Christmas 2009 -- big birds

Oh, is it hard to climb back into the everyday world. I find that holidays or other special times put one into an alternate universe with a different cast of characters and events. Difficult to come down. So I'll edge into my reports with a look at some of the local big birds photographed by my dotter, the Gdotter and a handful by meself. (Did I mention that my camera is broken and I spent the holidays naked, begging cameras (and downloads) left and right? Said machine is currently in the presumably expert hands of Best Buy's Geek Squad for an overhaul.)

Watson Lake is home to Canada geese overwintering in a warmer climate...

...while this golden eye is one of many ducks hanging out at Lynx Lake. Below: here are some of the others flocking there where the handouts are plentiful. Show up at the edge of the lake and a swarm of birds heads your way, quacking and honking their willingness to share any goodies you might offer.

The three geese at Lynx are particularly aggressive. I would guess that the pair above are escapees from someone's farmyard. They are ready to peck any little kid who doesn't come equipped with food. We made sure the Gdotter was prepared.

Meanwhile, while on a hike on the Peavine Trail, the dotter managed to catch an elusive road runner (above) and some variety of hawk in a tree (below).

My one decent hawk shot was taken out the Ferguson Valley Road. A harrier, the bird quickly left the tree and flew low over the fields to land on a power pole where the 8-year old Gdotter got the best take. (Tip: for a proper afternoon of hawk birding, there's nothing like a trip north on SR89 north of Chino Valley where every other pole is the roost for a raptor of some sort.)

And, wrapping up this first post of the New Year, good news about the old cottonwood tree down by the Skull Valley Wash near Kirkland. There's a new hawk's nest, replacing the old one that disappeared a year or so ago. I even caught a glimpse of a hawk up on the hillside who might be this year's occupant. The new quarters aren't as big as the previous nest, but will probably grow in time. The old nest was many years old.

Sullivan Lake: Water!

Looking east as Old Hwy. 89 crosses the Verde, bridges dominate. Plus the old lava flow which adds a third layer to the picture. OK, there's also that famous Big Sky for which the west is known.
But the most remarkable feature of our trip yesterday with sheoflittlebrain and E. is directly above: there's water in Sullivan Lake! The last time I saw Sullivan, it was bone dry.

Peer over the bridge railing to see still more water below the dam. A great place for frogs, algae and wild grape vines.

The pools under the old Santa Fe bridge are in the shadows; the petroglyphs are too small to be seen.

Slightly different lighting does make the pools more visible.

Obviously that railroad bridge is a perfect spot for 1) bungee jumping, 2) crossing the canyon on a dare, 3) other mischief. So the powers that be erected barricades at either end out of old rails plus loops of today's ubiquitous razor wire.

Of course, laws and razor wire do little to stop determined litter-atti, who dispose of old bedsprings...

...or harbor the urge to shout loudly in public places.

This particularly objectionable graffiti has been in place since I took pictures a year and a half ago. But despite the encroachment of uncivilization, twas oh so good to see the water!!

Believe it or not, a failed development?

What a great day. E & sheoflittlebrain took bro & me out to the Verde headwaters & then we had occasion to explore an interesting Arizona land development. Nearby. One that didn't make the scene. Very unusual in these days of the big boom, just ended.

Here are for sale signs at the point where the road in takes off from Old Hwy. 89.

If I recall correctly, infrastructure (i.e., graded roads) was put in in the late 80s or early 90s. A long, long time ago for Arizona real estate. Then there was some sort of a hassle with the county over water and sewage because of the location vis a vis the headwaters. Don't know the current status. But it sure impeded any housing starts.

The lots are parcels of 5 to 10 acres. Horse property, of course. Well, almost all land outside city limits is horse property; lot sizes are at least 1 acre in some developments and a minimum of 2 acres in most areas.

Plenty of for sale signs. Some of them quite current.

And, as bro found out, also quite pricey -- $490K for 10 acres, according to the flyer he's reading.

Of course, this sign has been around for a while, I'd say.

