Skills

 “Plants are more courageous than almost all human beings: an orange tree would rather die than produce lemons, whereas instead of dying the average person would rather be someone they are not.”
― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

 Plants and their relationships to us is complex, thought provoking, and often misunderstood. It is undeniable that our lives are closely connected with those of a photosynthetic ilk.

 

It is a fact that the mistletoe is a misunderstood plant. There is a lot of internet data about it's use in Christmas traditions, and also how to eradicate it. The prodigious amount of repeated data on the internet seems to be obscuring and also plain wrong. Even the earliest descriptions by Pliny the elder of druids climbing oak trunks on the sixth day of a waxing moon to collect a fecundity decoction after sacrificing two white bulls seems to be a bit of an insider joke. English forms of mistletoe very rarely grow on oak trees.

In Wales and Somerset, growing mistletoe on old apple trees is seen as a way of encouraging a good harvest and there is much talk about elves hunting for children during the winter solstice and other pagan imagery dreamed up by a 13th century poet known as Thomas the Rhymer.

Comparing the myths of mistletoe with that of this little shrub, know as "pussy-toes" due to its soft furry leaves that help it survive cold nights and dry days is a study of contrasts. While the plant is well known, there is almost nothing noted, or of note about it. Maybe because it is common and doesn't have myths associated with it being poisonous, or useful for amorous stunts at Christmas time.

I honestly don't know what this common plant is, but I know the new crop is busy growing now and is likely to be very common come summertime. They like well drained sandy soils and exclusively found on open, disturbed soils with heavy traffic. While birders will often share their information with random strangers, botanists tend to keep their knowledge a secret.

 

 The american coot usually prefers open and deep waters, but they are found in Corrales from time to time. Like all the new arrivals, it takes a few weeks for the anxiety around people to dissapapte

 

 A coot is not a duck, and while it swims well, it's feet are lobed, not webbed like a duck, the genus is actually closer to the crane family. They can dive, unlike the mallards, which are just too buoyant to go much below the surfac. They build floating nests which means their eggs never become flooded.

 

 The say's phoebes are insect eaters so will be seen on their ambush perches once the insects begin to appear. Their quick, furtive movements are very endearing

 

 The ubiquitous red tailed hawks commonly watch over the open meadows from a lofty perch. Their powerfully build bodies are well adapted to pouncing on small mammals below. While they prefer open ground, they usually need a tall perch to hunt from.

 

The cooper's hawks are much smaller and better at dodging around and through thick vegetation. This one has just captured a roadrunner. It was startled during feeding by me, and after failing to fly off with the carcass, in now standing its ground. You can see the blood under the hooked bill. The prey weights about 10oz, the same as one large avocado. People's small pets have nothing to fear from this pint sized predator.

 

Roadrunners are infrequent visitors to the bosque. They are pretty safe in open grass lands where they crouch close to the ground when they see an aerial attack coming. This one is spreading the feathers on it's back open to be able to feel the warm sun on it's bare skin patch. 

 

 Predators have specialized needs when it comes to hunting. The crab spiders use camouflage to get close to their prey. They have the ability to walk backwards, which is kind of rare in spiders.

 

 Running crab spiders are related to the long legged crab spiders, but more built for movement and travel rather than pouncing and grappling. The second pair of legs are the longest, and they look more slender over all.

 

 Cellar spiders have been evolving for over 300 million years and are perfectly adapted to living in your house. This accidental coincidence is because they are designed for living in dry caves, which is what a house essentially is. Their thin legs are very sensitive to vibrations, which is helpful where there is little natural light. Their prey diet is very sparse and small. While this seems odd, they do not have competition from other spiders so do not need heavy mandibles and tough armor. They specialize in huge sheets of non sticky webbing and actually are pretty adept at catching other spider species. Those long appendages are good for wrapping a struggling insect at long range.

 Dragonflies have been seen catching over 100 mosquitos per hour in favorable conditions. Their complex breeding cycle actually prevents too many hunters being found in any one area, though so their presence is not a surefire way to eliminate them.

  

It can be depressing to consider the humble mosquito and human's reactions to them. These insects have constantly evolved to be resistant to new insecticides. They have adapted to living in urban environments. This means they can survive freezing winters by living in drainage pipes. No one system is effective at eliminating them. Our best treatment, DDT, nearly wiped out birds before we knew what was happening. Even worse, the most effective program to eliminate mosquitos is found in Florida...at Disney Land.

