Chiricahua National Monument - From the Archvies

Last spring I spent a weekend camping in the Chiricahuas. I never got around to doing anything with the photos, probably because I was busy producing a virtual choir, but I'm trying to catch up on my archive and wanted to share these. The Chiricahuas are beautiful. My photos really don't do them justice, but I hope you enjoy them.

The defining feature of the Chiricahuas are these columns of rhyolite. The rocks were formed about 27 million years ago in a volcanic eruption. Erosion of the softer rocks has left these striking pillars.

The peak in the background is known as Cochise head, named after a chief of a local group of Apache. Although European settlers in the 19th century pushed the Chiricahua Apache off their ancestral lands, today's Chiricahua Apache still live in the area, including the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation to the north of the Chiricahuas, as well as further east (in part due to their forcible displacement after the "Apache Wars").

On one of our hikes, I noticed a large number of rocks on the side of the path with beautiful crystalline structures.

These two fireplaces stand beside the Silver Spur Meadow trail. I liked how the rest of the structure had basically disappeared, but these still stood, surrounded by the vegetation.

There were also many lovely animals, only some of whom I got photos of. Mexican jays (Aphelocoma wollweberi) are such a gorgeous blue, and much larger than their eastern relatives.

This cute little bird is a spotted towhee (Pipilo maculatus). They tend to hop along the ground, through the leaf litter, looking for food. They have a rather distinctive little dance that they do to move leaves aside and uncover unwary insects.

A love acorn woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus), but I also think they look a little clown like.

The white-tailed deer around here are a desert-adapted subspecies: Coue's white tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus couesi). There were several of them meandering along and across the path as we walked.

It was a lovely trip away from things, and one of the highlights of last year. We had a dog with us, so we didn't do some of the trails that go deeper into the park and the pillars, which just gives me extra incentive to go back sometime! Whether you want to hike and camp, or just drive the scenic canyon drive and see the the striking geology from the roadside, I definitely recommend visiting the Chiricahuas if you're in the area.

Eagle-Watching and Seeing Out the Old Year

Yesterday, we spent the afternoon watching eagles at Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River in northern Maryland.

We saw at least 10 distinct individuals, although with some of them flying around a bit, it was rather hard to keep track. Apparently on some days, as many as 250 individuals are seen at the dam.

This pair was hanging out close to the dam itself, perhaps hoping the gates would be opened, producing perfect fish-feasting conditions for them.

Here's the dam itself, the largest in the state of Maryland. Route 1 passes over the top of it. When construction was completed in 1928, it was the second-largest in terms of power output, after only Niagara falls. The dam now produces over half of Maryland's renewable energy, powering about165,000 homes on average. If Maryland's power grid were ever to go out, the dam would also serve as the power source for a "black start" to get the rest of the grid online.

The dam has, however, changed the local ecology considerably: preventing migratory fish from swimming upstream, trapping sediments behind the dam, and attracting dozens of resident and hundreds of migratory bald eagles (as well as herons, gulls, vultures, and more). Happily, the congregation of birds at least provides a lovely attraction for visitors. Many of the eagles perch and nest in the pylons that carry electricity away from the dam.

Although we are, of course, used to seeing the distinctive white heads of mature bald eagles, juveniles tend to be mostly brown with variable white patches. 

Vultures are also extremely common at the dam.

This sign seems laughable, but I have it on good authority that your car may indeed need a thorough washing after parking by the dam!

The eagle shape, however, is still rather distinctive. Can you pick the eagle out from the vultures below?

Many of the eagles we saw were at a bit of  distance, like these two on the opposite shore of the river (and thus in the next county over...something that some birders care about). I could only just make them out, even with my telephoto lens.

But this one was perched in the trees on our side of the river, just above a walking path (part of the Mason-Dixon Trail). This was my first glimpse, an angle I'm not particularly used to seeing eagles from.

After some careful repositioning, I got a slightly clearer shot.

From the other side, the eagle was holding a rather striking pose, but the branches proved a challenge.

Have you ever heard a bald eagle call? They're shockingly loud, carrying clearly across the water, but also surprisingly high-pitched for such a large bird. We heard this one several times before locating it, perched on this lovely sycamore on a small island in the middle of the river.

Eventually we turned around to head back to the parking lot for tea and then the drive home. Just after we walked past the nearby eagle, it took flight:

And (we think) resettled ahead of us again, helpfully in a slightly less obscured position (although finding the window through all the branches was still a challenge!).

Just as we were sharing out the tea, chocolate, and pecans amongst us, I noticed the eagles on the nearest pylon. I think they were mating! Bald eagles are pair-bonded and copulate throughout the year, not only to maximize fertility, but also to maintain their bond.

A few moments later...

They sat there, together at a distance, looking like finials on the pylon.

They were still there when we finally tore ourselves away to head home for an evening of photo-editing, reading, and music.

This was a lovely way to send off 2021. Here's to a brighter and happier 2022! Sending you all our best New Year's wishes.