the three of us, we decided to return to the more extensive survey approach of the initial walk. We started in the ‘main’ butterfly garden and visited a puddle party of Marine Blues.

(Click any of the photos for a larger view)

We spent a bit of time watching and, sure enough, they weren’t all Leptotes marina. A Reakirt’s Blue was one of the many different species visiting the area.

The spot is right next to a small koi pond, so it gets a lot of extra water and is a hub of activity.

As the temperature climbed, more visitors took advantage of the quickly evaporating moisture. A couple of skippers came in for a taste. An Acacia Skipper would ‘get a little’ , then, move off to this perch and sit in the shade.

The Arizona Powdered Skipper* liked the sun!!!!!

We moved off of the puddles and started our circuit. Checkered whites were prevalent, with a lot of fresh individuals frequenting the Golden Crown Beard Verbesina enceloides. They were the third highest in number with 63 (for the day).

Dainty Sulphurs were everywhere in the meadow, all over the Fleabane Daisy Erigerons divergens. Southern Dogface were winging through Along with a number of Cloudless Sulphurs. These guys were a bit ignorant of my presence.

They were busy.

We kept moving through the meadow and, as we approached noon, more retreated into the shadows. The Leda’s Hairstreaks were congregating on the Camphor Weed and Spearmint*.

Temperatures were climbing and our hydration packs were getting empty. I spotted a ’stand’ of larvae and got a quick shot before our lunch break. There were five in a one square foot area. There were several more congregating in different areas, as well as individuals on pipevine plants throughout the grounds This Pipevine Swallowtail caterpiller was moving quickly to the cool lower areas of the grass as soon as the sun hit him.

This Bordered Patch was quite exquisite, even though a bit uncooperative for photography!

After lunch, we continued our walk to the lower area and worked around the ‘mini-bosque’ and the other koi pond. Even with freshly filled, cool hydration packs on our backs, the afternoon was hot. We concluded at 4 PM without completing one full loop of the property.

Predominant movement of ‘butterflies with a purpose’ seemed to be from the SW to the NE (corresponding with the mountain alignment).

Here’s the day’s totals:

Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor 38
Queen Danaus gilippus 28
American Snout Libythaena bachmanii 10
Fatal Metalmark Calephelis nemesis 3
Marine Blue Leptotes marina 93
Reakirt’s Blue Hemiargus isola 8
Ceraunus Blue Hemiargus ceraunus 1
Spring Azure Celastrina argiolus 1
Leda Hairstreak Ministrymon leda 69
Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus 2
Checkered White Pieris protodice 63
Mexican Sulphur Eurema mexicana 1
Sleepy Orange Eurema nicippe 16
Orange/Clouded Sulphur Colias eurytheme (orange) 3
Southern Dogface Sulphur Colias (Zerene) cesonia 19
Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae 10
Dainty Sulphur Nathalis iole 73
Bordered Patch Chlosyne lacinia 2
Desert Hackberry Asterocampa leilia 1
Skippers:
Acacia Cogia hippalus 2
Arizona Powdered Systasea zampa 1
Checkered Pyrgus albescens 5
Desert Checkered Skipper Pyrgus philetas 4
Golden-headed
Scallopwing Staphylus ceos 4
Funereal Duskywing Erynnis funeralis 1

“Poorly-seen-ids” 85
“Poorly-seen-sulphurs” 8

*Photo from 5/31

The Harris’s Hawks were entertaining with the continual squawking by the nesting female and the answering calls of her group. Vermilion Flycatchers were courting and the ladderbacks were all over the ‘birdy crack’ (homemade suet mix). The gardens were buzzing with bugs, butterflies and hummingbirds.

All images© CJ Vincent
All photos from the grounds of Way Out West & taken June 1, with noted exception