People living up on the Bajada of the western slopes of Corrales get amazing views of the many moods of the wild Sandia mountains. You can see thick clouds flow over into the lee slopes that shine with wild hues of gold, pink, greys and purples each evening. The effect is enhanced in the winter with the thin white blanket the rocks are covered by.

 

 The longest day of winter is almost upon us and we light the fires to hold back the darkness in that vain effort to be comforted in the icy blackness. Actually this was the 2023 Corrales Fire Department bonfire and the green chile stew was quite comforting.

 Not all animals are as happy. Its a tough time to be a mammal right now. The porcupines have begun to run out of fallen fruits like apples and New Mexico does not furnish much hard mast like nuts, so they have begun to chew the inner cambium of young trees until the buds appear. Actually some trees do have buds, including elms and cottonwoods.Mistletoe appears to be a favored food, due to its succulence. During the winter porcupines seem to spend almost all their time in older trees snoozing in the crook of a branch

All the mammals, from porcupines, gophers, rabbits and skunks are moving around more right now. The skunks are foragers and love to explore horse barns looking for mouse nests. The species gets hit often by cars, especially at the south end of the Corrales Main street where there is a large apple orchard on the west side. The vast majority of the roadkill deaths are amorous males, dying in search for love without the benefit of mistletoe to smooch under.
 

Flying

 ""Until I came to New Mexico, I never realized how much beauty water adds to a river." - Mark Twain

Mark Twain used to be a river boat pilot and has a very deep understanding of rivers as seen in his book "Life on the Mississippi" Oddly, there does not seem to have been much improvement of our river understanding in the days since.

The physics of water allows all the life to grow around us. The vascular plants draw water up to their leaves by simple capillary action. The fact that plants do not need energy to pump water up into their leaves is a core concept of plant biology is called water potential. The physics is amazing and borders on magical. For those of a more lyrical bent, the vascular system of cottonwoods in the twigs look like a five pointed star when snapped, and many stories about this have been created through the centuries. Once a year or so, the temperatures, humidity, and oblique sunlight are just right to allow the vapor trees transpire to be visible. The ethereal smoke effect is a gift.

Plants transpire a large amount of water into the atmosphere during the process of transmogrifying carbon dioxide into simple sugars. Here you can see the droplets forming at the tips of saltcedar leaves. As the leaves evaporate off the water, the salts left behind force more water to rise up into the leaves by osmosis and is used by this particular plant to survive in brackish areas.

Amazing at it seems, the next crop of insects is already pacing around. The true bugs seem to be the first, but the midges also are swarming and actually pollinating some flowers. Elm seed bugs are present, but slow.

Carpenter ants are unfortunately named. although the appellation of "bi-colored" as apropos. The scouts appear as soon as a part of the day rises above 60 degrees. Most of these slow down markedly as the temperatures drop again, at least allowing for a good close up of an otherwise very fast moving subject.

The number and variety of ducks is continuing to increase. Each type of duck is a little different in temperament and habits. It is interesting to note the numbers of birds is actually very high right now, we are accustomed to summer being the time of the most variety of avian critters.

In the winter the flocks of large birds head south and into New Mexico. The open fields of places such as Bosque del Apache, Valle del Oro, and Bernardo Wildlife area are far more active with geese, cranes, and other species. Many visitors are surprised by the number of birds found in these hidden wetlands areas.

The smaller region of Corrales still interest these majestic birds. Mostly they like to explore, forage, and court in open fields. Many local people also put food out, where the birds quickly learn to trumpet for in the early morning. Feeding wild birds seems to have caused many unexpected behavior changes, but you can always guarantee a lot of mess and commotion.

The water in Corrales runs just below the surface and the many ditches act both as drains and irrigation, depending on their level relative to the water table. The terrain here is very flat, but a small change in elevation can have large consequences. A careful management system involving many large earth movers are necessary to keep everything "natural"

The conditions for growth of grasses and other plants is actually quite favorable right now. Water doesn't evaporate quickly and competition for space is quite low, especially if you are a plant able to grow on the edge of water, like this grass.

 

 Grasses are a relatively recent evolution, with the first pollen grains appearing about 55 million years ago, around the great dinosaur extinction event. Their major feature is that they can survive, and even thrive in periods of upheaval. They use fire and floods to extend their range, and they can tolerate heavy grazing pressures. They evolved to not need insects for pollination. They are tough, diverse, and now dominate many landscapes. Grass grows from "culms" and sends stems out sideways, as well as upwards

 

Many animals of the bosque rely on the boundaries of trees and grasslands. These areas have the widest mix of desirable features. So this raptor is able to use tall trees perch up high, hide among the branches, and survey an open field for prey, while also having room to pounce if prey is spotted.

