Terry & Diana's
Photography and More

Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas 2017

Diana and my Fall trip to places we have been in the past but wanted to check them out again. We were planning on spending most of our time in the Davis and Guadalupe Mountains of west Texas, but it was raining and looked like rain for awhile so we headed to Arizona then back through New Mexico, and then finished in West Texas.

September 28

It Rained most of the way to Fort Stockton. We wanted to camp for the night at Balmorhea State Park, but it was closed for repairs. We headed up to the Davis Mountains State Park for the night. It had rained most of the day. We arrived at 6:15 pm and picked out site #61. Not many people in the park.

September 29

Since it was cool and rainy, we decided to go on over to Arizona and get behind all the rain. We arrived at Pena Blanca Lake, Upper White Rock camp ground around 6:30 pm.

Getting ready to head west from Davis Mountains State Park

September 30

It was cool night 52 - 54 degrees, but warmed quickly. We drove over to Sycamore Canyon in the Coronado National Forest and hiked down to the running water in the canyon. This was the least amount of water that I have seen since I have been going down there. We got down to the water at about 10:00 am. I hiked down to the last deep pool. Diana found a place in the shade to set and read while I searched for odes and butterflies to photograph. We saw only two other individuals while we were there. On the way out, Diana stayed on the trail while I stayed down in the creek. We got separated somewhere on the way back. I could see her tracks but did not catch up to her. When I got back, she was nowhere to be found. I almost headed back down to find her when I decided to honk the horn of the pickup. I heard her yell from a different direction than she should have been. On the way back, she got off on the wrong trail and passed the pickup and ended up on the road. She made it back safely. After Dr. Peppers and water, we headed back to the camp ground at Upper White Rock camp ground.

Upper White Rock camp ground at Pena Blanca Lake

Trail down Sycamore Canyon

The remains of homestead along trail in Sycamore Canyon.

Creek down in the lower part of the Canyon.

Selfie on the trail.

Argia anceps (Cerulean Dancer)

Argia extranea (Spine-tipped Dancer)

Argia hinei (Lavender Dancer)

Argia nahuana (Aztec Dancer)

Argia oenea (Fiery-eyed Dancer)

Argia sabino (Sabino Dancer)

Archilestes grandis (Great Spreadwing)

Enallagma praevarum (Arroyo Bluet)

Enallagma semicirculare (Claw-tipped Bluet)

Telebasis salva (Desert Firetip)

Hetaerina americana (American Rubyspot)

Erythrodiplax basifusca (Plateau Dragonlet)

Libellula saturata (Flame Skimmer)

Perithemis intensa (Mexican Amberwing)

Pseudoleon superbus (Filigree Skimmer)

Erpetogomphus lampropeltis (Serpent Ringtail)

Hyla aremicolor (Canyon Treefrog)

Black-necked Gartersnake (Thamnophis cyrtopsis) eating a treefrog

October1

We left Pena Blanca Lake by 8:30 am. Diana and I stopped in Contininal Safeway to get a few things. Neither of us had been in Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains in a few years, so we headed up there for a couple of hours. We stopped at picnic grounds across from Bog Springs camp ground exit. The stream at the picnic grounds was running fairly good. I got some photos of a few birds, butterflies, herps, and odes. We wanted to camp at Parker Lake so we crossed over the US 83 through Box Canyon on the northend of the Santa Rita Mountains. Diana and I ate a late lunch in Sonita and headed on down to the lake.

Road that runs down the middle of the canyon.

Picnic area that we stopped to photograph critters. The creek is to the right down in front of the cars.

Adelpha eualia (Arizona Sister)

Agathymus aryxna (Giant Skipper)

Urbanus dornates (Dornates Longtail)

Hyla arenicolor (Canyon Treefrog)

Sceloporus clarki (young Clark's Spiny Lizard)

Red-naped Sapsucker

Wild Turkey

Archilestes grandis (Great Spreadwing)

Argia lacrimans (Sierra Madre Dancer)

Argia plana (Springwater Dancer)

Hetaerina vulnerata (Canyon Rubyspot)

Oplonaeschna armata (Riffle Darner)

Paltothemis lineatipes (Red Rock Skimmer)

We arrived at Parker Canyon Lake Recreation Area at 3:30 pm. Spent the afternoon hiking down by the lake looking for odes, butterflies, and birds.

