Trunks

 In the winter, the birds are the big focus in the bosque, but another part of nature that deserves attention are the trees. The variety here is huge, from small willows to giant cottonwoods. Some are wild (cottonwoods), some are feral (elms), some are domestic (apple). They are what makes each part of the bosque unique, and together make the environment that so many people are seeking when they move here. The winter is when many trees are being pruned, and many people are looking at all the fallen leaves in their yard and groaning. Opinions on tree care vary from leave 'em be to remove them all.

I know little about botany, but in England, trees are managed as a limited resource. I was taught conservation techniques including that saplings make great living fences (pleaching). Tall trees shed branches, die sooner and can be managed as a fuel resource (coppicing), All without needing bucket trucks, chain saws and wood masticators. Those who still farm and have orchards still remember these methods (pollarding), but as urban encroachment moves into the forests, these techniques are lost in favor of fast results and bankable assets such as clean lawns and open vistas.

Many insects and plants think it is Spring. This little plant is sprouting through the concrete lining of a stabilized arroyo.

This insect is a seed bug. They are not supposed to be out, but the warm temperatures have them crawling around.

This wasp is checking out our house looking for a new site for nesting. Competition can be fierce (here are already several established paper wasp nests in the area).

This moth is actually playing dead, but it is too cold to fly away quickly. Insects are definitely slower in the lower temperatures. Moths are able to be active longer by using the cracks in walls for warmth. The air under the leaves is warmer than the air at night and they use this as a resting place too, as well as laying eggs for the next generation. Moths are vital to the animals during winter as they have large stores of fat under that "fur".

 

Of course, the birds know this too. At the top is a northern flicker delicately probing into the sand between flagstones for immature beetle grubs and burrowing beetles. The second picture is a robin throwing leaves aside in a mad hunt for moths and beetles in the leaf litter. The bottom picture is a nuthatch roving over the gravel looking for gnats and flies that are hatching in areas of dampness.

This mature cottonwood is competing for light by growing tall, with few lateral branches.

those shallow roots and thin trunks are at high risk for breaking apart.

these younger cottowoods show the competition they face from the faster growing, but shorter willows close to the river banks where the real estate is more variable due to flooding.

By the river bank, the closely growing willows usually crowd out other trees until modifiers like beavers, people, or flooding open up new areas.

Other trees have different strategies. Olive trees put out bushy, short branches to clear a space and then grow upwards. they are more tolerate of shaded areas but will end up dominating an area later.

Trees change their growth strategy depending on where they are. So you can cut the top branches short and the tree will put out many smaller branches vertically to maximize chances of future growth in favorable directions.

sand

 

 

Still trying to get the two birds shown here figured out in my head. The sleek head of the crow on the left contrasts with the square "jaw" and surliness of the raven on the right. The easiest way so far is to know the ravens are usually on the ground and the crows like the trees.

This American kestrel is a small raptor that is common in open areas with abundant sparrow, but I think these guys are also interested in the chipmunks, mice, and lizards in the area. Out of the sand dunes below the Intel plant those prey species are currently very active and abundant.

there is a lot of young lizard species still out and active. This one last long it's tail in some mishap. because of this, the chances are poor he will make it to next year. Lizards need their tails for many things, like courtship and fat storage during the winter. They can jettison the tail in a predator emergency using specialized breakable bones, but it costs them future success.

Normally, sand is a poor material to burrow into because it moves around so much, but plants such as this desert shrub have shallow spreading roots that anchor the soil and moisture in place and allow burrows underneath for most desert dwellers to live in, such as lizards and rodents. Obviously if humans remove the pants, most of these burrows fill in and the animals have to move on.

This large wolf spider was sitting under the lights outside the house in temperatures just above freezing. Once brought into the house, it quickly warmed up and was very active. You can see it also also is missing one leg. Spiders can also sacrifice limbs to escape predators, but just like the lizards there is a heavy penalty to pay in future life in not having all it's legs. In spiders their legs function as sensors, and are often specialized for mating, manipulating their environment, capturing food, signalling, and many other things

Shelter

 

The cranes continue to migrate into the area in larger and larger flocks. They navigate by following the glint of the river, but they disperse along the banks during the day. They communicate constantly by calling. You can see them circling as they travel, checking out the local places of interest.

In some areas, these American coots are much more common. I don't see them very often in Corrales, not enough undisturbed wetland probably. The same reason the red wing blackbirds don't set up territories in this area, but are common in the south valley on undeveloped lands.

