It’s been a few days now, and the scene continues to replay over and over in my mind’s eye. Somehow my sketch of these two birds …. one the victor, the other the victim ….. came easily and quickly, much like the time it took for the event to unfold.
Returning to our house after photographing snow scenes created by an overnight winter storm, I paused at the door, turning to admire the beautiful white landscape. Faster than an eye blink and just as quiet, a sharp-shinned hawk soared by at top speed, obviously intent on capturing one of our feeder birds!
I’ve seen this small hawk fly by a few times over the past several weeks, but the smaller juncos, finches and titmice always managed to duck for cover in the nick of time, foiling the “sharpy’s” chances of a meal. But the hawk, perhaps better skilled in his timing and approach after some practice runs, wasn’t about to miss on this day.
The spotted towhee must’ve been so focused on scratching for buried seeds that all obvious warning calls eluded him. Out in the open eating seed under one of our feeders, the towhee must’ve been too hard to resist for the sharp-shinned hawk, and fell victim to the expert predator.
Having camera already in hand, I was able to take a half dozen photos after the sharpy snatched the towhee with his long piercing talons, pinning him securely to our brick patio. As sad as it was to watch the towhee struggle against the hawk’s sure grip, it was all over for the towhee in 30-45 seconds. Then as fast as the sharp-shinned hawk had attacked, he regripped the lifeless towhee, lifting him effortlessly and flew away into the trees.
The circle of life.
“You can’t imagine anything like nature as we know it without predators.”
-Dale Jamieson
“Every living creature, big or small, plays such an important role in our ecosystem.”
-Mufasa’s memorable speech to Simba (from The Lion King)
Did you know?! Today, and every year January 5th rolls around, is National Bird Day! Whoo! Hoo! Or should I say “Tweet!” Have you hugged a bird today?
“National Bird Day, celebrated on January 5th, is a day dedicated to the conservation, preservation, and appreciation of birds. It aims to raise awareness about the importance of birds and their habitats, and encourage people to take action to protect them.”
Back Story
(or Why this seemingly random information nugget has popped into this blog post, and what happened to those fascinating Full Moon stories?)
Since my Full Moon project came to a close in November, I’ve been pondering over my list of ideas that might become a fun project. With elbows propped on my drawing table and chin cupped between the palms of my hands, my eyes and mind began slowly drifting outside to a winter scene where patches and drifts of snow had collected from our last storm. Readjusting my focus to the bird feeder right outside my studio window, I watched as 15-20 dark-eyed juncos engaged in minor skirmishes, competing for seed. Birds on the feeder and the ground ravenously plucked and scratched for tasty morsels before they were stolen by another hungry junco.
That’s when it hit me …… the constant activity at the feeder, every day, brought to mind the number of holidays, events and sometimes solemn to whacky occasions we the people have designated to commemorate and celebrate. The published lists (official? who knows) are long, cover every day of the year, and often include a dozen (more or less) International, National, State and Local happenings/day!
The topics are boundless; some familiar (Valentine’s Day), some hilarious (National Pass Gas Day), some educational (Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day); some raise awareness about a cause (National Save the Eagles Day), while some satisfy your appetite (National Curried Chicken Day) ….. your thirst (National Green Juice Day) …. your sense of play (National Fruitcake Toss Day) … your sense of self (Measure Your Feet Day).
Apparently, if you can think it, there’s a “Day.”
So here goes ….. I’ll be tackling a “Day” a month during 2024, that is likely to make a good fit for my Nature Journal. Then Flambé, not to be left behind dog paddling in a sea of flounder, has agreed to play too. Kat will pick a “Day” each month where the event is more light-hearted, laughable, fantastical.
And there you have it! Scattered among my regular nature journal pages and Flambés Misadventures will be our interpretations of a few dozen of the hundreds of notable events we think are worthy of recognizing this and in future years!
Enjoy! What’s your favorite (backyard) bird? Oh and please share how you celebrated National Bird Day!
