The river is drying up

I had planned on taking two groups of dogs down to the river, this weekend but Saturday morning, while photographing the doves, something either stung me or bit me hard on my left foot arch. The pain was intense and immediate.

 At first I thought it was a thorn that had pierced my slider, but I never saw the source of the pain. The pain lingered intensely for two hours. While I could walk, the constant burning sensation never relented. 

I lay down for a while with my left leg elevated, rubbed baking soda paste on my left foot. After two hours of no increase in pain or severity, I relaxed more. However, a walk down to the river was out of the question. I stayed home in case I had a delayed allergic reaction. The burning sensation lasted  for nine hours.  

Today the pain is replaced by constant itchiness. I still can't see the source of a bite or sting, but the affected area is red but there is no swelling. 

I looked out the west window to see the doves.  A dead desert hare lay near the e-bike.  What had killed it?  There were no bite marks on the young animal.

 A red flag warning was out for today starting at 11am for 24 hours. I took Gretel and Zana to the river at 7am. It had been two weeks since I was at our usual site. It was a pleasant 64F and winds were 13mph. 

The recent high, dry temperatures is impacting the water level. The river is now drying up and is no longer flowing.

 At the two-mile mark I could see the entire river floor going north, so we walked the dry wash for another half mile until we reached the next water source. I don't think I was ever up this way. The river runs parallel in two separate flows, covered by cottonwoods. 

 

 

Saw my first yellow sinnias for the year!

 I hope to take the boys down this way next weekend. I would have walked longer, but I wanted to be home safely before the winds arrived. We had hiked 5.6 miles and I enjoyed the exploration. 

 I was back home by 9:30am, I watered the plants along the fenceline.

 And sure enough, by 11am the winds increased. I was concerned for the doves. I checked on the doves and they were secure in their pot. The towel around the shelf blew loose and I had to tighted that. At least I knew the flimsy nest wouldn't blow away. Both chicks are now opening their beaks and raising their wings when I near them, mimicking their mom, but not vocalizing yet.

The second squab has hatched!

I kept checking the nest all day, annoying the momma dove.  Finally, by 2:30pm I checked for the 4th time and the second egg had hatched.  The older of the two squabs was sitting upright next to its sibling.

I have the bird bath moved closer to the front patio, and some seed nearby.  This way the mother dove doesn't have to look far for food.  According to Google, the squabs will remain quiet until their eyes open in a few days.

I secured the metal shelf with cord, so that it remains upright in strong wind. A towel around the shelf keeps the nest out of sight and helps the bird from stressing out too much.

In two weeks the birds will fledge and that's when they will become easy prey to road runners,coyotes, and javelina. I will do my best to protect them.

The eggs hatched at a good time.  The heat will continue now into the summer.  I don't have to worry about the birds freezing at night.  No storms either for a while, either.

The heat is on! The first dove egg has hatched!

We're finally getting seasonal heat.  I walked Gretchen after sunrise at 60F and didn't need to wear a flannel shirt.  Two hours later and at 70F, I took Hansel, Gretel and Fritz down to the river but had to turn around because a stubborn Gila Monster was in the middle of the trail and Fritz was too curious about the lizard.  He only listened because I turned around right away and gave my usual command "This way!" 

This is the third Gila Monster I've encountered, and all were about a half-mile from the river and all in exposed desert.

We all felt the heat.  Soon starting a hike at 7:30am will be too late.

The yellow glow from a month ago is now gone  The creosote flowers have all turned to seed.  The only blooms left are the sweet acacia balls.

All three dogs were panting hard when I got back to the Honda.  They did three miles in exposed desert with no water until we got home by 9am.  The water trough was their immediate relief.

I watered the plants along the backyard fenceline.  A few hours later, by 1:30pm, I checked in on the dove.  She was positioned sideways on her clutch and didn't move when I got close.  I had noticed a broken eggshell.  Where was the squab?  When Momma Dove flew away I saw the little heap, barely breathing.  It must have just hatched earlier this morning.

I need not have worried.  I googled "newly hatched squab" and Google said the new hatchlings are motionless for several hours as they can't see or hear.  Momma Dove was protective of her new baby but let me photograph it.  I'm excited to watch it grow, but I also don't want to stress out the dove. At least she is off the ground and well-protected from predators.  My strawberry plant is surely traumatized, though.

The second egg should hatch tomorrow and then I'll have two weeks of worry as they will nest for two weeks before fledging, and then I'll worry about predators.

A good rain

We had a forecast for heavy rain in the afternoon and the rain delivered.

I was home by 4: t5pm and the mountains were already shrouded in fog.  By 5pm it began to rain in a steady pattern with a short reprieve for me to walk around the backyard.  And then it began in earnest by 10pm.

I'm glad I was safely at home and the dogs could come inside for the night.  While we heard the coyotes howl wildly at 9pm, the rest of the night was peaceful.

Even Momma Dove settled in for the evening, roosting over her two eggs.  I hope the towel around the shelving kept her dry enough to stay warm.

I never got my evening dog walk in but I hope in May I can do a better job with my daily mileage.