We decided to try again to see the condors at Navajo Bridge, leaving a little later in the morning than the previous day. There were no condors there but we had an ace up our sleeve. Further west across the bridge lies the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument and it's there they first released captive condors into the Grand Canyon area. There's a viewpoint where you can view the release site where they still provide food for the condors so they can monitor the population. They also continue to release captive raised birds here.
Scenic view from Highway 89a
Enroute we stopped at a boulder field where a couple in the 1920s built their home in amongst the boulders.
They had a lodge here catering to tourists,
But eventually the site was abandoned due to fears that falling rocks would crush the buildings.
When we reached the observation site we found yesterday's biologist and a colleague watching the far off cliff with their scopes. Apparently the condors were at the bridge this morning on schedule but we were late.
They showed us the condors hanging around the station but really they were just small black blobs. Not the lifer moment I was hoping for. Later a few took to the sky and you could really see they were a giant bird with a giant wingspan.
The biologists mentioned that there were petroglyphs in the canyon next to the feeding station so Leo and I decided we would hike into the canyon to try and find them.
Hiking across to the canyon
From a distance it looks like grassland but actually most of the vegetation is a very prickly plant that gets down your shoes and drives you crazy. Eventually we found a wash we could follow up to the canyon.
Xx
Tumbleweeds collected in the wash
What you can't see in the pictures is that most of the sideslopes were pure mud due to the recent heavy rains.
We came across this new species of cholla we'd never seen before, very prickly.
We kept climbing up the canyon.
Those side slopes you see in this photo were just mud, making progress difficult.
Leo climbs up to inspect a potential petroglyph.
Can you spot the possible petroglyph?
Do you see the hunter with an arrow and a deer above his head?
Eh, not so much. Looks like natural discolouration of the rock.
Other petroglyphs in this area are usually scratched through the black varnish to the red rock below.
Although we didn't find the petroglyphs, we did get a closer view of some condors perched on the cliff and we saw a golden eagle fly just over our heads.
Wow, giant bird! Giant wingspan.
We were close enough to the feeding station that Leo could get a shot of the condors on the trap.
Although we didn't see any rock art it was still a fun adventure.
Hiking back to the truck.
On our return trip we encountered a few smaller birds:
Say's Phoebe
We tried to make this guy into an Eastern meadowlark (Arizona has both Eastern and western meadowlarks) but Merlin (Bird app) did not agree.
Western Meadowlark
No comments:
Post a Comment