This pronghorn doe was looking for water the other night in the basin. She found other visitors already there, and she decided not to stick around.
No pix, but a group of two-legged visitors and I saw a mama pronghorn with a fawn on a different visit! Very rare to see the babies. Very cool!
The mustangs share Spring Creek Basin with other wildlife, including these beauties I saw during my last visit:
They were in a big group, too spread out to capture them all in one photo!
I came over the crest of a hill and saw them – and they saw me! – and off they went. Naturally, I took photos while I waited for them to put some distance between us! You can see the road in the background of the lower photo.
Disappointment Valley is a major wintering area for mule deer and elk. Seeing deer is nearly an everyday occurrence, but it’s pretty cool to see elk – and this many at one time!
… to bring you a different kind of “beast.”
I think he’s smiling at me.
Our herd manager came to the basin today to check the water situation. Four ponds still have water. All but one were dug out in 2009 and 2010 (and one pond dug out in 2009 and one dug out in 2010 are dry). We have talked about water enhancements in the last year or so – and money for that is in the works, thanks to the Director’s Challenge grant we got. We’ve talked about a second water catchment (our current one is about 10+ years old, thanks to the National Mustang Association/Colorado chapter), water guzzlers, enhancing seeps and springs and digging out more ponds. Two more ponds are scheduled for dig-out this year, also thanks to the Director’s Challenge funds.
It’s all about cooperation.
Kiley and I saw the collared lizard on a rock right off the road. I made him stop for a quick portrait shoot. I love these tiny dinos!
It’s dry out there, folks. All rain dances – of all durations, to any music, any style (!) – accepted. 🙂
… for some non-horse critters.
People ask about what other kinds of wildlife we have in the basin. Deer, elk, pronghorn, coyotes, badgers (I saw one big as a small dog the other day!), rabbits (both Jack’s and Peter’s families call the basin home), chipmunks, ground squirrels, lizards, all kinds of birds! I don’t often get photos of them, but they’re great to see!
I always forget to include these guys in that list:
A horned toad! Isn’t s/he awesome? I “caught” him as I was walking back from checking on Tenaz.
The bellies on these girls are showing signs of growing life, too. They were just up the hill and across an arroyo from Grey/Traveler’s band. I don’t know much about pronghorn: They make a sort of twangy-banjo-like barking noise as an alarm (at least the bucks do?). They don’t jump fences, so if they can’t get through or under, they’re stymied. In Wyoming, they’re called “speed goats”! (Thanks, N, for that tidbit!)
I mentioned the phlox blooming – more and more coming on every time I’m out, it seems. And the Indian paintbrush is getting started, too. The grasses are greening up along with other things. It’s very dry, but there are signs of spring all over!
Chrome’s band were camouflaged among the rocks and trees on the flank of Filly Peak when the fire management officer and I arrived in the basin last week to check the status of the tree fire. We stopped quite a distance away to allow Jif to see us, recognize us, do what she was going to do. She had been very comfortable with visitors, but about a month or two ago now, that changed, and she’s quite concerned with vehicles …
They did run down the hill and gathered –Â and stopped – right above the road. I had thought she’d take them at least out into the open – across the road – but just down from the confines of the rocks and trees and “nowhere to go,” she was perfectly content. When it was apparent they were going back to grazing and were calm and relaxed, on we drove, not even raising dust with the cautiousness of our forward-creep.
Respectful visitors get a view like this! Relaxed alpha-mom Jif and her big boy Hayden. Shot through the passenger window.
Cuatro greeting big-stepdaddy Chrome near little bro Rio and mama Two Boots. We got shade under what I think was the last big cloud of the day.
Chrome’s band? Misnomer. What I really mean to say is Jif’s band!
No disrespect, big guy. You’re a fabulous band stallion! 🙂
We saw a few other bands from a distance, but nobody else close until we got to this “exotic” band, just before we stopped to hike up to the tree:
Almost looks like they’re still shedding a bit, eh? As hot as it is! There were at least five pronghorn in this group, including a buck. I rarely see pronghorn antelope in the basin, and when I do, they’re almost always single, so this was a big group!
Always something of interest through the trees, around the bend, over the hill. Magic of discovery. 🙂
While I was riveted by this big blooming beauty –
– pretty right? – it’s called “4 o’clock,” but I have no idea why because I’ve seen it blooming at all times – the twitch of an ear, perhaps, caused me to focus in on this, just in front of that:
Holy Jack, rabbit! Can you believe that eyeball?!
I was “just driving along when,” by the way, and I took these pix right out the Jeep window. I’m glad I saw Jack before I opened the door and scared him away! (Or is it Jacqueline?) S/he did finally streak away – long ears flat back along his/her body in a way that reminded me, oddly, of a racehorse – but wow. I just can’t get over that eyeball!
Not 10 minutes later, I was walking out to see a band when I saw Jack’s cousin – Peter:
Or is it Petra? 🙂 And yes, the hole is home. See the one right in front of him/her under/behind the greasewood roots/branches? That’s apparently the “front door.” It was in the side of a shallow arroyo. Not too worried about flash floods, I guess, eh?
It’s fun to see some of the basin’s smaller residents from time to time!
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 