Thursday, February 17, 2011

More Critters and Mysteries From the Desert

Sittin' at my desk in the Desert the other mornin' had a visitor... No idea what he's called... or for that matter... whether it even is a he... but for those folks that think there's no life out in this stark and dry Arizona Desert... it's just one more piece of evidence...

*another Arizona Desert Flyboy*
This Desert Lowland is filled with Wildlife of every sort...

From Desert Bighorns, down to the lizards and rattlers crawlin' around in the Dust...

... and Jack Rabbits that rival my Ninja Rabbit for size!

To Coyotes wanderin' past camp last week... there's living breathing critters all over this Desert...

Even had a Hummingbird zippin' around my head while I was cleaning on that big Red Yamaha the other day... only... ya don't really want to put feeders out here for 'em... the Bees will harass you so bad for that water that it'll become a real nuisance.

Later in the day we took a medium sized walk over east and a touch south of where we've been walkin'... and found one of the reasons we'll likely just keep to our feet... and leave the ATV's to those Monkey Hunters...

*Places where ATV's fear to tread*

Yup... simple fact is... there's always gonna be some pretty interesting places they just can't take you...

Places where only your feet... or a horses feet can carry you...

... Well, OK... and... the Wyoming WIND! :)

Just too narrow, too steep, too fine... aw well... sorry Mr. polaris, and Ms. kawasaki, and Sister Yamaha, and Sue Suzuki! :)

Just up from here we came across a short lived mystery... Some critter had chewed and shredded an already poor lookin' Palo Verde tree... and then wandered off up the wash... leaving only his tracks...

*Mystery Tracks in the Wash*
Those were so small, even in the sand that I first thought of it bein' a burro... though we'd seen zero sign of those anywhere about...

Curious, we followed the signs along... until the tracks of the critter... cut one of the two tracks the ATV's use... and he left clear prints there...

Now... unless the BLM has really gone to takin' some shiny care of Burros...

and Started shoeing them... This weren't no Burro!



It also... weren't no BIG critter! That lil' sucker had a shod foot... littler than mine!

It also turned out that a second, even smaller set joined in walkin' alongside... Puniest lil' horses I've never seen! :)

By the shape of the foot... I'm thinkin' maybe could be some mules... don't know... but every time they stopped... there'd be peanut hulls and shredded Palo Verde...

While the rider was snackin' on nuts... the mule/horse was snackin' on trees...

So... let's see... Birds of all sorts from lil' Hummers to Soaring Eagles, lizards and snakes... 'Yotes, Desert Bighorns... Deer (Heidi spotted one on a walk a few days back) ... and in some places... Ol' Time Miners Donkeys that were just turned loose to go wild...

Yup... it's a hard place to earn a living... and talk 'bout bein' frugal... I guess these critters don't have much option there... it's pretty much imposed on 'em... but they seem to be doin' just fine...

I think I'll keep to my word wranglin'...

From the Arizona Desert
-Brian

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3 comments:

Jeff and Lori said...

Looks like a mule shod with a rim shoe cept the heels don't turn out like a most mules do. Some shoers don't like to leave the heels stick out plus it's a pita to do cold on a horseshoe.

Brian said...

That was kind of my thinking... the littler one was tiny! I was thinkin' either a lil' bitty pony... with contracted heels! (and poor shoeing!) or a Mule... like you say... they are a lil' "off"... What can I say... there are Farriers... and there are guys that tack on shoes... :o)

Sharlotte said...

Hey Brian, what you have perched on the bush is an adult Loggerhead Shrike. Very striking bird. He feeds on small rodents, small birds and large insects. It kills it's prey with it's hooked beak. It will store it's uneaten prey by sticking it on a thorn or some barbed wire and coming back to eat the rest of it later. They are disappearing from many areas. Great picture.