What comes to mind when you see a group of pigeons perched on electrical wires high above your head, or when a large flock or band of these birds suddenly flushes from under a highway overpass to escape a winged predator, or when you’re walking through a grocery store parking lot full of discarded food scraps and must shoo away pigeons to avoid stepping on them?
click the link below for the entire post, and learn if you believe this large bird is a pest or a prize
As the Fall season rapidly came and went, and the first snows blanketed the landscape, I focused my hiking time (and some of my drawing hours) on collecting local native seeds. Always careful that plenty of seeds remained available for overwintering birds, I still managed to harvest hundreds from about 25 plant species. All sorted and packaged in separate pill containers, my collection is now stored in the refrigerator at 40 degrees, until growing conditions are optimal for planting. This treatment method is referred to as stratification.**
Why collect native seeds? All throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall, a diverse assortment of pollinators visited our locally blooming wildflowers and shrubs. Along with these butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, beetles and flies, were the insects, spiders, and birds that prey on unwary pollinators. Such an amazing show; a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes! The air was a buzz with activity. My goal is to mimic the native banquet in hopes of attracting these pollinators and predators.
Also, seeds are absolutely fascinating. I like to think of them as gift-wrapped, living plants-to-be. Tucked neatly inside of the seed coat are food stores enough to feed the makings of a complex root system; flowers, leaves, stems, branches and even a trunk. Seeds can be tiny, some microscopic and some as large as a softball. Seeds come in a variety of shapes, colors, textures and decor both inside and out. Some seeds have “wings” to fly; some have silky or puffy “feathers” to float; some are like “lead,” heavy enough to intentionally sink under water.
So I pulled out my 10x hand lens to investigate, drawing most of the seed species in my collection. It was very cool to compare seeds of different species that are in the same family (like the composites of the Aster family and the penstemons of the Plantain family). Until creating this journal page, I’d never held the seeds of 3 different species of yucca in one hand at the same time. Observing the similarities and differences, I finally confirmed in my mind that the genus Herperaloe and Yucca are indeed in the Agave family. And then I found examples of seeds from completely different families that evolved similar dispersal mechanisms (convergent evolution). This phenomenon was visually obvious in the delicate feathery, silky, and poofy hairs or bristles attached to grass, aster, and milkweed seeds, facilitating seed dispersal by wind.
Finally, I felt the need to draw the seeds in case they happened to spill into one big jumble while being planted! Yes, I would be clumsy enough to create chaos out of order. Should that happen, I’ll be able to sort the mess by species by referring to my field guide page.
** Seed-producing plants pass along to their seeds the specific requirements(s) necessary to break dormancy and germinate. These genetic codes determine if optimal conditions exist for seeds to sprout and hopefully grow to maturity. But key to successful germination depends on seed ripeness (in most cases). Knowing the plant species from which a seed is produced; whether the plant is an annual, biennial or perennial; habitat, moisture needs and the type of “treatment” method(s) are all important bits of information tied to successful germination.
I’ll have to create a future post describing the variety of treatment methods (germination patterns) inherent in the seeds.
Are you a seed collector? If so, share your why’s and how’s!
After a well deserved rest from Inktober and from my self-imposed pressure to create something every day from a list of random prompts, I’m happy to be out again nature sleuthing. Curiosities in nature sometimes stare us in the face. But more often than not making discoveries require keen observational skills, noticing something new to you, and an ability to look for clues to a mystery with wide open eyes.
Double page post with an extra add on; all art work done with Graphgear 1000 loaded with 0.3mm 2B lead and all inked lettering done with Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen Fineliner, 0.3mm.
It was during a hike on an unseasonably warm day that I paused to admire the dried flower heads from one of the late blooming sunflowers. Have you ever noticed how they look like another kind of sunflower? Papery textured “petals” circle a central disk where a few weeks ago it was crammed full of puffy parachute-topped seeds. After the seeds become airborne, all that’s usually left is a slicked off surface punctuated with dots arranged in spirals radiating out from the center.
Wow! Time is flying. Here we are already well into the beautiful month of October, and realized my journal pages from our late September road trip fell asleep in the back seat of the car! But I felt my record of this day trip was worth sharing, especially since Halloween is fast approaching, and ghost towns are all the rage!
