Exploring Western New Mexico

 

After a night at Bluewater State Park we drove to El Morro National Monument.  We were able to camp free here and enjoyed the rock formations and the flora and fauna living around it.  Ty climbed to the top of the monolith.  

Dangerous ledges

This is what the top looks like, natives had settlements here

Petroglyphs on the side wall

Flame Skimmer

Narrowleaf Globe Mallow

Bee Plant

Western Rattlesnake

Broad-tailed Hummingbird on Bee Plant

Canyon Towhee

We hear some Coyotes howling, caught in action

Coyote takes a pose for the camera

El Malpais Natiomal Monument
Sand cliffs on the south and volcanic fissures on the north

Wilson's Warbler

Cholla bloom

Bushtit - flocks quickly moved through

Lazuli Bunting

Turkey-Tangle Fog -Fruit

Juniper Titmouse

Purple False Gily-flower

This is the side view

Pygmy Nuthatches at Juniper Forest Campground high in the Gila Mountains

Dark-eyed Junco (Gray-headed) parent feeding fledgling 

Lesser Goldfinch

Scarlet Skyrocket above Spiderwort

Pinion Jay

One turned into many getting grit and water by roadside

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
Sunrise

Greater Roadrunner hides in the shade with his lizard

Grasssnake desparate to get traction in the mud

Bull Snake -5 ft. long swims the muddy water

Red-legged Grasshopper

Black-throated Sparrow

Phainopepla 

Bobcat got caught in the open with rodent

Blue Grosbeak pair

Yellow-breasted Chat hopping from stem to stem

Bullsnake tests the air

Elephant Butte State Park

Western Grebe

Young Black-tailed Jackrabbit

Love & Prayers,
Ty & Ida Baumann