roost

the world keeps wobbling on its axis and the seasons continue to change. Temperatures rise and fall incycles and life adapts to the changes.

the insects are slow to come out after the last cold snap, but are slowly coming back. The number of insects in slowly going to increase until the variety of bugs becomes totally insane.

This southwestern fence lizard was trying to catch some heat from the last of the sun's rays. Lizards need heat to digest their meals. This reptile uses cavities in the wood as shelter and also hunts spiders through the old wood cracks.

These japanese creeper berries are likely from last year. Some birds are able to eat these berries, but the high levels of Oxalic acid cause kidney failure in most animals that are tempted by the appetizing color

The fire department is using a bobcat to plow wide paths into the dense stands of willow by the edge of the river. They might be making fire breaks, or reducing fuel loads, or creating backchannels for endangered silvery minnow when the monsoons come. It could be horse trails, or trying to stop the construction of unofficial human trails from the numerous bikers, dog walkers, and wildlife watchers. I have no idea. I have mixed feelings about more people making it down to remote areas of the river. It is a fragile beauty that belongs to all of us.

Mostly, the dense trees protect animals such as rthe sandhill cranes when they come in to roost for the evening.

The evenings are pretty special as the sun sets. The birds collect in large flocks to rest after a day of foraging in the farm fields. The shallow water offers relatively good protection from disturbances from people and coyotes. 

Feeding activity continues, of course. But there is also a lot of posturing and courtship activity. I have no idea what the bird in the background is prying out of the mud, but he was pretty focussed on it.

There are also quite a large number of mallards, they get on with all birds, but mostly each species sticks to flocks of its own kind.

The wood ducks are appearing in larger numbers now but mostly stay isolated in a breeding pair.

Down by the Rio Grande Nature Center at the end of Constitution road there are a large number of mallards that roost in trees. In Corrals I have only seen wood ducks roosting in the trees. This is a picture of a female wood duck. Now you know how they got their name!