Welcome to Kathleen’s Deer Canyon weather & critter blog.
Weather Reports
November for real
Just below freezing at dawn, and still nippy out now. I define “nippy” as: the mug of hot tea turns cold in my hands in less than 5 minutes.
I meant to post yesterday because our weather was interesting. At dawn and through the early morning it was cold and overcast, alternating between light drizzle and light “snow” or “snow hail”. I don’t really know what to call that precipitation, maybe some Eskimo words would be helpful here. It was spherical, heavy, and flaky all at the same time. Yesterday’s tea time was cut short by a sudden burst of the “snow hail” attacking me on the porch.
The finches are here in great abundance now, and the juncos seem to cover nearly every inch of ground. I finally managed to see a flock of cranes a few days ago by looking up up up when I heard them. This winter I'd like to become better at identifying the sparrows. We definitely see white-crowned sparrows in the yard. Now I'm trying to figure out if I'm seeing rufous sparrows as well, or if they are only 1st winter white-crowned. (To the birders: yes, I'm looking for throat stripes, as the distinction between “rufous” and “brown” seems a bit fluid.)
Actual Autumn
With cold temperatures overnight and dryer weather. The overnight low was 20°, and for my porch tea time today it was all the way up to 25°, and just a touch breezy too. I got to see the cranes passing overhead, though, so chilly weather is no dampener of spirits.
The past two days have also been chilly and breezy; tomorrow is rumored to warm up a bit. Right now we're up to 46° and it looks quite still outside, so it's a good day to be out and about in the bright sunshine.
Who needs Vermont?
Asks Jerry Melaragno, who sends along this picture to make his point:
Jerry writes, “Fall color in Deer Canyon Preserve provided by the common native shrub three-leaved sumac (Rhus trilobata).” Pretty good, eh? And we still feature green hillsides and blazing blue skies daily.
We‘ve had lovely weather this week, into the 70s and clear each day. It‘s a touch breezy outside, but not too bad; the sun is warm enough that a bit of breeze is welcome. The birds are numerous and happy. We have sparrows, gold finches, house finches, pine siskins, towhees, bluebirds, juncos, jays of course, and flickers nearby almost constantly. Today the birds have been bathing and splashing in a most frolicsome manner. The hummingbirds do at last seem to have left the area, but I still see butterflies in my garden. Today there are a few clouds, enough to make the sky interesting.
Warmer chill
Actually a beautiful day out today, and right now we're at 54° in the shade and the breezes (hey, it’s New Mexico, of course there are breezes) are truly gentle breezes.
But the real reason I’m posting is that yesterday, while settling in for my morning tea on the porch ritual, I was thinking to myself that I hadn't seen any hummingbirds since I got home a week ago, and it’s been in the 30s, and even 20s, overnight several times, so most likely they’re all gone from here and I really should take down that hummer feeder; and not two minutes later a hummingbird showed up and drank deeply for a good long time. So up it stays! I hope he skedaddled out of here though; the weather really isn’t staying warm enough overnight for their little supercharged bodies.
Chill
Overnight low: 23°! High this afternoon: 60°. And consistent breezes today, with occasional strong gusts. We went looking for our fleece sweats this morning, we did. I realize that there are many more warm days ahead this autumn; but I was tired of being chilly in that minute!
I’m seeing juncos in the yard, which assures me that there are plenty of chill days ahead, as well.
"Walk for the Dogs" Round–Up
Fundraising efforts for the construction of a new Mountainair Animal Shelter got off to a rousing start with a "Walk for the Dogs" on Sunday, October 19 held at Deer Canyon Preserve.
Thirty-three walkers and eight dogs completed the 5-mile walk. Sixteen of the walkers were from Deer Canyon Preserve and the remaining seventeen were primarily from Mountainair. Assistance was provided by six volunteers from Deer Canyon Preserve who helped with check-in, and by manning support vehicles along the route.
