Alamos, Sonora Mex trip day 4

[Michael Klein]

Sorry for getting this out so late, I was in Ventura County for 3 days
performing a wildlife survey.  Anyway, here is day 4 of the Alamos Trip -
Rio Cuchujaqui.

Enjoy

Michael Klein
San Diego

Alamos day 4 - Morning low - 80°F, high - 95°F.  After an excellent
breakfast at 5:30am we loaded into 2 vans and headed east and south.  We
crossed the road that takes you El Mirador, which Claude and I could not
find on Friday.  Now that we knew where it was, we were going to check it
out possibly Tuesday.  As we were about 4 km from town we were treated to a
small covey (10 birds) of elegant quail.  Chalk up another new for me.
Looking at the fields and dense grasses, I kept thinking about how things
used to look where I was raised back in southeastern Pennsylvania back in
the early 50's.  I kept thinking that if I knew then what I know now.  Could
I make a difference?  Most probably not but it left me feeling that we have
displaced much habitat over the years and we are clueless as to how many
species of insects we have extinguished just in my lifetime.  Oh for the
good old days.  Not really since we did not have the regulations in place
back then related to pesticides and toxins that we do today.  But you feel a
yearning and even a slight envy that these folks here have something
special.  How many towns in the U.S. can claim up to 20 species of
butterflies commonly flying within their streets.

Well enough of the yearning.  We continued on for about another 8 km and
stopped at a large open rocky arroyo.  Actually this was part of a larger
river called the Rio Cuchujaqui (coo-chu-ha-ki).  We first stopped at some
baccharis just upslope from the wetland looking at moths that appeared to
mimic pixie metalmarks.  From there we began hiking the large rocky arroyo
looking at some impressive dragonflies and some interesting ladybird
beetles.  Some of the folks more interested in birds in this area, walked
ahead and stopped at a large blooming yellow flower.  Inside the flower was
a small tree frog.  He was content to stay there out of predator's way.
Some got excellent pictures.  We moved onto a fairly large clump of
baccharis blooming.  It was only 7:30am and these area was loaded with
butterflies and skippers.  I believe we ended up staying just here for about
1.5 hours.  It sort of set the morning.  Besides, with the very warm, and
muggy conditions you did not wish to do too much hiking.

Some of the butterflies and skippers seen here: Arizona metalmark
(Calephelis arizonensis), red-bordered metalmark (Caria ino), poeas
metalmark (Emesis poeas), painted lady (Vanessa cardui), common mottled
skipper (Codatractus melon), dorantes long-tail (Urbanus dorantes dorantes),
brown long-tail (Urbanus pronce), black-spotted skipper (Chiomara mithrax),
false roadside-skipper (Repens florus), and prenda roadside-skipper
(Amblyscirtes tolteca prenda).  The black-spotted skipper is apparently only
the second recorded sighting for Sonora.  This was a great place for photo
opportunities.