Now here's one of two parcels that've been developed. A very upscale, prosperous looking, long established horse property, with several animals. Note the dividing line on the hill where grazing on the right has eliminated the grass, which shows up on the left. Believe me, I was very surprised to find that all this land is still lying fallow.

Curious Man-Mades in the Forest

On the recent outing to Crown King with the Sson, we came across several curious man-made fixtures just sitting there, out in the forest. The cement tank (above, below) continues to puzzle us. It's located in a small drainage; the corrugations are too big to serve as a washboard. Perhaps it is a device to separate out placer gold -- this is/was gold-mining country. Any other suggestions?

We couldn't miss these two large tanks by the side of the Senator Highway a couple of miles north of Crown King. Presumably they are meant to hold a liquid -- note the industrial strength spigots. Again, provenance and purpose remain an unknown.

At first glance, another mystery in concrete. Look a little closer, you'll see two pipes entering it. Lift the lid. Aha, a catchment for a couple of springs. Ever the ecologist, Sson investigates, finding a few water striders and not much else, other than water.

A Second Raven Todo

The neighborhood ravens are shouting, engaging in close-up fly-overs and generally carrying on. The reason appears to be a stubborn adolescent, who has landed alongside the next road up the hill and refuses to take off to join what must be his parents. Picture? It's too dang hot to climb the hill, which would probably push the lout into action anyhow.

This is the second incident of the sort. While Sson and family were here, we drove out toward Granite Basin Lake to a spot where Bob has a study site. While the younger folks hiked off into the heat, I moseyed around in the shade where the pick-up was parked. Shortly, a major raven todo took place nearby. I looked for the source of some of the quieter shouts (above). A bird is there, by the way.

Came in close & no bird.

Finally, caught bird one, posing nicely.

Turns out there were two younglings. Hopping about in the branches. Looking for grubs or other goodies. Even flying from branch to branch.

The one thing they wouldn't do is take off to join the grown-ups. The parent crowd had flown off, circled on the updrafts, disappeared and then come back about the time my crowd returned and we left. Hence I've no idea when or if the teen-age ravens ever moved from those two pine trees.

Santa Maria: Desert Waters

After reading yesterday's rant, a wise guy might ask why I don't chuck it all and move. Answer is that it would be pretty difficult to make a major break at this time in my life. Besides, I do like Prescott despite those ugly, ugly open sores on the hills to the east. Fortunately, I don't have to look at them very often. And, for that matter, I did get away today, if only for a few hours.

The daughter, SIL and granddaughter were here in the little green car, which was loaded up with picnic and water goodies.

SIL drove us out Iron Springs Road, down through Skull Valley, past the Kirkland tufas and the Thompson Valley flood basalts (the mesas, above.) Like the bear going over the mountain, I've always wanted to go to the top of one of those mesas. And I'd love to find the great crack in the earth that spewed so dang much lava. (On a tour of the Bagdad copper mine, the geologist said that no one had any idea where the lava came from...)

On to the curvaceous two-lane mountain highway that heads toward Bagdad.

Almost to our goal, the Santa Maria River. The white spot down the road is the bridge over my favorite, nearly unsullied desert river.

We -- with friends -- parked beneath a big cottonwood picnic tree downstream from the bridge. This tree is serving up its juices to more than its fair share of mistletoe (the dangling, olive green leaf clusters.)

A popular spot for Bagdad picnickers, by the way. Aside from the shade, the only amenity at the spot is this fire ring.

But this is the real goal -- playing in the river water. We've done this with the granddaughter at the end of winter for three years now. The cool thing about the Santa Maria is its elevation -- only about 1200 ft. above sea level, meaning warm desert temperatures. Not to mention the solitude.

Even I take a walk through the shallow waters...

...to photograph the bridge...

...and the sand castle underway.

Just incidentally, this was a three-blogger picnic. In addition to me, there was the daughter (OmegaMom) and Singing Bird. This was such a neat day, I think I'll take you on another visit to look at the trees in a couple of days.