.......or There and Back Again

Greetings All,

Just returned from another journey, this time to Colorado (where I haven't been in more than 20 years) and NE New Mexico. Didn't find a lot of what I was specifically looking for ( primarily in the odonate category), but did have a couple of surprises and a lot of interesting stuff as always. Bookended the week with Prairie Rattlesnake encounters, the first last Saturday when one decided it wasn't going to let me drive into Cottonwood Canyon in Las Animas county, at least not without a fight. The second was last Friday, when I almost stepped on one in Black Mesa State Park (Cimarron OK). I yelped and jumped back, It zipped of into the bushes, rattling all the way. Did find county record Paddle-Tailed and Shadow Darners, as well as Great Spreadwing at the former locale. Two days later I was greeted in the morning, as usual, by Common Ravens at the motel in Raton. Had no luck finding Pacific Spiketail at Lake Dorothey SWA, but did turn up Emerald Spreadwings and Eight-Spotted Skimmers, the latter proving infuriatingly difficult to photograph, at least until I finally got a good shot or two, then they started popping up on weed stalks everywhere. The biggest surprise of the week was a county record Red-Veined Meadowhawk among the many Cherry-Faced Meadowhawks at Alamosa NWR. I was greeted Friday morning at the motel in Trinidad, not by a raven but by an impressive-looking Ten-Lined June Beetle. Saturday morning was robber fly day in Black Mesa State Park, with three species (not identified as of this writing) that I haven't seen before. Arrived home Saturday evening with 2001 miles on my trip odometer, planning on taking it relatively easy for a few weeks until I head out again for destination(s) unknown.

P.S. Also planning on resuming my iNat identification responsibilities, which I have been neglecting for the past week :)

Bill Carrell
Tulsa, OK
08/11/19

Posted on 12 August, 2019 01:48 by arrowheadspiketail58