Education, especially in biology, relies heavily on teaching students a model organism. This has the benefit of efficiency, but a lot of valuable learning is lost in the nuance. For example, these are mistletoe flowers, which is a species related to sandalwood. No one is ever going to put this into a floral display, so few people learn of the value of mistletoe to insects when compared to a daisy.

The common mullein is a European plant introduced to be used as a fish poison by early settlers. The hairs seem to help reduce insect herbivore attack and also insulate the leaves from desiccation. While many people swear it is used to help with symptoms of bronchitis, there is no actual proof it works. The plant thrives in wet conditions but has many adaptations to survive dry periods.

The recent rainy periods have encouraged the growth of some other strange plants. Mushrooms should be sprouting in the wet leaves soon. However the rarer growths are plants like the mosses, lichen, and  slime mold communities that are not often seen. Mosses are among the oldest known plants and many species can be found in areas of damp, still air, like in the deep creases of fallen cottonwood trunks found in the shade.

Lichens are a fungi that grows with an algae intertwined in its threads. This picture shows a shield lichen with the characteristic grey green "leaves" that give it the name.

The river levels have begun rising again to "normal" levels and the moisture can be seen everywhere. Rising in the damp soil in patches, along the river banks and in the ditches. It can even be seen in the delicate patterns of hoarfrost in the chill mornings. All of these sights occur because of the presence of the river and the water that lies just below our feet. Water is the main reason we all live in this beautiful location and we should not takes its beauty so much for granted

drive

 "Every calculation based on experience elsewhere, fails in New Mexico" - Lew A. Wallace

A lot of the general ideas of biology seem to come from experiences in the North East of the US. Many things we have learnt about rivers do not apply to New Mexico. Even thought the rules of physics apply equally, the murky brown silt that winds randomly through the soft soil leaving uprooted trees and pools throughout the floodplains are nothing like the lush green banks of grass envisioned in a reading of Lew Wallace's autobiography. The river level bucks up and down through the seasons as well. Floods and droughts confound our predictions every year. In response, humans invented dams, concrete channels and buried pipes. But what we gained in control we lost in other ways. Lew Wallace had a great appreciation of an area called the Grand Kankakee Marsh, which is now on the verge of being eliminated. Corrales is well on its way to a similar fate.

 

  “The smallest bird cannot light upon the greatest tree without sending a shock to its most distant fiber.” - Lew Wallace 

Great blue herons use the isolated pools as the river recedes to feed. They are solitary hunters and  have preferred locations to perch. They are not too fond of distractions, either.

"There the lake, cool and clear rippling but a few feet under the surface, and helping the trees to their long life in old age" - Lew Wallace

The wetlands of Corrales are still there, just below our feet, usually anywhere from a few to tens of feet. In most areas of Corrales a topsoil has been brought in to place under buildings. This is used by builders to prevent subsidence. It is impervious to water and compacted to be free of tree roots. Even though we live in a valley, our houses all rest on shallow plinths. The cranes and turkeys are attracted to Corrales for the fields and food, usually placed there on purpose to attract them. They cannot wade in flooded fields during the winter and seem to prefer human creates environments, if they are quiet.

"Better death in the canal, however dreadful, than death in the temples,—for the soul’s rest, better!" Lew Wallace. 

Wood ducks don't usually like to be in groups. They are not like mallards and seem to place a premium on privacy. They will gather on the Rio Grande however. Many eyes provide the best safety during feeding and courtship.

" While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmed wave" - Milton.

While it does not seem like nesting season, this gull sure looks like it is on a nest. However, you should bear in mind that gulls are usually nest in groups, and that the season is also wrong for nesting. Most likely this bird is just resting mid way into it's migration.

Ducks will visit most areas of open waters. Dabbling ducks like this one mostly focus on insects and plant roots found along the edges of permanent water sources. This requires a very inquisitive and bold disposition, which is likely why these birds adapt so quickly to bread handouts from obliging humans.

"Those close by looked at the gift, and saw, for the first time, that it was not the crown, but the crest of a chief or cacique. Then they knew that the trial was merely to make more public the honors designed." - Lew Wallace.