Parker Lake Recreation Area

Archilestes grandis (Great Spreadwing) female

Enallagma basidens (Double-striped Bluet)

Erythrodiplax basifusca (Plateau Dragonlet)

Enallagma praevarum (Arroyo Bluet)

Ischnura cervula (Pacific Forktail)

Sympetrum corruptum (Variegated Meadowhawk)

Sympetrum signiferum (Spot-winged Meadowhawk)

Sympetrum signiferum (Spot-winged Meadowhawk)

October 2

Left Parker Canyon Lake early and drove over to Bear Creek Canyon on the southside of the Huachuca Mountains. The odes didn't start moving until about 11:00 am. The most interesting things observed on this trip today were giant skippers. There weren't as many odes present this year as in past years.

Bear Creek

Urosaurus ornatus (Ornate Tree Lizard)

Javalina

Agathymus evensi (Huachuca Giant-skipper)

Agathymus evensi (Huachuca Giant-skipper)

Pyrisita proterpia

Cyllopsis pyracmon

Cicindela sedecimpunctata

Calephelis arizonensis (Arizona Metalmark)

Argia extranea (Spine-tipped Dancer)

Argia hinei (Lavender Dancer)

Argia nahuana (Aztec Dancer)

Argia plana (Springwater Dancer)

Argia tonto (Tonto Dancer)

Hetaerina americana (American Rubyspot)

Hetaerina vulernata (Canyon Rubyspot)

Hesperagrion heterodoxum (Painted Damsel)

Archilestes grandis (Great Spreadwing)

Paltothemis lineatipes (Red Rock Skimmer)

Sympetrum corruptum (Variegated Meadowhawk)

Monezuma Road on the south side of Huachuca Mountains

On the top of Montezuma Pass looking east. Notice border fence in the valley.

Looking down the road we have to travel from the pass.

Our next stop was Kartchner Caverns State Park for the night. Showers and internet.

October 3

We hung around the butterfly gardens and walk ways of the park for a couple of hours this morning looking for mostly butterflies and whatever else I could get photographs of.

Aspidoscelis sonorae (Sonoran Whiptail)

Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback Rattlesnake)

Holbrookia elegans or maculata (Earless Lizard)

Sceloporus magister (Desert Spiny Lizard)

Desert Cottontail

Arphia pseudonietana (Grasshopper)

Taeniopoda eques (Lubber Grasshopper)

Boopedon nubilum (Black Grasshopper)

Schistocerca nitens (Grasshopper)

Promachus princeps (Robberfly)

Calephelis nemesis (Fatal Metalmark)

Erynnis pacuvius (Pacuvius Duskywing)

Eurema mexicana (Mexican Sulphur)

Hemiagus ceraunus (Ceraunus Blue)

Leptotes marina (Marine Blue)

Ministrymon leda (Leda Ministreak)

Ministrymon leda (Leda Ministreak)

Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur)

Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak)

Urbanus dorantes (Dorantes Longtail)

Cactus Wren

Gray Flycatcher

After eating a late breakfast at McDonald's in Bentsen, we headed over to the San Francisco River at Clifton. I knew it was probably too late for Harkness's Dancer, but I wanted to check it out anyway. We were there from 1 -3:00 pm. I have a few odes but not Harkness's Dancer. No photos of the river this time.

Argia immunda (Kiowa Dancer)

Argia lugens (Sooty Dancer)

Argia moesta (Powdered Dancer)

Argia oenea (Fiery-eyed Dancer)

Argia sedula (Blue-ringed Dancer)

Argia translata (Dusky Dancer)

Hetaerina americana (American Rubyspot)

Erpetogomphus compositus (White-belted Ringtail)

From Clifton, we headed east over a pass on AZ 28 to US 180 in New Mexico. I got some nice looking scenery shots along the way.

West side of the pass from Arizona into New Mexico

The east side of the pass in New Mexico.

The east side of the pass in New Mexico.

The next camp site was near Glenwood, New Mexico at a National Forest camp ground. We were the only ones there.

October 4

The Cat Walk on Whitewater Creek was our next stop. Diana and I walked up to the end of the new Cat Walk trail. The old trail above this point is closed now. The creek has been scoured out so many times the last few years that there is no vegetation growing along the creek anymore. We did not see many odes or any Narrow-headed Gartersnakes.

The entrance to Whitewater Creek Catwalk.

Whitewater Creek Catwalk.

Whitewater Creek

Whitewater Creek Catwalk.

