Sunday, September 23, 2012

Relentless Heat and Humidity

The Nuthatch
At the time of this write, the rains were plentiful and providing much needed water to our desert and canyons. Things are so green around here.
And of course with it comes all of the bugs and humidity which make hiking really bad.
Today's photos were taken near Patagonia on an afternoon hike.  I brought water with me but almost suffered heat exhaustion.  I was with a friend and I tried taking pictures but my eyesight was getting blurry.
There were grasshoppers galore.....and the chiggers.  In fact, the pain I suffered on this day went a little too far.  We made it back after almost collapsing. When I took my shoes and socks off, I discovered my feet had been severely attacked by hundreds of chigger bites.  This was worse than Panama during our turtle project along the Caribbean beach.
Brachystola magna
Plains lubber
Let's just say that I am glad to be done with this rainy, hot and humid weather.  It's time for gardening and cooler temps again. 

23 comments:

  1. Chiggers? These are so small and can do such a damage!
    Good luck recovering :-)
    Cooler is better indeed.

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  2. Wow, I can always count on Midnight YOUR Time when I get post feeds from you - *smile*

    Was this written a week or two ago ? I thought you said the Monsoon was gone.

    Are those Nuthatch pics ? We have lots of Nuthatches here. They just seem to defy gravity if you know what I mean.

    .

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    1. This was written about 3 weeks ago. We've had a litte bit of a comeback of the heat and moisture this week. I'm currently writing for October as I like to research what I've seen in the field first before posting. Some of those posts take me awhile especially when it comes to moths and certain wildflowers. So it gives me time to organize what I want to say and how I'll post it.

      But as of this comment, the bugs are still nasty outside. I was landscaping and talking to people....spending money and getting some work done around El Presidio:)

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  3. Oh my. I had no idea what a chigger was until I just googled it, those guys are nasty. Hope you recover soon!

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  4. Buenas imágenes!!!.. el pajarillo es como nuestros trepadores.. Muy guapo.. Un saludo..

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  5. Zdjęcia są śliczne, ale Twoje zdrowie ważniejsze. Pozdrawiam.
    The photos are beautiful, but more importantly your health. Yours.

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  6. sometimes humidity and bushwalking can get a bit much. I remember reading lonely planet to prepare for a holiday in Borneo. They described it as walking in a sauna. And that's what it felt like. And there were the biggest more aggressive leeches I've ever come across. But that's me. About you Chris: take a break, don't scratch, stay cool. Your followers need you to look after yourself.

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    1. Thank you:) I'm doing better now. Betsy told me to use vinegar for the bites and it worked! Vinegar has amazing properties. Plus a birder smiled and told me never to take that hike in the summer.....another good tip:)

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  7. I put a picture of a European Nuthatch on one of my recent blogs. If was interesting looking at the differences in yours and mine Nuthatches. From Findlay

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  8. Beautiful grasshopper Chris - with wonderful colouration. Bites sound really nasty :( Glad its going cooler now!

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  9. Wow! I never realized just how beautiful a grasshopper could be. I'm sorry you had to endure such terrible chigger bites to capture it though.

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  10. you certainly suffered for your art, my friend. :)

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  11. ✿彡
    º°♫♪º°
    Fotos super nítidas e cheias de detalhes... muito lindas.
    Boa semana!
    Beijinhos.
    Brasil
    ♫♪♪¸.•°`❤彡

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  12. Great photos Chris. I am sorry that you had to go through so much pain to get them.

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  13. No evidence of the monsoon season ever being here in El Paso, or Abq. My lips are beyond chapped. I only wish I could experience some of that buggy, humid stuff. May be a rarity in the long-term according to some thought I heard broad-brushed during a lecture I saw yesterday.

    Hope "they" are wrong, and they often are, but this chart of past mega-droughts in New Mexico showed we are going out of a short, wet period. But saying "New Mexico" sounds a bit precise, when climate goes more by region.

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  14. What a price to pay, but some wonderful pictures. Life is such a learning experience. Wish our temperatures would finally accept it's fall and start dropping.

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  15. So you've learned a lot about bugs and birds in the desert. And treating jiggers too. Great tip. And wonderful photos.

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  16. Wonderful images... and after the summer we have had i think I could manage a few days of really hot weather..
    Take care.

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  17. I've heard of chiggers and their bites. Sounds really nasty. Hope the weather gets more pleasant for you now.

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  18. Well, I thought that you've many things, like hot, too cold, any etc etc. Lol, you're equal like to us. The pictures are superb, especially the grasshopper.

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  19. Love the nuthatch shots, they are such fun to watch. Cool captures of the grasshoppers too. Nice to know about the vinegar and chiggers. Great post, Chris!

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  20. Never seen a grasshopper in this color, beautiful one !

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