Home Is Where You Park It!: June 3 Dog Canyon Guadalupe Mountains NP

Could not visit this area without a special trip to Dog Canyon, a part of Guadalupe Mountains NP. From The Ranch, it's a 12 mile drive back south on Hwy 285 to NM Hwy 137 and then another 54 miles west to the state line and into Dog Canyon. Very isolated and off the beaten track, but well worth the effort.

This kiosk is near the intersection and the lack of funds and personnel in the National Park system is obvious from the condition of the information station. Seems illogical for vandals to travel so far from the city for their entertainment, but pictures don't lie.

The drive over produced quite a few birds, but I was only able to positively id 8 species, the others are listed as UFO's.

I could use my BirdLog app for recording, but upon reaching the canyon, all cell phone service was gone and I resorted to D3 (Digital Decoding Device - pencil and notebook) for my list.

The elevation favors hummingbirds and the whizzing and metallic whirring of the Broadtails were a welcome sound upon arriving at the ranger station.

I counted 8 broadtails at one time and added at least 3 Black-chins - 2 males and a female.

With careful observation, the 2 species could be separated by behavior and sound.

The Scott's Oriole didn't disappoint but the Say's Phoebe wasn't very cooperative.

A patch of verbena and blue bells was B'fly heaven with Variegated Fritillary and American Lady, which I only discovered when viewing the enlarged photos. Fuzzy and unpublishable, but clear enough to make out the eyespots and the pink slash on the underwing.

We sat in the shade by the volunteer RV site for most of an hour, enjoying Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Tanager, and Acorn Woodpecker. Best bird of the day was Plumbeous Vireo, a lifer since the Solitary Vireo split many years ago. Vocalization from several birds was an additional treat.

This patch of "weeds" held a hidden Chipping Sparrow that kept popping up like a jack-in-the-box, perhaps gathering seed from the tops of the plants. Closer inspection revealed numerous tiny blue butters, Reakirt's and Marine, a small hairstreak, and minute skippers.

We topped off the list with Lesser Goldfinch, Cassin's Kingbird, Western Wood Pewee, and Ladder-backed Woodpecker.

I couldn't resist this majestic Alligator Juniper, with these trees could tell me their stories.

We last visited the canyon on August 5, 2011, about 1 month after the wildfire, and the recovery has been exceptional. Except for a few downed, blackened trees, there are no visible scars.

We took advantage of the shade at the ranger station for a picnic lunch and the occasional breeze would heft Old Glory. Patience paid off to enable this snapshot. Something magical about this sight for me.

We discovered a Roswell radio station on the drive in, before entering the neverland of total radio silence and cell phone blackout, where every morning the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem are played. I could hear that every day.

My imagination ran rampant with this view from the ranger station. I could visualize the Nde, precursors to the Mescalero Apache, going about their daily lives.