Winter's Subtleties

Imagine: you're immersed in the early-winter splendor of the Chiricahua Mountains.

 Dawn light on the Chiricahua Mountains (Photos by Narca)

The air is brisk and glorious, and, hiking up South Fork, you settle into the depths and subtleties of the season...

into the drifts of sycamore leaves...

Light gleams from the seedheads of Cane Beardstem...

and native thistles...

and Deer Grass.

Streamside willows still hold a few leaves,

and the sycamore's bark takes on a subtle hue of green from chloroplasts.

The riot of nesting and migrating birds has passed, and now you find winter's companions:

Acorn Woodpeckers are busy among the pines and oaks,

Gambel's Quail enliven the mountains' feet,

and Spotted Towhees scratch in the underbrush.

In fact, Spotted Towhees are having a banner winter in the Chiricahuas. Regrowth from the big fire of 2011 must have reached a stage that offers towhees plenty of nesting cover, for we've never before seen them this numerous in winter.

Adult male Scott's Oriole

And... what is a Scott's Oriole doing, still coming daily to our hummingbird feeders?? He lasted through the November snowstorm and shows every sign of being a snowbird in reverse. There's nothing subtle about this bird's summer yellows!

Okay, who has guessed? New camera!

The Air Says "Spring"

The calendar may say Winter, but today the air announces Spring. A fresh, rain-washed breeze riots through a grove of companionable Arizona Cypress that leans over South Fork; their droopy branches stir.

The creek flows strongly, at long last, after the past year's severe drought. Our big water debt has been helped by the storms of El Niño. Portal just recorded its wettest January in 39 years of record-keeping, something to celebrate. At Kim and Lorraine's house, the total topped 5"; Alan and I recorded 4.5". The creek has obviously flooded recently––big clumps of Deer Grass along its margins still lie flattened. New greens touch the grasses.

Flattened Deer Grass (Photo by Narca)

The leps agree that spring is around the bend. I spy several small moths flitting around the trunks of the oaks, but no butterflies yet. Soon!

Arizona Hairstreak (Photo by Narca)

The willows at the bridge are budding. Their blooms will lure in Arizona and Siva Hairstreaks, and migrating Yellow and Wilson's Warblers will forage in the leafy thickets––soon!

Siva Juniper Hairstreak (Photo by Narca)

The Canyon Wren is bobbing more energetically today, and scolds me. I whistle, but can't yet trigger his cascade of song––soon! Very soon!