Sometimes the birds are even stranger. I got this shot just as the small flock of birds disappeared behind the trees. Definitely a seagull species. I think a ring billed gull.They haven't stuck around.

Compared to last year, there are a lot more rushes in the local ditch. As these dried out, the leaves fold over and form a very effective tent against the cold. You can see the frost on the top. The area inside is frost free and a few degrees warmer. In the morning, there are large numbers of small perching birds that travel around the fronds foraging.

This unconcerned skunk is napping in a drainage tunnel. They are dawn and dusk active mostly. Usually they are much more secretive and shy. This one is in an area with little dog walkers, so I was lucky. I still gave him plenty of space, for lots of reasons...

Beavers and muskrats are much more visible right now. The beavers are usually only seen by the signs they leave behind. Unlike in the storybooks, New Mexico beavers usually live in tunnels dug into the sides of rivers and ditches. The top picture shows a "drag" where the beaver dragged some heavy branch into the water to store underwater to eat later. Following the sign, their underwater entrance tunnel seems to have been dug under a concrete culvert. Pretty ingenious. The muskrats are usually out in the late evening, but I have seen the occasionally classic water ripples at all times of the day

refugia

 

Crows and ravens are certainly noticeable every evening as dusk falls. they travel up and down the bosque during the day, but roost in large noisy groups, especially near sources of heat or food.

I usually have problems telling the difference between crows and ravens. I notice the big guys (ravens) prefer open fields and the crows are often watching from the trees. Corrales has the odd pecan tree and those seem to attract the ravens.

 

With the colder temperatures it's easy to forget that the landscape mostly belongs to the insects. Even the big insects, like this cricket, and darkling beetle are often out and about in the sun. Our altitude in New Mexico gives us a thin atmosphere that warms up the ground quickly when the sun gets out. The bosque is an important insect hatchery. These insects migrate out to the higher desert during the summer to mate and feed. But in the piles of fallen cottonwood leaves and under fallen tree trunks, the next generation of "bugs" is kept moist and warm.

The bosque is also a thriving nursery for seedlings too. Here are young water cress plants(I think) on the left, and on the right, the next generation of desert cottonwoods. The moving water of the Rio Grande prevents ice from forming and allows many plants to grow in a protected nursery just under the surface of the clear water's surface, where the temperatures are more stable.

New Mexico is having a crisis of cottonwoods not being replaced. The seeds sprout easily enough on the river banks, but most trees around Corrales are easily 40 years old and all the saplings die before they can develop a trunk thicker than the width of an arm. The old trees last a while, but they are falling to the tree masticators much quicker than they can be replaced by nature.

This outlet drain is into the Rio grande. No idea wher it starts, but it seems to be purified and is likely effluent because it is warm. The thick plants clustered around the base of the grate are tropical aquarium species. The outflow is clean, and the heat seems to be a refugia for summer species of plants like duckweed. Duckweed presence suggests the water is clearly warm, and full of nitrogen. Duckweed sinks to the bottom in cold water, this outflow water pool abounds with small fish and grasses. There is a lot more to explore here.

The new dam at the end of Siphon road, or the North Beach, as it used to be called is controversial and is designed to reduce erosion. We shall see the changes unfold over the next few years. Still water is not something the rio grande has much of. Watch for the bullfrogs to colonize this area by April 2021. The feature is trying to protect the source of all the irrigation ditches in Corrales, the "Corrales Siphon"

food

 

the cranes have started moving into the raspberry patch nearby,their loud calls are calling in others every evening. They are also attracted to a nearby by field on Apple blossom lane and there will soon be a large flock there. They are also attracted to priestley place to corn that is placed out for them.

 

This shot was taken pretty quickly, so is kind of blurred. A loud croak was followed by a flurry of wings, and a Coopers hawk handed on the ground with bird as big as it was in those talons. The bird managed to escape, with the Coopers hawk following in close pursuit

The mudflats are recharging slowly with the groundwater coming in from the clear ditch and also from water from the the snowfall last week. The low levels and new mud is attracting waders like this sandpiper pair. Last week we had a brief visit from some striking black and white birds with narrow bills that might have been American avocets, but I didn't get the picture in time.

this little coopers hawk continues to terrorize small birds in the thick canopy along the lateral ditch. He is getting more used to humans and their dogs. the cranes are getting much more noisy and boisterous as they get used to the free food handouts the ravens directed them to.