    Blue jays prefer our state's high altitude pine forests, where they can rummage though the duff of the forest floor for pinon nuts, acorns and pupating insects. Like the towhee found in the bosque, this lifestyle seems to favor the bold. They sometimes come into the bosque looking for peanuts in the bird feeders.

 

"His features were gracefully moulded, and he would have been handsome but that his complexion was deepened by black, frowning eyebrows." - Lew Wallace.

 

    The thick and chiselled bill of this large black bird identifies it as a raven. Crows and ravens are as different as humans and neanderthals, but can be hard to tell apart. The best description I have found is that if it's a black bird with a bill, then its a crow. If it is a massive bill with a bird attached, then it's a raven.

"Apprehension always paints in black. " - Lew Wallace.

    Crows have adapted well to human activities, like many animals. However, they also maintain a high level of independence. They can often be seen flying above Corrales this time of year.

"they went by in haste; eager, anxious, crowding, all to behold one poor Nazarene die, a felon between felons" - Lew Wallace.

Crows are attracted to more than just food. They congregate anywhere there is anything that interests other crows. This small group appears to be interested in spoiled meat that was thrown out in an area known for vagrancy.

"Waiting in ambush was by no means new to him. He was not in the least troubled by impatience. To be sure, he would have felt more comfortable with a piece of bread and a cup of water, yet deprivations of the kind were within expectations"" - Lew Wallace

    The presence of raptors profoundly changes the ecology of the bosque, and the dance between the those hunting and the hunted in very complex. raptors like this red tailed hawk don't scavenge like the crows, but actively ambush small mammals. This style of eating calls for patience and introspection.

"I remember how more than Acadian the view appeared, and how like profanation it would be to spoil it with a battle" - Lew Wallace

    Prairie dogs thrive in open fields but they are dependent on their burrows and often run into trouble in marshy areas. Their use of sentries are a great preventive against aerial attack and they seem fond of existing close to roadways, which messes with the meso-predator hunting strategies in an area. The activity of eat-and-be-eaten can be intense.

"And thou shalt say when I can help thee best, and prompt the mode by labor, life, or death indifferent" - Lew Wallace

This picture shows an interesting story. A fresh rabbit kill partially covered by leaves until nightfall is a quintessentially cougar style of hunting. This was on a pretty busy section of trail. To my mind it shows how little we have to fear from the large cats. They are the ultimate ninjas and choose to watch from the shadows.

"yea, the mere listening—would suffice, if told in the right ears, to send us both straightway to the tigers." - Lew Wallace.

    Deer are strongly drawn to areas around human houses now. The grasses are growing in the newly cleared area where constant leaf removal and gardening, along with few predators, creates the perfect environment for their style of browsing.

""Ho now! Hood the hawks, and leash the whimpering hounds. The day is done."" - Lew Wallace. 

    The end of the hunting season is approaching in Angelfire. The antler-free females graze on the fields of the golf course most evenings at sunset. The males rut and keep constantly on the move in the heaviest brush to avoid hunters, but the females behave the exact opposite.

""These, with other yells of like import, broke in upon the hosannas of the part of the multitude too far removed to see and understand the cause of the interruption"" - Lew Wallace

Chipmunks in the alpine forests are very vocal, far more than those in the western highlands. Partly they broadcast warnings, but a great part are also territorial disputes.

"" The violence with which he denounced me was the chief argument in his favor" - Lew Wallace.

Aberts squirrels are much more confrontational, after all they have limited food stores to protect and the forests can get quite crowded. Getting scolded by a squirrel seems to almost be the rite of passage when walking in a pinon forest in the fall.

"“His beard and hair are very white. They have always been so.”" - Lew Wallace.

    This very common plant is commonly know a pussytoes and is often cultivated in dry areas because of its velvety leaves. It is also a common plant is dry cold areas. The silvery hairs on the surface are a common plant adaptation known by many terms, depending on the context, but a common one is pubescence.

"“The long, long cycles—two,—four,—eight—pass away, and I see the tribes newly risen, like the trodden grass" - Lew Wallace.

    Botanists often tie themselves up in knots trying to prepare for climate change In spite of the billions of lines of print on the subject, humanity has very little understanding of the dynamics of our sylvan future. Trends come and go as the various parties vie for dominance in our thinking. Even the most simple observation of forests can show that more junipers are now growing where they did not before.

