Birds

 "That patience now doth seem a thing of which

He hath no need. He is by nature led

To peace so perfect that the young behold

With envy, what the Old Man hardly feels."            Coleridge

What something is, compared what a person might think it is can be so different as to be exactly opposite. Coleridge often considered this idea. His poetry is amazing if there is time to actually delve into the concepts. That is also a large part of what this nature blog is all about.

Our waterways teem with mammal life. Muskrats, nutria, otters, and beaver. Most of the time we don't get a chance to see these creatures, and even worse, is the circumstances when we do. This large female was dead on the side of the road in a curve of the road entering Corrales that is notorious for roadkill.

No one will ever know what happened, but I can say there was a beaver dam right nearby where an excavator was dredging. This female probably was forced away from the dam along the off shoot that goes under the road. She likely had kits, who hopefully were on the cusp of being weaned.

Skunks are another shy mammal that is often around Corrales after dark. Contrary to their reputation for being bold and standing their ground, I often see or hear them charging off into the darkness. They are more prevalent around buried drainage pipes, maybe the foraging is better there, but I suspect they just like the cover.

Coyotes continue to divide opinions, but they are another shy, retiring mammal that is seen far less often than most people expect. They are a prey species and know how to behave around humans. My personal opinion is that they are opporuninsts, but would much prefer to be left alone and away from humans if they can help it.

The crazy song dogs appear to try eating anything once, not unlike our own pet dogs, who are alternately defenseless prey and fierce hunters of wildlife. I suspect this in in a large part a reflection of the owners and often not connected in any way to objective facts. The fact is the coyotes can be studied by their scat, and the scat is that of an opportunistic omnivore, with a sweet tooth.

Rock squirrels thrive around humans, even when persecuted extensively. They clear out bird feeders often and love to explore new crops. This one was killed because it damaged chile crops. This is odd because chile is specifically evolved to deter mammal tast buds. However no animal, man included, will turn down trying to eat something that exists in abundance.

"Water, water, every where,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, every where,

Nor any drop to drink.

The very deep did rot: O Christ!

That ever this should be!

Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs

Upon the slimy sea" Coleridge

Refugia is a term for where an ecosystem holds out against chance and change. Sometimes it is enough to protect a species. Here, the tracks of the heron as it hunts the trapped frogs in a pond tell the story of terror. The young frogs have transformed into frogs in a bid to escape the feeding as the puddle shrinks by darting into the tall grasses. Normally they overwinter and transform the following Spring. The cold could soon freeze the surface. However, they have survived as the snow and rains north of us raised the water table enough to return water to the ditch, for a while.

The frogs survive by feeding on small insects attracted to still water bodies. Other animals attracted to these include many species of marsh spiders who can dart across small patches of water in the sedge grasses. It is amazing how many species of creature is a dedicated predator. I know this as some sort of wolf spider, but can't seem to figure out the genus.

"But by my looks, and most impassioned words,

I roused the virtues that are dead in no man,
Even in the assassins' hearts! they made their terms,

And thanked me for redeeming them from murder."

There are many other assassins hiding in Corrales. This one is waiting for feeding honey bees. One of the true bugs, it has turned its piecing proboscis to hunting nectar seeking insects. This one is a wheelbug, called that because of the cog shaped hump on it's back, that sadly did not come out well defined in this picture.

"“The first great requisite is absolute sincerity. Falsehood and disguise are miseries and misery-makers.” Coleridge

This leaf footed bug is also a true bug. Also, has a proboscis designed for piercing. But it is a dedicated vegetarian that the wheel bug is probably mimicking to try and hunt more effectively.

"What if one reptile sting another reptile? Where is the crime? The goodly face of nature hath one disfeaturing stain the less upon it" Coleridge

Wireworm are the insect larvae of click beetles, of which there is about 1000 species in the US. The adults usually tunnel into crops while the "worms" feed on dead vegetation like the damp leaves from trees. Because they do no one any good, most people are content to see them removed, but their presence indicates a healthy biomass, plus, the more they are exterminated the more they develop resistance to all attacks.

The tree crickets are a group of insects with a complex series of behaviors. The young emerge in spring from holes drilled into tree bark before the winter and begin to feed on aphids, changing to plant material as they grow older.