New Mexico always surprises and delights, and our trip to explore the pseudo ghost town of Cuervo, became two destinations. While in route to Cuervo, we found a curious notation on the highway map referencing the historic village of Puerto de Luna. Only a short, 9.5 mile detour south of Santa Rosa, we decided to check it out.
Puerto de Luna, NM The village of Puerto de Luna, Gateway of the Moon, is still inhabited, mostly on the West side of the Pecos River. However there are many wrecked and ruined buildings east of the river; enough to merit the label “Pseudo Ghost Town.” After a scenic ride through country used primarily to grow wheat and for livestock grazing, travelers first encounter the well maintained Church of Nuestra Senora del Refugio. Built in 1882, the church is still in use today. Just SE of the church sits the remains of the original Guadalupe County Courthouse. Constructed in 1891 of sandstone brick and blocks, it was only used for a few years. . Before the county seat was moved to Santa Rosa in 1903, a second, much larger building was constructed on the west side of the Pecos, which today is being used as the senior center. Not much remains of the original courthouse; the roof and half of the walls are piles of rubble lying inside the structure. The photos below show the changes from then to now.
Guadalupe County Courthouse, Puerto de Luna, 1891
Remains of Guadalupe Co Courthouse, Puerto de Luna, 2023
Looking inside the remains of Guadalupe Co Courthouse, 2023
Our brief visit to Puerto de Luna was fun. We learned about some of the pre-village history, like the Spanish explorer Coronado was said to have passed this location in 1541, naming the site Puerto de Luna after seeing a spectacular moon rise. And then there’s the more recent account from 1880, involving Billy the Kid and his last dinner here before being escorted by Pat Garret to Las Vegas, NM to stand trial for murder. After a hour of poking about a few more abandoned buildings, we headed back north to Santa Rosa and east 17 miles to our next pseudo ghost town.
Cuervo, NM ….. don’t blink or you’ll miss it!
If you zoom along on I-40 at 75-80 mph, heading east or west, and happen to blink, you’ll surely miss what remains of the old trading post and railroad town of Cuervo. Spanish for “crow,” Cuervo was officially established in 1902 as a watering stop for the CRI&P railroad. When the trains stopped running in 1910, the population declined, and businesses closed. But things took a turn for the better, when in 1926, Route 66 came through town, and Cuervo boomed again. By the 1940s, the population grew to 300, and had 2 of everything ….. schools, gas stations, hotels, churches, doctors, etc. All was just peachy for Cuervo until the late 1960s when the highway department decided to build I-40 right through town, slicing it in two and causing its rapid demise. Although the post office officially closed in 2011, the 58 permanent residents calling Cuervo home still have and use the old zip code, where they get their mail is anyone’s guess. Oh, and if you exit the highway hoping to fill up your tank, think again. Even though there’s a gas station sign that looks like it’s inviting you to stop, there’s no gas, or snacks …. nothing. Just a bunch of dusty roads, crumbled and weathered buildings, and tumbleweeds blowing in the wind.
We spent a few hours poking about the old town grid, exploring a handful of abandoned properties. The old 1915 Catholic Church is padlocked, but opened on Sundays for service. The 1930s schoolhouse appears to be undergoing some renovation. And signs of more prosperous times exist when the old steam engines used to run into town to resupply. Actually there’s been very minimal vandalism considering how close Cuervo is to the interstate, but there’s one serious blemish that made headline news a few years back. The Baptist church was the site of some pretty scary satanic rituals; and it’s thought these practices conducted in the church by the perpetrator resulted in the disappearance and murder of a number of people. We chose not to investigate.
The 1930s Schoolhouse, Cuervo, NM
Early 1900s Schoolhouse and abandoned sedan, Cuervo, NM
Old wooden home and water storage bldg, Cuervo, NM
Boxcars, then and now …. which do you prefer? Cuervo, NM
And that concludes my post. Hope you enjoyed reading a bit about life as it was and is today in and around two interesting pseudo ghost towns located in central in New Mexico. I’d be very interested in knowing if you explore ghostly history where you live! Have an awesome day, and remember to be curious!