A brand new account has been established at My Bank dedicated exclusively to the Animal Shelter Project that will accept tax-deductible contributions made out to Mountainair Animal Shelter Fund. As a result of the registrations/donations by the walkers, additional donations from individual and company sponsors solicited by the walkers, and contributions from individuals who did not walk including Deer Canyon Preserve homeowners from all over the country (to date, donations have come in from twelve other states), the fund currently has over $7,600.00. That is a fantastic start for this project and we especially appreciate the contributions made by local businesses which so far include:
Mountainair Meds & More
Alpine Alley
Alpine Motors
Mountainair Concrete
The Rock Motel
B Street Market
The Rotary Club
Turner's Inn
The next scheduled fundraiser is a Sidewalk Sale featuring quality household items at great prices to be held on Saturday, November 15 outside of Cibola Arts from 10:00 - 2:00. We hope all Mountainair animal lovers who have not yet donated will do so soon. Remember all donations are tax-deductible including any earlier checks made out to the Town of Mountainair - Animal Shelter. Checks should now be made payable to Mountainair Animal Shelter Fund and mailed to PO Box 496, Mtair, NM 87036. For more information, contact Dee Melaragno at 847-0402.
Bright and breezy
Yesterday evening: 0.8 inches of rain. Yesterday midday: at least 0.2 and possibly 0.6 inches of rain (after last week’s big rain the household help — left behind while I travelled — neglected to empty the rain gauge, hence some uncertainty).
Today, as mentioned above, bright and breezy. It’s currently 68° out. Be sure to click over and read Jerry’s new flora essay, this month featuring Santa Fe phlox.
Hail to October
I missed last week, did you notice? I was in the midwest for some music stuff, but Alan has told me that last Monday, October 13, we had 1.25 inches of rain, and then overnight it dropped to 28°! Wild, eh?
Over this past weekend, cool days (high 50s to mid 60s), and clear, and quite breezy on Saturday. Today, however, we are back in the precipitation business, with thunder showers and hail. I don't have rainfall totals yet, I'll get them soon as it stops raining! But it's significant, which means we are definitely not having a dry autumn.
I saw what might be our last hummingbird of the season on Friday evening after I returned home, and now our yard is full of flickers, sparrows, and at least one thrasher. Also a flock of very small birds was flitting around the piñon outside our guest room Saturday morning. They may have been ruby-crowned kinglets, which would be my first sighting of those. Today, driving back to Mountainair from Estancia, I saw a lone antelope with quite developed antlers loping in a farm field. Changing seasons is fun!
October rain
1.2 inches of rain—woo hoo! And after raining all night and all morning, the sky cleared, so we have a chance at a good sunset too.
We still have a few straggler hummingbirds coming through the yard and visiting our feeders every day. The scarlet hedgenettle is my new favorite garden plant. It’s a spring bloomer but will re-bloom if the spent flower stalks are trimmed back. Well, in the spring it bloomed for about a month, but the second bloom has lasted all summer and is still going strong and the hummingbirds love it. I’m definitely putting in more scarlet hedgenettle next spring.
Stormy
Cooler, breezy with wind gusts, cloudy, and the rain has already begun in the Manzanos. It’s about time for some more wet weather! This afternoon managed to get into the low 70s, but with the breeziness it has felt chilly all day, to me at least—well, my cat also is trying to find warm laps to burrow into!
Migrations
The flickers have returned. The hummingbirds are fewer. That yellow-greenish bird I saw a few months ago was in the yard Monday (still can't figure it out as it's too big to be any of the appropriately colored birds I've managed to find in the books or online. Alas!) The great move is well underway.
We continue clear warm dry days and cool nights. The grasses have gone to seed (sometime ago, actually) and the crownbeards have seeded and are dying back. The fields no longer look green, but have that dusty autumn hue. Beautiful sunsets. Lots to like!
Continuing beautiful
Dry clear weather, warm in the afternoons (high 70s) and in the 40s overnight. One night, I think it was Saturday, we had a quick thunderstorm around 10:30 pm, that dropped 0.15 inch of rain, enough to settle the dust.
