BORN TO BE WILD (that would be us)

Get your motor runnin'
Head out on the highway
Looking for adventure
In whatever comes our way

 Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild

ELF OWL

BOQILLAS CANYON

VERMILION FLYCATCHER

April 18: Awoke to pouring rain, the remnants of the storm that washed away Houston.  Just what the Chihuahuan Desert ordered!  It rained for a bit as we headed south into BBNP, but in the desert the rain's all underground and all signs of moisture rapidly disappeared.  Our first stop was Rio Grande Village (RGV), to make sure we got a campsite.  Choosing a site is a very difficult decision - everything must be just right - or you pick the site that has a vermilion flycatcher perched on the signpost!  In fact, the entire campground was overrun with these little crimson jewels.  It also turned out that the tree right behind us, chiseled with multiple woodpecker holes, had not only an active golden-fronted woodpecker nest, but an elf owl hole right on the other side!  A visit to Boquillas Canyon was quite an adventure for the afternoon, as wind gusts up to 40-50 MPH blew through the canyon, sandblasting us as we struggled to stay upright.  The canyon is one of three that the Rio Grande has carved through the soft rock.  With walls towering 1500 feet above us as the river coursed by, it was quite and impressive sight.  Back at the RGV campground, just before dark, our little elf owl friend popped its head out for a view before going out hunting for the night.  

GREAT HORNED OWL

WESTERN SCREECH OWL

COMMON BLACK-HAWK

April 19: Near the RGV, common black-hawks have nested for many years along the Daniels Ranch Road, so watched the pair change places on the nest a couple of times.  To complement the show, a bobcat watched us for a bit and then disappeared into the underbrush.  Next was Dugout Wells, an old ranch watering hole in the desert, where scaled quail scampered among the cactus and creosote bushes.  About 50 miles west, we visited the Cottonwood campground.  The drive over there cases through some of the most interesting and stunning geological features anywhere.  BBNP is the site of multiple geologic zones smashing into each other and overlapping, creating a mosaic of volcanic rubble, tall peaks, tufa flows and multi-colored strata.  The campground hosts were a pair of great horned owls, with whom I had a lovely conversation.  Mrs. GHO seemed more inclined to speak with me than Mr. I think she liked my look.  We returned to our campsite for dinner and at about 9:30 PM, we walked around the campgrounds to see if we could find any western screech owls.  Stepping out of the RV, the diminutive elf owl (they are only about 6" tall) was perched right overhead, chattering away like a barking chihuahua dog.  I heard a screech owl doing its bouncing ball call.  As we walked toward it, more owls started calling until an amazing six were "ping-ponging" at the same time!  Most amazing owl experience ever.

CAMPSITE IN CHISOS BASIN

April 20: We got an early start and drove up into the Chisos Mountains Basin camping area.  This range reaches high out of the desert to have its own micro climate and environment.  The higher you get, the greenery and taller becomes the forest, with different birds all along the way.  After securing a very nice campsite, we hiked the Window Trail, a 4 mile round trip walk to the slot canyon where all the water that collects in the mountain basin pours out through a narrow chute into the desert 500 feet below.  Along the way, heard and then found a pair of gray vireos, a fairly rare and always hard to find species.  The area around the Window resembles a protracted Henry Moore sculpture, as eons of water pouring through have carved sluiceways through the sedimentary rocks.  The walk back to the campsite, ALL UPHILL, was hot and arduous for our less than ideally toned legs, but we made it.

MEXICAN JAY

April 21:  Today was the BIG HIKE to Laguna Meadows, a six mile roundtrip jaunt that is all uphill to the forested slopes of the Chisos Mountains.  It was another beautiful clear day and we paced ourselves carefully, taking sufficient water and munchies for the trek.  We encountered Hutton's vireos, dusky flycatcher, spotted towhee, black-tailed gnatcatcher, rufous-crowned sparrow and throngs of highly gregarious Mexican jays.  These jays should really be called Mexican scrub-jays, since they are very similar to the other scrub-jays in both their appearance, behavior and "wink, wink" vocalizations.  Completely beat, we repaired to the Basin Lodge Restaurant for some cold drinks and a big lunch.  We'll drive back to Cottonwood Campground for the night.