Bugs & Blooms

The color in the Chihuahuan desert is stunning right now. We received significant rainfall this past winter no doubt contributing to this great show. This past weekend we hiked at Carlsbad Caverns National Park up the Guano Trail and back down through a sunny canyon. As we identify plants and insects we will share more. Here's a snippet.

No identification on these cacti and we won't try without a flower, but the colors are extraordinary:


Claret Cup Cacti

Everybody loves these!

Algerita - the flowers emit the most intoxicating fragrance; often we smell an algerita before we see the plant.

Jennifer checking out one of these caterpillars. They were everywhere on this hike! (Ephedra, Javelina Bush, Little Leaf Sumac, etc.)

Nice expansive views up top...


Mexican Buckeye - the bees love, love, love this plant. We weren't fast enough with our camera to capture their driven flight and nectaring.

Marine Blue on Mescal Bean. The flowers smell like grapes!

Hatched praying mantis case:

Tiny Checkerspot - many of these butterflies flitted about the canyon we hiked down. Elada Checkerspots may have been mixed in.

What fun! More soon...