The newly minted Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument is a fascinating destination for the biologist or natural historian. The Organ Mountains are especially diverse, with Chihuahuan Desert, Chihuahuan Desert grasslands, oak-juniper and riparian woodland, and ponderosa pine forest. The monozonite peaks reach over 9,000 ft, from a base of around 5,000, dropping to 4,000 in the Mesilla Valley. One of my favorite hikes is into Ice Canyon, leading to the ruins of the Van Patten resort and Dripping Springs.
Birds seen since mid May include Gambel's quail, scaled quail, black-chinned hummingbird, curve-billed thrasher, northern mockingbird, canyon wren, pyrrhuloxia, blue grosbeak, indigo bunting, western tanager, mourning dove, white-throated swift, western wood-pewee, ash-throated flycatcher, rufous-crowned sparrow, black-throated sparrow, and canyon towhee.
The results of many people working over several decades - The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.
La Cueva, at the start of the trail to Dripping Springs in Ice Canyon.
Apache plume in fruit near the mouth of Ice Canyon in the Organ Mountains.
The Organ Mountains looking north from the mouth of Ice Canyon.
Ice Canyon in the fog.
Doe Mule Deer near the mouth of Ice Canyon.
A Western Wood-pewee in the trees near Dripping Springs in Ice Canyon.
An Ash-throated Flycatcher near the mouth of Ice Canyon.
A Pyrrhuloxia male near the mouth of Ice Canyon.
A male western Tanager in a desert willow (not a true willow!) near the mouth of Ice Canyon.
A juvenile Black-throated Sparrow at the mouth of Ice Canyon.
An adult Black-throated Sparrow near the mouth of Ice Canyon.
Canyon Towhee, Ice Canyon.
More over the fold.
A female Checkered Whiptail lizard. All of these lizards are female, apparently the result of a hybrid cross that left the males sterile and allowed the females to produce clones of themselves. They still need stimulation from other females to produce eggs and thus have been dubbed the "lesbian lizards."
This male Ornate Tree Lizard was found just above Dripping Springs.
A Buckeye butterfly on the trail near the visitor center for Dripping Springs.
A California Sister rests on the barrier rope at Dripping Springs.
Red Satyr butterfly resting on the ground near Dripping Springs in Ice Canyon.
A Northern Cloudywing skipper along the trail to Ice Canyon.
A European Ladybird Beetle (introduced to control aphids - seen just above this beetle) along trail in Ice Canyon.
Lesser Milkweed Bug on Narrow-leaved Milkweed, Ice Canyon.
Yellow Columbine growing at base of Dripping Springs.
Sacred Datura along trail to Ice Canyon.
Scarlet Hedge Nettle, Dripping Springs.
Ruins of the Van Patten resort, which had its heyday in the 1890s. Both Pat Garrett and Poncho Villa slept here! Founded by a Confederate veteran of the Civil War, it was at the time one of the best resorts in the area.
Lichens on a rock near the mouth of ice Canyon, Organ mountains.
All of the photographs for this photo essay were taken by me from mid-May to July of this year.