Just east of Tucson, a collection of small creeks come together to form Pantano Wash, which winds its way through Tucson before eventually joining the Gila River, which flows across the state to the Colorado River. Most of these little creeks only flow during summer floods or occasionally during a wet winter. However, one of […]
Where the water ends Read More »
An interesting article came across my desk recently. Entitled, “Ecological homogenization of urban USA,” it presented some recent research on landscape structure within some of the major US cities, compared to their surrounding ecosystems. In general, there is a great similarity among neighborhood landscapes, whether they are in Phoenix, Baltimore, Miami, or Boston. The “idealized”
Urbanizing the soundscape Read More »
As winter fades to spring here in the Sonoran Desert, the evenings have been punctuated with the calls of Great Horned Owls. I’ve tried a couple of times to record them, but their voices are often drowned out by the barking dogs and vehicles. But a few nights ago, I heard a pair calling loudly
I’ve been hearing about Bosque del Apache for years: this wondrous wildlife refuge in the center of New Mexico that hosts thousands of wintering snow geese, sandhill cranes, other waterfowl, and even a few dozen whooping cranes. The sight and sounds of tens of thousands of snow geese taking off at dawn as they leave
Soundscapes are constantly changing, from moment to moment, season to season. In the temperate zones, winters are much quieter than summers, as many of the birds have disappeared to their wintering areas and the insects have stopped singing. The leaves of the deciduous trees have fallen off, quieting the ever-present rustling that we don’t even
A couple of weeks ago, I took Shadow for a hike in the Huachuca Mountains, down near the Mexico border, see some fall color. It was a gorgeous fall day, warm and sunny with a light breeze. And the colors did not disappoint, with the maples and sycamores putting on a dazzling display of yellows,
Whispers of Autumn Read More »
On my recent stop at the Gila River Bird Area (see Nighttime Visitors), I was reminded again what a dynamic, ever-changing place it was. The Gila River was still receding from a significant flood just 2 weeks prior, in which up to 10 inches of rain dumped in the heart of the Gila Wilderness during
Of Fire and Flood: Dynamics of the Upper Gila River Ecosystem Read More »
On the way home from a recent trip to western New Mexico and the White Mountains of Arizona, I stopped near the Gila River Bird area to spend the night. I stayed in this same spot about a year and a half ago (see Things that go bump in the night). At that time, the
Nighttime visitors Read More »
The monsoon season in southeastern Arizona extends from early July to late September, and usually means hot and humid weather with frequent thunderstorms. The thunderstorms seem to be the definition of chaotic systems, so you never quite know where they will appear or how much rain they will produce. This rainy season, an extension of
Monsoon Rearrangements Read More »
On my return trip from northern Nevada this summer, I made a stop in Yankee Meadow, just north of Brian Head Ski Area in Utah. From Parowan, we headed east, winding up a lovely canyon and passing some beautiful and dramatic red cliffs, which were sitting on a thick layer of blue-gray rock that looked
Dawn at Yankee Meadow Read More »
On my recent trip to Nevada, I spent a few quiet mornings along the Carson River, just outside of Carson City. The river was pretty low for this time of year, reflecting the low snowfall in the Sierras last winter. But during the hot spell that hit the area in July, the mornings on the
Lazy morning on the Carson River Read More »
On my recent trip through the Great Basin, I spent a night in a lovely place called Bowers Flat, near the resort town of Duck Creek, Utah. This grassy meadow surrounded by Ponderosa Pines should actually have been called squirrel meadow, as within a few minutes of arriving, I heard the calls of yellow-bellied marmots,