It’s hard now to imagine how extremely hot and dry the summer was this year. Without even a spittle of rain, the 100+ degree temps for weeks effectively suppressed the usual mid-season bloomers in and around the Albuquerque foothills/East Mountains. Even invasive plants, like goathead and tumbleweed, remained dormant or failed to germinate all together. It looked like winter browns had arrived early.
Then in less than a week, a small rain followed by several long downpours flooded the parched landscape, transforming browns to greens. You’ve heard this from me in a few earlier posts, but it was magical, and a reminder about the resiliency of desert vegetation.
Here’s a few pages highlighting a handful of the Late Bloomers I recorded in only 2 days. More than 2 dozen species had sprung back to life, setting flowers at all stages of accelerated vegetative growth. The landscape seemed wide awake. If plants could talk, I imagined them laughing while excitedly chanting, “hurry, hurry, hurry!” Only their roots prevented them from dancing!
In addition to the species on these journal pages, there are many (more) composites, native grasses, shrubs and sub shrubs, small forbs from Spring and early Summer actively growing and blooming right now, and (of course) the weedy invasives are growing and blooming with wild abandon.
Random thoughts and wonderings ….. are pollinators still hanging around …… or ….. how many of today’s bloomers are self fertile …… are local birds, insects, reptiles and mammals that depend on earlier summer pollen and/or fruit and seed production stressed with this timing change/availability of food sources … will there be noticeable shifts in species composition, including plants, insects, reptiles and animals (including birds) ….. what species can and will adapt to changes, and how quickly ….. etc. The answers to these and many more questions are probably best answered in coming years, if it’s even possible to answer them at all.
Have you observed vegetation anomalies that may be influenced by changes in climate? If so, please share your observations and where these changes are taking place. Meanwhile, keep your eyes wide open.
“Closing your eyes isn’t going to change anything. Nothing’s going to disappear just because you can’t see what’s going on. ……….. Closing your eyes and plugging up your ears won’t make time stand still.” – Haruki Murakami.
Keep on reading to learn more about the September 29th Full Harvest Moon, Flambé’s interesting and delicious suggestion for an alternate Full Moon name, and New Mexico’s green chile harvest. It’s a spicy hot treat!
Ahhhh, September! The month of slowing down, hints of crisp morning air, tree leaves turning ever so slightly from green to golden, a bit of wanderlust satisfied.
Instead of creating “Little” paintings of a month of highlights, and there have been many, I decided to focus on a single “Little” road-trip down the east side of the Manzano Mountains. My goal was to take a fresh look at, well, everything …….. and watch as the story of rural life unfolded.
As we wound our way along scenic backroads, I mentally sketched out our route map to depict some of the historic and present day highlights across the landscape. My imagination envisioned the full, prosperous and peaceful village life of the Tiwa Indians, and their conquest and struggle to survive Spanish occupation. There was evidence of the optimistic outlook of early settlers who came west to build a life centered around dryland farming and ranching. And today, modern day ranchers live on the land adjacent to land grants where indigenous peoples live a rural lifestyle on their native lands. I hope you enjoy my route map with some of these highlights, ranging from serious to funny, natural to commercial.
I’d love to know what story unfolds for you as you travel along on this September “Littles” Road-trip. Be sure to pack a lunch!
Once again, a big shout-out to “Made by Fay” for the inspiring “Littles” idea! These pages are fun to create, and remind me of monthly highlights and the random road-trip as I revisit my previous “Littles” posts. Hope you’re enjoying them too, along with the ending days of the season. Stay tuned for the next installment of “Littles.”
This is a little story about a fascinating discovery I made over 2-1/2 years ago, when in the second winter of the pandemic and in dire need of a belly laugh, our usually drab brown landscape appeared dotted with little reddish colored orbs. An insatiable curiosity sprinkled with a smidge of fantasy led me to some surprising answers to many questions, which continue to pop up to this day.
Open my full blog post and take a small detour with me into the recent past. Learn how observations, connections and similarities in nature ensure there’s always dots to connect and mysteries to solve, no matter how many times you travel the same path.
a curious nature 