Sabino Creek Dam Maskot (Cooper’s Hawk) — Image by kenne
Sabino Creek Dam Maskot (Cooper’s Hawk) — Image by kenne
Above Sabino Canyon Dam (When There Is Water) in the Santa Catalina Mountains
— Image by kenne
— John Ruskin
Foam at the Base of the Sabino Canyon Dam Created by A Natural Surfactants, DOC. (January 21, 2015) — Image by kenne
The foam at the base of the Sabino Canyon Dam is a natural surfactants called DOC (dissolved organic carbon). DOC is a food supplement, supporting growth of microorganisms and plays an important role in the global carbon cycle through the microbial loop. DOC comes from the decomposition of a variety of plant material including algae and aquatic plants, but also the leaves from trees that line the creek. The amount of foam at the base will depend on the flow rate over the dam, which might explain less foam this morning.
kenne
A Paper Wasp Nest Located near the Sabino Canyon Dam (January 21, 2015) — Image by kenne
— kenne
Coulter’s Hibiscus (Desert Rosemallow) Growing On A Rocky Slope Near The Sabino Canyon Dam — Image by kenne
— from Desert Rose by Unknown Soul
Visitors to Sabino Canyon were pleased to see water in the creek, the first time since the spring.
The water for now is flowing over the Bear Canyon low-water crossing.
Water is also going over the low-water crossing below the Sabino Canton dam.
Water rushing over Sabino Canyon dam.
Sabino Canyon Dam
Sabino Canyon Dam
Water rushing over the boulders at the base of the dam.
The area along the creek has been so dry that even the willows near the dam have dropped their leaves,
looking more like late fall rather August.
This ash tree, home to a Cooper’s hawk nest has also lost a lot of its leaves.
The water is providing a welcome relief from this year’s draught.
The creek will continue to flow as long as the Catalina Mountains receive Monsoon rains.
— Images by kenne
― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
“Spring On The Rocks” (Sabino Creek near the dam.) — Image by kenne
― Anne Spollen, The Shape of Water
The kid loves to hike and also has an eye for skirts! ( When he saw her really picked-up his pace.) Last Monday, James, mom, grandma and I went on a three-mile hike/nature walk in Sabino Canyon. All bias aside, he was my best student yet — interested, attentive, lots of questions and very good at answering mine.
On our way back, James took the lead and proceeded to mimic me — “Now over here is a blah, blah, blah. And here is a blah-blah cactus.” He didn’t always remember the names, but he was something else when it comes to having my style down. Too bad I didn’t get it on video.
Three miles is a good distance for a five-year old. We hiked to the Sabino Canyon dam and back. His only complaint was that we didn’t do more climbing. Of course, his mimicking by body language was a not so subtle way to show he was getting tired of my naming everything along the trail — he had all the moves down pat.
kenne
Photos & Video by kenne
The summer desert rains wake up the Sonoran Desert Toads. — Image by kenne
Little Lemonhead — Image by kenne
Winter brings its own beauty, but flowers are not usually part of the picture. In the Santa Catalina foothills of the Sonoran Desert there exist a plant with small yellow heads with narrow yellow rays. The above image was taken yesterday in the Sabino Canyon riparian area near the Sabino Canyon Dam.
Another image of this plant, by Ned Harris, can be viewed on Ann Green’s blog, Sabino Canyon.
kenne
“Sky Above, Water Below” — image by kenne
kenne
Now a little over a week ago, we received rain in southern Arizona for the first time in months. The creek in Sabino Canyon had been dry for some time. Yes, there were a few pools here and there with a few gila chub, the native fish found in the creek, but no running water. For weeks I’ve had elementary school kids stand above the dam telling them they were “walking on water”, only that it was a few feet below the sand. It’s amazing how the desert begins to transform from the site of water running through the canyon — a site for dry eyes!
Then, there is the sound of water causing one to rush down to the water-side, like a magical sound of the piper.
Yesterday, some of us were hiking through the Sabino Canyon riparian area enjoying the winter solstice colors along the creek — tis the season to be merry!
kenne
Ned Harris is my Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalist (SCVN) mentor. He is also a super photographer. So, one might ask, why am I posting one of my photos with one of his photos? Yes, it does seem crazy! But, there is a “method to my madness.”
First, I want to share an example Ned’s photo skills and urge you to visit his Flickr site (Ned Harris’ Photostream) to see more of the Gray Hawk pictured below and many other excellent raptors photos — he’s one of the best!
Second, as Ned knows, wildlife photography is all about being at the right place at the right time, and that’s not all luck. You have to help make things happen.
Yesterday we both were out trying to be in the “right place at the right time” — I in Sabino Canyon, Ned in Aravaipa Canyon. As I walked in the riparian area above the Sabino Canyon Dam, I saw a Copper’s Hawk above me. I quickly readied my camera to capture the moment — in a split second, I took the shot the hawk dove back and down away from me. But, to be correct, I wasn’t as ready as I should have been, which you can tell from the image below.
Ned, however, is driving down the road and sees a gray hawk on a telephone cable. As he slows down to pull over, he turns off the SUV engine to reduce noise, coming to a stop. Then, sliding over from the driver’s seat, he takes some stunning images with the camera in hand.
Talk about “right place, right time,” but more importantly, he has the camera instinct to create those moments we all hope for when we put a camera in our hands.
— kenne
Copper’s Hawk In Sabino Canyon — Image by kenne
Gray Hawk with Desert Spiny Lizard — Image by Ned Harris
Image by kenne
(Last December I captured an image above the Sabino Canyon creek dam. Now the water is gone, but not in the image.
Since then I captured another image now that the water is gone. So, I decided to change the original image in my mind’s eye.)
kenne