After 20 years, that most excellent of quail –– the Montezuma –– has finally deigned to visit our Roundhouse. Grasses around and above us are now very thick, giving them plenty of protective cover. A pair of Montezuma Quail, venturing onto new ground (All photos … Continue readingThe Grail Quail
Among the delights of living in the southwest borderlands is the opportunity to watch interesting reptiles going about their lives. Western Diamondbacks are the most frequent rattlesnakes to visit our yard –– sometimes to drink, sometimes to battle each other for dominance, sometimes to mate, … Continue readingOpen Wide, Diamondback!
My glimpse of an interesting bird at dusk was confirmed soon after when Dave Jasper called to tell us that he had just seen Rufous-backed Robins by the post office in Portal that morning. Rufous-backed Robin in Arizona Sycamore (Photos by Narca) Normally at home … Continue readingRufous-backed Robins Visit Portal!
Just a quick update: I don’t have time right now to do justice to the subject. Kevin Warner, the Douglas District Ranger, told a gathering (which filled the Portal Fire Station classroom) that walkers and cyclists can now enter Cave Creek Canyon. Most cars are … Continue readingCommunity Meeting with Forest Service
Bob Rodgrigues (who owns the property still familiar to some of you as “Jasper’s feeders”), sent this account of the changes to the flow of Cave Creek where it crosses his land, below the mouth of Cave Creek Canyon. In Bob’s words: “I could not … Continue readingPortal after Odile: Bob Rodrigues’ Story
The Southwest Research Station finds itself in a difficult position, caught between the financial demands of its parent company, the American Museum of Natural History, and the US Forest Service, which is enforcing a road closure that will likely exclude the station’s workers and guests … Continue readingSWRS Survives the Flood, But Can It Survive the Road Closure?
Cave Creek Canyon above the South Fork confluence (Photos by Narca) Yesterday Alan and I hiked into Cave Creek Canyon before the closure was due to go into effect. He went a couple of miles up, as far as Diana’s house, while I also hiked … Continue readingLast Day in Cave Creek Canyon
Yesterday while Alan and I walked one last time in the canyon before the Forest Service closes it indefinitely, illegals hit our home. I suspect that the door, swollen from the rains and hard to close, didn’t latch properly when we left, but at least … Continue readingLife in the Borderlands
On Monday, the Forest Service plans to institute a ‘hard’ closure of Cave Creek Canyon, meaning no entry by any means, including foot, except to canyon residents. The closure will most likely last for months. Thus, tomorrow is the last day when people can enter … Continue reading‘Hard’ Closure Coming to Cave Creek Canyon
The Forest Service has closed the road into Cave Creek Canyon indefinitely. In places the road has been seriously undermined, even washed away. Anyone needing to access the Southwest Research Station will have to approach from Paradise via East Turkey Creek, then turn left and … Continue readingPortal after Hurricane Odile, Part 2