space

 Corrales is quite the little gem hemmed in on all sides by lack of space. Rio Rancho with its streets, concrete, and traffic reaches around in a large hug on three sides, while the river keeps Sandia and Albuquerque literally out of arms reach on the fourth side.

However, the green enclave here does have room for privacy down by the water's edge, due to it being a preserve. It helps that there are not too many access points to the actual river.

The afternoon monsoons are beginning to set up again. The indications are that this year will be okay. The implications of a steady source of rain in the summer are profound and also hard to understand fully.

Down by the river's edge (around river mile 194), where people have been kept away, the young willow trees have matured into a more mixed forest. The ground is developing humic dirt and the moisture levels are becoming downright balmy under the short canopy.

Almost all of the detritivores here are European imports, such as these land snails and the roly-polies. But it is nice to see them coming out at last, after a couple of years of low humidity

The area is coated in cottonwood seed, however, this pile of down is not from those tall cottonwoods.

Apparently, there are more than 12 cottonwood species, but this down appears to be from a coyote willows. It definitely looks and acts differently.

Here is a puddle full of cottonwood seeds. On the upper fight quadrant is a small halo where the seed detached from the fibers and sank. Next to it is what usually happens; most seeds produce two embryo leaves, called cotyledons, as they get ready to put down roots into wet mud. Almost all the seeds will wither and die. But a few will hit ideal growing conditions and continue to grow for the next forty years.

There must be many more cicadas around than I've seen. There are many emergence holes about. These holes will be enlarged as the baby toads grow bigger and need shelter in the ground from predators like hognose snakes.

Here is a cicada shell, or "cast". It shows stumpy wings and strong digging arms of the final instar (larvae) before it molted and emerged into a full adult.

Wings are the focus for most insects in times of high humidity, either mating, feeding, or migration. Which means many flies and mosquitos for the next month. The smaller horseflies have a pretty wicked bite, but this house fly is just interested in coprophagy

mayflies rest in shaded areas until sunset, when they fly out over still bodies of water to mate and die. They act pretty chill for an insect with such a short adult lifespan.

stilt legged flies. Bit of an unusual one here. Never seen one before. They do not attract a lot of attention in the entomology world, apparently.

Stink bugs. The specimens this size have pretty potent smells, famous for decimating squash plants and rapid proliferation.

Haven't figured out this insect yet, They are often found by the water's edge in tall vegetation.

The birds are slowly reappearing in the bosque, although they are all being hassled by the ever present hummingbirds. The doves are looking comfortable, but there is lots of other songbirds around.

This coopers hawk was "pishing"(vocalizing) quietly and is all fluffed out. It was invisible but for the persistent hummingbird that was buzzing around and trying to get it to move along, definitely blew it's hiding spot. Nesting season continues for at least another month.

The summer tanagers are still about, feeding well by the looks of it. They feed almost exclusively in tall trees on what appears to be large caterpillars. The bright towhees monopolize the leaf litter, likely looking for moths hiding.

Unfortunately, people are still around. At some access points to the river, there is evidence of toilet paper piles, discarded piles of bottles (alcohol, water, and energy drinks), luckily the bosque has avoided major conflagrations, but we'll have to see. The damage is still pretty slight, but depressing to see. The fire season is still pretty early, and it only takes one....