"The butterfly the ancient Grecians made
The soul's fair emblem, and its only name-" Coleridge

It can be strange to see butterflies around Corrales in the winter. There are actually still flowers around, if you know where to look. The mistletoe flowers do not look like a typical flower, yet the giant purple hair-streak butterfly still is attracted to them as well as midges and other very small insects. Butterflies also like salty fluids and can also feed on tree exudates that often form on cottonwoods infected with fungal infections.

The famous monarch butterfly is not the only migrant in Corrales. This is a related butterfly known as the Queen butterfly Danaus gilippus. There is also a King, Soldier, and Viceroy butterfly, as well as the famous Monarch. Not only does the Queens feed on flowers that can contain poisonous alkaloids, but they also convert those compounds into danaidone, which is a sex pheromone.

The Orange sulphur Colias eurytheme is one of the butterflies that exist in huge numbers in the alfalfa fields of Corrales and Bosque Farms. It is pretty rare to see these insects with their wings open unless they are flying or dead. Almost all of their brilliance is shown in the UV spectrum.

The rustic sphinx moth is found around nightshade plants in the summer. The caterpillar is known as a hornworm, and the metamorphosis happens just under the soil. The caterpillar has to grow fast as there are many species of parasitoid wasp that seek to lay eggs within its body. This is a very large moth often seen in warm weather.

The tropical least skipper is one of the smallest butterflies. It likes to stay in damp, grassy areas and is quite a weak flier, found in Arizona and New Mexico and as far south as Nicaragua.

Birds are attracted to Corrales for the quiet and ability to continue nature behaviors such as roosting, calling and migrating. Many species are also been injured or electrocuted by the high voltage wires that run through our trees. Herons visit from time to time when the water levels are low enough to make the fishing easy. They appear to appreciate to appreciate a quiet area.

"All Nature seems at work. Slugs leave their lair--

The bees are stirring--birds are on the wing--

And WINTER, slumbering in the open air,

Wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring!" Coleridge

 

In the winter, crows congregate in the river valley, maybe banding together in areas of warmth or good feeding on the nearby city dump, The often collect for a period near to nut trees such as walnuts or pecans found at the Bachici Open space.

New Mexico is a major pecan producer, and there are many other trees about the bosque. We also have walnuts and oaks thriving is some spots. This encourages many animal species, including humans to seek them out. The Mountains had a good pinon crop this year too.

There are many animal species that remain hidden from human sight, but luckily the sandhill cranes are not one of those animals. They can be easily attracted by food and a little space and privacy. Their loud calls are easy to follow, but you will not see any chick with them as their breeding grounds are far to the north as far as Russian.

With mild winters the feral turkeys are still around enjoying the food placed out for the sandhill cranes. The local flock appears to have grow at least 50% in the last year with great survivability compared to the last few years.

The high silt clay of the alluvial basin is cracking as the winter grasses begin to push up from below. They form crazy hexagonal cracks as they quickly begin to replace the damage of the constant mowing and heavy traffic placed on them.

Down by the river, the fine mud can crack into bizarre sigils, offering great nooks and crannies for seeds and small species of critters to hide in.

“What if you slept
And what if
In your sleep
You dreamed
And what if
In your dream
You went to heaven
And there plucked a strange and beautiful flower
And what if
When you awoke
You had that flower in your hand
Ah, what then?” Coleridge

This striking plant is one of the Ipomopsis species. Very striking, and also a tough little species found in many dirt types. Flowers and their pollinators form a complex inter relationship that can be very difficult to follow except in certain abstract ways. When complicated by being rare. or having unexpected behaviors, such as flowering in the winter things can be complicated.

The Chicorieae family can be one of the last to seed and are often fed on by many small birds as they work to find food once the insects have disappeared. Having the seeds float on the wind means that when birds visit they often help to spread the seeds further

Horsetails seem to be spreading in the Corrales area, tolerating both shade, sun and any soil. This plant is very hardy and spreads by spores and underground roots.

Trees are a keystone species for Corrales, their changes mark the graduation of the seasons and their erratic behavior both condemn and recharge large sections of the resident populations of humans. The natural animals and birds found here are unique and draw many people here to appreciate the ditch banks, river and miles of undeveloped space between Bernalillo and Albuquerque.

Many people are quite envious of those who are lucky enough to live in the leafy shade of the stately cottonwoods. 

    We, of course might see the flaws of trees a little too keenly, especially during periods of wet snow. Still, we do not need to forget that it is quite a luxury to be habitants of a place so full of natural charm and beauty. That is something Coleridge himself would appreciate.