American Dipper

Argia plana (Springwater Dancer)

Hetaerina vulernata (Canyon Rubyspot)

The next stop on our trip was the overflow spillway creek below Bill Evans Lake. In the past this has been a very good spot for odes, but not today. On the way back out, I stopped once along the Gila River, but didn't see much there as well.

Archilestes grandis (Great Spreadwing)

Argia hinei (Lavender Dancer)

Argia lugens (Sooty Dancer)

Argia nahuana (Aztec Dancer)

Argia plana (Springwater Dancer)

Enallagma praevarum (Arroyo Bluet)

Hetaerina americana (American Rubyspot)

Hesperargion heterodoxum (Painted Damsel)

Ischnura demorsa (Mexican Forktail)

Libellula saturata (Flame Skimmer)

Perithemis intensa (Mexican Amberwing)

Sympetrum corruptum (Variegated Meadowhawk)

We camped for the night at Rock Hound State Park near Deming, New Mexico. Nice clean camp sites with beatiful views of the desert.

October 5

Before leaving the area, we drove over to Spring Canyon day use area to check it out. Lots of trails, but looks very steep and rough.

Florida Mountains, Luna County

Spring Canyon Day Use Area, Florida Mountains, Luna County

Pituophis catenatus (Gopher Snake) Sping Canyon road.

From there we drove down to Columbus NM and along NM 9 to El Paso and then over to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. We first checked out Frijole Ranch and the two springs near there, Manzanita and Smith Springs. We were there pretty late, so not much was seen but the hike was nice.

El Capitan, Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Smith Spring Trail, Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Smith Spring Trail, Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Smith Spring Trail, Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Smith Spring Trail, Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Argia fumipennis (Variable Dancer)

Argia plana (Springwater Dancer)

Sympetrum vicinum (Fall Meadowhawk)

Adelpha eualia (Arizona Sister)

Cophosaurus texanus (Greater Earless Lizard)

Sceloporus cowlesi (Western Prairie Lizard)

Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback Rattlesnake)

We camped back at Pine Canyon camp ground in the Park.

October 6

Black River Recreation Area and Rattlesnake Springs was visited this morning. The Black River site has a series of large pools of 100 yards or more with trails. Rattlesnake Springs is part of Carlsbad National Park. It has been cleared of most of the brush around the springs so diversity has been cut down. We only saw a few odes and herps.

Black River Recreation Area

Aspidoscelis inornatus (Little Striped Whiptail)

Sceloporus cowlesi (Western Prairie Lizard)

Argia plana (Springwater Dancer)

Pachydiplax longipennis (Blue Dasher)

Rhionaeschna multicolor (Blue-eyed Darner)

Rhionaeschna multicolor (Blue-eyed Darner)

Sympetrum corruptum (Variegated Meadowhawk)

Sympetrum vicinum (Autumn Meadowhawk)

Tramea onusta (Red Saddlebags)

Rattlesnake Springs

Argia fumipennis (Variable Dancer)

Argia immunda (Kiowa Dancer)

Argia nahuana (Aztec Dancer)

Argia sedula (Blue-ringed Dancer)

After eating sandwiches, Diana and I hiked McKittrick Canyon trail to the old cabin. We started at about 12:30 pm. There is not as much water in the creek as there used to be. I did get 2nd Texas record of a Persiphone's Darner up near the cabin hanging up in the brush near the trail.

On the trail to the canyon.

The creek.

At the entrance of the house.

The house.

Scenery from the porch.

The porch.

Archilestes grandis (Great Spreadwing)

Argia plana (Springwater Dancer)

Argia plana (Springwater Dancer)

Aeshna persephone (Persephone's Darner)

After our hike we headed for Van Horn for the night in a motel room.

October 7

This morning I had a headache and just didn't feel good. We decided to go on out the Carolyn Ohl's property in Terlinqua south of Alpine off of TX 118. Checked out the oasis she and her husband had created in the desert. I wanted to get some ideas for features for our place. This is a good place to get Lucifer's Hummingbird. We were there a little late in the year to see much. After leaving the property, I had chills so we decided to drive home. Diana did the driving on the way home.

Water feature at Carolyn's place.

Clay-colored Sparrow

Curve-billed Thrasher

Lucifer Hummingbird

Thamnophis cyrtopsis (Black-necked Gartersnake)

Rana berlandieri (Rio Grande Leopard Frog)

Enallagma civile (Familiar Bluet)

Hetaerina titia (Smoky Rubyspot)

 

Over all a pretty good trip.