    "“Consider the Lichen. Lichens are just about the hardiest visible organisms on Earth, but the least ambitious.” ― Bill Bryson 

    Biology and botany in particular is rapidly trying to figure out why it did not study the interactions between fungi and tree roots before now, The needle of public opinion has swung wildly from bad to good, and back again. Of course, the answer is more nuanced than that, especially as the benefit is nutrient cycling for the whole ecosystem, rather than the narrow view of just the plants in your garden.. The symbiosis involved in tree lichen is even more cryptic. Sadly, the functional focus of modern science means it takes a crisis before interest and resources are focused on a problem. Lichen is just not viewed as useful.

"In the shade of a ceiba tree he stopped, and said, “There is a service you might do me, that lies nearer my heart than any other.” - Lew Wallace

    Many pine trees have shelf fungus growing on the living trunks, particularly in the autumn and fall. Most trees have fungus threads growing on some part of the trunk. When the fruiting body, or "conk" is visible, this makes it easy for an arborist to use them as a reason to need a tree felled. But it is likely fungi that feed on the wood directly is also in a mutual relationship, along with the valuable threads working in the earth to trade nutrients through the roots. This teamwork won't be understood as long as its visual presence is used to justify tree felling rather than fungal growth. Even parasites are a sign of a healthy and thriving ecosystem.

"Sitting in the lake, she shines lustrously as a star; and though in a valley of gardens, she is like a great tree shadowing in a desert. But the ravager comes, and the tree shall be felled, and the star go out darkling forever." - Lew Wallace

    Fallen trees are enough of a problem that we have a whole industry devoted to removing them. The industry of growing them seems so much smaller. The actual process is different in a city than in a national forest. It is worth a moment to think of all the ways different people relate to trees. Tree hugging, carbon sinks, fireplaces, log cabins, ecosystems, shade structures, parks, climate control... Either growing them or removing them, humans spend a lot of effort relating to these organisms in a myriad of ways.

"The path led into a grove of cedar and wild orange-trees, interspersed with ceibas, the true kings of the forests of New Mexico" - Lew Wallace

    A lot of twaddle has been written about New Mexico and its trees, but there is room for a little romanticism from time to time. Cedar and juniper trees are often mixed up when east coast travelers come to New Mexico and look for what is familiar. Lew Wallace might have written a little about ecology, but his interests were far more related to hunting and fishing than to botanical accuracy. Of course, the boundaries of New Mexico were different then. Still the plant species quoted here grows in Central South America.

" It was the unspeakable joy of souls on the shores of the river of life, resting with the redeemed in God's presence" - Lew Wallace.

    The level of the river is very variable, even with dams and canals to control flows by human means. It is strange how much people who live in Albuquerque have a blind spot for our river. The flow is 100% human controlled and planned. We have obligations to Texas, and federal protections. Ephemeral backwater pools like this one are critical to the unique bosque ecology. There are extensive measurement gages and it can be illuminating to see how the level fluctuates over time.

"Strangely enough, it enables us, among other things, to merge our identity into theirs often so completely that their sorrows and their delights become our own." -  Lew Wallace.

    Insects and trees are very intimately connected. Many insects are specific to only certain types of trees. Unfortunately names can cause problems. This is a native species of moth that is still active in winter. Sadly it is named a "winter moth" which is the same name given to a European species of moth that has been invasive in the US since 1990's. the two species hold not be confused, not all immigrants are welcomed equally.

"“We pray you not to think ill of your slaves if we say that the verses which come unbidden are the best; no song of the bird’s so beautiful as the one it sings when its heart is full.”" - Lew Wallace.

    This daddy long legs is part of a growing list of animals known as a "Synanthrope" the distinction is a rather silly one. An animal that relies on humans either for food, shelter, or to migrate, but is not domesticated. This distinction is important to people as a population, I think on this often as my gaze turns to my hounds sleeping under the table, who domesticated who?

    Lew Wallace's writings, especially "Ben-Hur" was, in part, an exploration of respect for all people and compassion. It is ironic how this book was finished during his tenure as governor with the Lincoln county wars and the bizarre double crossing of Billy the kid, which doesn't get as much press. 

    Forgiveness doesn't always have to be a grand concept. We face a testing of faith every day in the bosque and seeing dog poop bags left on the ground for others to pick up. A suggestion sign is usually seen as a challenge. While it is amusing to see other people grind their teeth over such minor infractions, it nevertheless remains a fact that wetland wilderness is vanishing rapidly under our very noses (or feet). Lew Wallace and his surviving museum in Indiana discusses this obliquely.