Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

The last of my excursions ventured a bit farther away: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. It is about a 3 and 1/2 hour trip one-way. Organ Pipe Cactus are interesting in that it is only found in rocky mountain areas of Southern Arizona and Mexico:

Organ Pipe Cactus

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monutment

 The trip was beautiful as usual. Wildflowers were in bloom, along with the Ocotillo, and Hedgehog Cactus:

Wildflower Blooming

Flowering Ocotillo (with Lesser Goldfinch)

Hedgehog Cactus

 A nice American Kestrel posed, then allowed me to take a photo of his "take-off:"

American Kestrel

American Kestrel

 A Curved Billed Thrasher was looking for a nice place to nest in the Chain Fruit Cholla:

Curved Billed Thrasher

And, of course, the snakes were out and about:

Texas Patch Nosed Snake

Bullsnake

Landscapes - Part VI

Sometimes, I see landscapes and am in awe of their beauty.

Side Note: I am often puzzled by the English Language. If you have some "awe" it is a good thing; it is "Awesome"!  But if you have a lot of "awe", in fact you are full of "awe" it is a bad thing; it is "Awful."?

Sorry for the side track. My problem with landscapes is that I often feel limited in my ability to "capture" that awesome beauty. Take for example this photo taken in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. It has Saguaros, Organ Pipe Cactus, in front of a large cave on the side of Ajo Mountain:

Arch Canyon, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Somehow the photo just doesn't capture the beauty of what I actually saw and was feeling.

On the other hand, sometimes when I get back from a photo trip and see my photos I am excited that I was able to capture the moment. Take this next photo of Snow Geese on Fir Island in Western Washington with Mount Baker in the background:

Snow Geese, Fir Island Washington

Notice the four Snow Geese flying equal distance apart, and each in front of one of the peaks in the Cascades. Good focus front to back. Good composition. And with the farm in the middle describes the landscape perfectly.

Photo Trip

I started out at 3:15 (am) so that I would get to Sells, Arizona just at dawn (4:45). I have often seen Crested Caracaras between Sells and Why (another small Arizona town) so I was hoping this time would be no different. Although I did see one, it was flying in my direction and I didn't have a chance for a photo. However, I did manage to get a "Sonoran Sunrise" that I liked in the littler town of Quijotoa:

From Why, I turned south and headed into Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument which is just north of the US/Mexico border. The 21 mile drive up around and into the Ajo Mountains is one of my favorite drives in Arizona. Although there are Desert Bighorn Sheep in the Ajo's I have never found them. This time no exception either. But, again found some scenery and some wildlife to photograph:

Organ Pipe Cactus

Organ Pipe Cactus with Blossom

Organ Pipe Cactus with Fruit

An unusual Saguaro with Fruit

Red Tailed Hawk

Harris Antelope Ground Squirrel

Black Tailed Jackrabbit

From Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument I headed up to Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. Most of Cabeza Prieta is closed from March 15th to July 15th during Sonoran Pronghorn Fawning. Sonoran Pronghorn are endangered -- only a few hundred left so the Refuge has been set aside primarily for them. There are also Desert Bighorn Sheep on the Refuge, but not where they can be seen during closure. I still like the drive through the part that is open.

Tomorrow, the Big News! Imperial National Wildlife Refuge along the Colorado River. Lots of exciting stories to tell.

National Wildlife Refuges

Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona, 1939

Established in 1939, Kofa National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 665,400 acres of pristine desert. The Refuge provides essential habitat for Desert Bighorn Sheep, the California Fan Palm, and other wildlife and plants.

Desert Bighorn Sheep are found chiefly in the two mountain ranges that dominate the refuge landscape - the Kofa and Castle Dome Mountains. Although these mountains are not especially high, they are extremely rugged and rise sharply from the surrounding desert plains, providing excellent bighorn sheep habitat.

80% of Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, 516,300 acres, is federally designated wilderness. Wilderness is protected to ensure that nature, not people is the primary influence on this quiet, scenic place. So much of Kofa is inaccessible.

Notable wildlife species found in the area include the desert tortoise, and desert kit fox. Approximately 800 to 1,000 bighorn sheep now live in the refuge and, in recent years, this herd has provided animals for transplanting throughout Arizona and neighboring states.

Birds that are likely to be seen at Kofa include American kestrel, white-winged dove, northern flicker, Say's phoebe, cactus wren, phainopepla, and orange-crowned warbler. Although with the exception of the warbler all are also found here at The Azure Gate.

The Kofa Mountain barberry (a rare plant found only in southwest Arizona) occurs on the refuge.

There are two roads into Kofa. One dead-ends around Castle Dome. The other crosses the mountain range and ends up on a dirt/gravel road that parallels the refuge. Both of these roads are extremely rugged and require 4x4 with high clearance. I have driven these roads a couple of times and hiked in Kofa as well. However, never a glimpse of those elusive Desert Bighorn Sheep.

Black Vulture

Castle Dome

Fire Barrel Cactus

Organ Pipe Cactus

Phainopepla

Turkey Vulture