Don't know why, but Cookie stuck with her wish for a couple nights of camping out in the heat and dust. Not a tree within miles, so in the off time it was huddling in the shade of the truck. She spent 1/2 day in her blind holding down a water hole. Mostly she had about 50 Black Angus around, but a few pronghorn did come in.
Does and kids, but no bucks of substance.

She did take shots of several others, but most of them still have some rough coats and are not at all photogenic.

Some Beldings ground squirrels


Golden Mantle ground squirrels


Out of her blind and on the move, black tailed jackrabbits were suddenly cooperative.


As were marmots with a mosquito on his nose


bighorn sheep (ewes)



While she was caged up at water, I ran into a couple bighorn rams, about 6 mule deer, a few wild horses, and a nice bull snake that gave me a good scare. No camera along though.

A nice time, but the rig and our camping gear could grow some crops if we just threw in some seed and a little water. Getting dry out there, and we might have a good fire season if the lightening storms roll in next month.

Maxed out on images here so will add a couple more after this goes up.

Have a good one and don't blow anything up this evening,

Some butter flies and bees on a Canada thistle

Can anyone ID the butter flies?

and several nighthawks. If one stays in a rig, he can get within arms length of these while they're roosting during the day. Never can get the detail of their eye to show up regardless of angle. Note they always sit parallel to the limb or fence rail.


Take care,

Very nice pictures. I had never seen night hawks until about 8 years ago when I went to night shift at a sawmill. Now I look forward to seeing them every year. Neat bird.

Don't you imagine the nighthawks have survived by looking like part of the limb or rail and so those in existence today are following the example they grew up with. Especially true when you consider they are asleep when a lot of their predators would be out and about.
I miss the roar of a bull bat in the evening (especially after an afternoon shower).

Yet another beauty of the desert SW.

I have one squirrel feeding under the bird feeder that backs up against the base of a tree to eat. Figure he has learned that it pays to look like "Tree Trunk" if you want to survive.

Yes. I suspect it's good to be camoed when napping in daylight on an exposed limb or fence rail. Our poor-wills are similar looking but sit amongst a lot of basalt cobble during the day.

I have walked up on a few nighthawks on the ground in Arizona where a fenceline or a tree limb could not be found. They waited until you practically stepped on them to fly, which, in snake country will give you a start...

Looking through some more of Cookie's files. Super close up of another jack rabbit. She said about 12 feet. Sure have big eyes.