But the real reason I’m posting today is that I saw at least 2 green-tailed towhees this morning while having my tea on the porch. I’ve never seen them before, even though we are presumably in their summer range. I assume they are passing through, and I’m hoping they are finding enough seed out here (the spotted and canyon towhees have been loving the bumper crop of golden crownbeard seed we have out front) that they decide to summer with us next year. More birds!
Beginning autumn
With cool nights (low of 38° a couple of nights ago), very comfortable days (highs have been just around 80°), and occasional decorative clouds. Dry. Still. Beautiful. Great time to visit, in case you have been wondering just what to do with your time!
Clear and cool
Today, as above. A beautiful day all around.
Yesterday evening just before sunset there was a complete arc rainbow in the eastern sky—and a section of double rainbow! It was misting a bit then and still cloudy in the east. Then the sky cleared and we had a good moonlit night—I've been missing those too this summer. A double treat.
Consistently cooler weather
Plus another tenth of an inch of rain Tuesday evening, plus a quarter of an inch of rain yesterday. We're heading toward fall for sure. Today at noon it's cloudy, 50% humidity, and a comfortable 68°. (Except when I was out in long sleeves pulling tumbleweeds—the humidity got me then!)
By the way, I found an online resource for identifying butterflies and moths. I've also posted this (which goes to the page on Torrance County) on our links page so it will be permanently available. The Snowberry Clearwing looks very much like the "hummingbird moth" that was visiting our garden regularly in July.
September Storms
Yesterday: 0.8 inch of rain in a rather intense thunderstorm that came up in the early evening, and then another tenth of an inch later on from a more steady gentle rain.
Now: yet another strong storm seems to be arriving. I've been watching lightning over the Manzanos, as the mountains disappeared into the clouds. Wind is picking up. The temperature is down to 62°; it was in the low 80s earlier this afternoon. Frankly, 3 hours ago I'd have sworn today would be completely dry. Shows what I know! Actually it is still dry so far, but the odds for significant rainfall seem just now to be rather high. Stay tuned!
Previously, in September, dry clear beautiful days. Yesterday morning I took a walk in Goat Canyon with several neighbors, as far as the ponderosas, and you should see the fields of wildflowers. Golden crownbeards, phlox, wild morning glory and scarlet morning glory—it's a veritable Eden in there just now.
Oh, there's the rain starting up. More later...
Steady rain
We've been gone for more than a week, so I don't have any idea yet what the weather was. But I can tell you this: when we arrived home this afternoon there was 3/10 of an inch of rain in the gauge, and it's really coming down strongly and steadily now. Totals tomorrow.
Best of summer
Warm but not too hot: 76° at 3:25 pm. Sunny with just a few decorative clouds. A touch of breeze, and everything green!
By the way, I just went through my rainfall records. In July we received 3.68 inches of rain, and so far this month we’ve gotten 4.2 inches. This would explain the excellent greenness, and the scarlet morning glory vines springing up all over!
August “Snow”
Also known as hail! A very intense storm started up a bit after 5 pm, with wind, copious quantities of hail in all several sizes, rain too, lightning all around.
That’s our front yard being rained and hailed upon! All that white stuff is hail on top of the gravel. You see why I'm calling it snow!
The temperature dropped to 49° (back up to 59° by 7 pm) and we ended up with piles of hail in a couple of inconvenient spots, which required the intervention of the clean-up crew, once the storm finally ebbed:
As a result of our brief visit to winter, or at least to early spring, the hummingbirds stopped fighting at the feeder as everyone claimed a berth and got down to the serious work of sipping:
There are six birds on the feeder in this photo, but one is invisible on the other side. Two more flew in right after I snapped, and the others didn't budge.
Oh, and Torrance County had a tornado watch until 7:30 pm, along with the severe thunderstorm watch (yeah, saw that one) and an ongoing flash flood watch. Our rain total was 1.4 inches, and that all came down in about an hour. Fun with weather!