The Pallid Bat

Rescuing a Tangled Microchiroptera

The following morning after a rainstorm, my cat was curious about something in the bushes along the fenced area.  On closer inspection, it turned out to be a large tan bat which was caught in the twigs and could not get out.  The bat was carefully removed from the brush and then placed on a rock where it could be closely observed. 

Quickly checking on the Internet, the bat was identified as a Pallid Bat Antrozous pallidus that lives in the western U. S.

After the Pallid had a few moments to recover, it began to spread its long wings and then it looked up, showing a mouth full of sharp teeth.  The bat showed no interest in flying off and continued to stay on the rock.  It did not appear to have any injuries and possibly was just weak from being stranded in the bush. 

To further observe the Pallid, it was placed on a shallow cardboard box.

 It was then moved over to a tree limb where it began to hang upside down.  The bat appeared to be in good shape but just weak. There was a concern that the bat might lose its grip and then drop to the ground where it could become the cat's treat.

The decision was made to try and offer it some nourishment, so a ripe cherry was held close to the bat’s mouth with a pair of tweezers.

  The bat turned to check out the cherry and then started to open its mouth and gnaw on the fruit.  

After a few more bites, the bat closed its eyes and seemed to be ready for a nap.

Since the cat knew of the bat's location, it was carefully relocated to the limb of a pine tree that was in the shade and more protected.  A close watch was kept on the bat for about every 15 minutes and then it was gone.  By this time, the cats were all inside napping so hopefully the bat flew off to its day time roost.  The Pallid bat has 3 different roosts: daytime in attics or rock crevices; nighttime in open areas near plants and hibernation in buildings, caves and rock crevices.

This interesting desert mammal is a nocturnal hunter that with its large ears can hear the footsteps of insects.  Its diet mainly consists of scorpions, around 70%, but it will also eat beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, moths and mantis.  The bat catches the insects on the ground and then flies back to its night roost to dine.

Pallid bats are thought to be immune to the scorpion’s sting and even the most poisonous Arizona bark scorpion.

One comforting bit of information that I learned about the Pallid bat was that it has a defense mechanism in its nose where it can secrete a foul odor to ward off predators. My cats have to stay inside at night but there may be strays that come in to the yard.  I hope this bat was able to recover and will continue to live out its 14+ years, keeping my yard safe from scorpions.

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Wildflowers and Wild Weather Tales

  

Photo-adventures at Gabbs Valley Range

While the monsoon season was in full force, I took a day trip over to one of my favorite wildflower locations, the Gabbs Valley Range.  Located in the Great Basin Desert at 38°40'19"N 118°11'07"W, this area seems to have its own micro-climate and always gets more rain. 

In the desert by the middle of July the wildflowers have all dried up, but in the higher elevations some of the flowers get a late start. A short drive up to the summit on SR 361 just past my turn-off to the left and I began to notice yellow accents of Prince's Plume. 

Golden Prince’s Plume is a perennial that grows in alkaline soil and absorbs high concentrations of selenium which makes it poisonous to livestock and also humans.  Regardless of its dark side, it sure lends beauty to the dessert landscape.

I saw a wide and level wash so I stopped for a walk back toward the rugged, Badland scenic mountains.

  
After a short distance, the small white flowers of a Fourwing Saltbush caught my attention that was loaded with blooms.   A member of the goosefoot family, the seeds are wind-pollinated and also edible.  Flour was made from its seeds by the Navajo. 

Around the bend and before the wash started to narrow, I came upon a nice arrangement of yellow Prince's Plume pared with a flowering Indigo Bush. The desert indigo bush is a legume and was used by the Native Americans for dye.

At this point, I decided to turn back and not take a chance on surprising a rattlesnake that might be warming in the morning sun. As I turned, the purple flowers of Desert Sage stood out on the narrow bank of the wash. This was the plant referred to in Zane Grey's Riders of the Purple Sage. 

Looking up at the western sky, I noticed more clouds settling in and realized that I had better continue to my next location which was on the dirt road and up higher in the juniper and pinyon pines.  

Further north on the dirt road were more indications of the localized storms that had brought so much rain to the area.  Flood waters are always a concern when cumulus clouds begin to gather in the desert.   Even though the storm may be miles away, water will take the path of least resistance to flow down through the washes and across the roads.

An accent of blue in the sand  on the west side of the road was a healthy grouping of Silver Lupine.  The endangered Mission Blue Butterfly larvae feed on the leaves of this poisonous plant.  The butterfly then becomes toxic and gives off a bitter taste, to ward off predators.  Because the plant is a danger to livestock, it is cleared from range-land, therefore eliminating a crucial food source for this butterfly. 

In just a short while, I saw cumulus clouds growing and towering to the east that very soon would become a thunderstorm.  It was time to head back and hope that I could out-run the potential dangers of wind sheer, flooding rain and hail.

Descending down to lower ground from the higher elevation, the sky was looking more ominous to the east and thunder was starting to rumble in the distance.

The sky to the south was not looking any safer and a micro-burst was starting to let go in the dry lake a short distance away. 

A last glance back to the north and I had to stop for photos of the clouds that were creating such interesting patterns.  

This was the second time that I raced for home with storms gathering all around and again I barely got in the garage before the rain and hail started beating against the back of my truck.  Once the storm cleared, the clouds rolled back to reveal a snow-covered mountain range to the south. 

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Building a Keyhole Garden

Drought Tolerant, Composting Garden

 A short while ago, I saw a post on Facebook with a Keyhole Garden and after checking it out, I decided that I wanted to build one.  Since the Keyhole Garden was designed for people living in a hot climate with dry, infertile soil, I thought it might work well here in the Great Basin Desert where it gets cold in the winter but very hot and dry in the summer.

This garden has a circular design with a keyhole opening for easy access to the plants. Water is poured through a well in the center of the garden that is filled with compost material.  The well acts as a recycling center, compost maker and continually feeds nutrient rich water to the plants.

To start building my Keyhole Garden, I first selected a space that world get morning sun and some shade in the hot afternoon.  

The space was cleared of gravel and then staked in the center to mark off a circle with an 8 foot diameter. 

I chose two levels of cinder blocks as the retaining wall for my garden and placed them so the holes were facing up to be filled with dirt for additional planting space. 

To begin construction of the well, a 3 foot tall length of fencing wire was tied together to form a 2 foot circle in the center of the garden.  The fencing wire would be the form to hold the well in place.

 A layer of rocks was stacked in the bottom of the well to insure proper drainage.

Strips of wood were placed on the inside of the well to hold in the composted material and retain the moisture. 

 The inside of the well was lined with straw to form a bed for holding the composted material.  

After the cinder blocks were stacked forming the ring for the garden, the planting bed was ready to be filled in.  The bed of the garden was formed by a layering process to allow proper drainage and aeration. 

The first layer, larger branches lined the bottom of the garden. And then a second layer of smaller twigs filled in on top of the branches.

 The third layer, several inches of dry pine needles covered the twigs.

The fourth layer was several inches of straw and then some of my cat’s hair that they donated for the project. 

Amended soil became the fifth and final layer which was a mixture of top soil, sandy loam and chicken manure. 

The soil was angled so that the highest or deepest part of the garden would be next to the well and gradually taper down to 13 inches at the cinder block ring.    

In about a week after watering down the soil and adding more compost to the well, I was ready to start planting.

Radish seeds went in the cinder blocks since they had the shallowest roots.  Zucchini and summer squash were spaced toward the keyhole so they would have room to spread and could be easily reached for hand pollinating.  Egg plant went in the middle area.  Tomato transplants were buried up to their first leaves on the top portion so the roots could go in the deepest part of the soil.

I seeded flowers of Marigold and Borage next to the cinder blocks to help deter pests. And lettuce was added just above the flowers.

It has now been just over a month and my garden seems to be growing quite well.  We have had a few days with some thundershowers but now the temperatures are getting close to 100°.  I am hoping that the plants do as well in July when the days are getting hotter, over the century mark.

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Spooky Rock and Scary Weather

Cloud chasing and tornado trekking

 What could be more exciting than driving out to one's favorite rock outcropping in the desert and then almost getting caught in a tornado?

 On a warm June morning, I noticed a few fluffy clouds starting to form over the distant mountains and decided to do some photo-exploring in the Garfield Flats area.  In landscape photography clouds always add drama to the sky and most often with the weather patterns here in the Great Basin Desert, clouds are all we get.    

Garfield Flats is located just off U.S. 95 and a short drive from Hawthorne, Nevada.  The flat, open area has some very unusual rock formations and one out-cropping has been appropriately named Spooky Rock. 

I planned my arrival to Spooky Rock in the morning when the sun would throw front lighting on the grimacing rocks.  A mixture of cirrus and cumulus clouds was beginning to grow in the western sky.

 One grouping of clouds over a monolithic stand of rocks appeared to have faces, matching the ones on Spooky Rock.

As I turned toward the south, a large circle of clouds was creeping in over the mountain range; it looked like the Mother Ship was arriving!  The cloud formations were getting more interesting and I was enjoying the scenery.

During my stop for lunch, I watched cumulus clouds mass together over the rugged landscape to the west. 

In just a few minutes. one of the clouds in the west was now growing upward and taking on the characteristic anvil-shape of a towering cumulonimbus cloud.  The ground level was heating up and if there was enough moisture the atmosphere could become unstable.

So far the weather appeared to be typical of a warm Great Basin afternoon when dry microburst just producing virga, a precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground.  However, from studying weather during my private pilot training, I knew that if the evaporation of water continued to cool the air, the microburst could grow in to a full developed thunderstorm.

After carefully scanning the sky, I began to realize that the weather was turning more ominous toward the east.  The cold air rushing down from the cloud was spreading out along the surface of the desert, creating a gust front.  I was starting to get a feeling that it was time to end my day of photo-exploring and get back on the paved road.

Turing around, the lighting on the distant hills just too awesome not to stop for a quick photo. 

I began to hear thunder toward the east and with the sky growing darker, I knew that I must not wait too long or I might get caught in a flash flood which can happen any time there is a thunderstorm out in the desert.

Slowing down to maneuver on the narrow dirt road, I looked up to see a group of Mammatus (pouch-like) clouds in the southeast sky.  These clouds may not be a sign that a tornado is likely to form but they do indicate sinking air.

  

Finally turning north on the highway, big raindrops were just starting to hit the windshield.  I realized that I was on the leading edge of a macroburst which can cover 2 miles or more with damaging winds, hail and even a possible tornado.  Along with the pounding rain, pea size hail started to bounce off the windshield. 

Driving past Hawthorne, the winds increased and the hail grew larger.  After parking in the garage, the wind, rain and hail really broke lose but I was safe at home.  It was after the storm had cleared that I received the message that the south end of Hawthorne was been hit with an F-1 tornado and there had been damage to several homes and businesses.  I began to realize that while I was traveling north toward Hawthorne, the tornado was just off the tail of my truck.

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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