Rambling Mistress of Science: Snow in the Spring, mines in the White, reptiles in the middle of nowhere

So I'm back within the siren song of wifi! This time our port-of-harbor is a spacious, well-equiped mobile home in tiny, eccentric Goldfield. There's no gas station and no grocery store, and yet this odd little place has a rock shop, antique shop, bottle-based landscaping, and something called the "International Car Forest of the Last Church." I will have to do some more exploring.

So since the sojourn in Logandale I revisited the Moapa site one last time, then turned to Lee Canyon in the Spring Mountains, Queen Canyon in the White Mountains, and finally Cave Spring somewhere to the east. Most of these transects were in a completely new communities, a mix of pinyon pine-juniper slopes and Ponderosa pine forest higher up. A whole new set of birds were committed to memory, including pinyon jays, northern flickers, dark-eyed juncos, and pygmy nuthatches.

The first set of challenges were with Lee Canyon. Located in the Spring Mountains towering above Las Vegas, it was actually a place that got cold. There was even a light snowfall on two days, although it didn't interfere with the birding. Predictably the canyon was also a much steeper and circuitous route, testing my flatlander legs and altitude-unprepared lungs. Cool birds here were Steller's jays, dark-eyed juncos, bushtits (don't laugh it's a real bird!), and northern flickers. The three of us birders were able to share a spot at McWilliams campground, although the temperatures and afternoon rain/snow/sleet did not encourage much socializing.

Morning light along Lee Canyon birding transect

Tiny beehive cactus to-be?

Snowfall (!) at McWilliams campground

View of the Spring Mountains from the rim of Lee Canyon

The next site was Queen Canyon, up northwest in the White Mountains. So far west that the nearest gas was in California. Not quite as steep or as cold, although I had to brave it on my own, or nearly alone. Although the other birders dispersed, there was a surprising amount of traffic of campers, day-trippers, and adventurers passing through on this back road. Purely a pinyon pine community, with a mess of spotted towhees, some green-tailed towhees, and black-throated gray warblers. Probably one of the curious features here was the abandoned mining camp above the transect, where I was able to camp one of the nights.

"STAY OUT, STAY ALIVE!"

A lone bunkhouse downslope from the mine entrance

Curious little house with a kitchen and detached bathroom?

Wideview of the mining camp

The last place was Cave Spring, on a bit of BLM land east of the White Mts. Out of practical range of any blip of a town, the roads were surprisingly good getting there. There's a goldmine that maintains the roads, which also explained the occasional semi ploughing past our campsite. Joined up again with the other technician birder for camping, outside a dugout cabin and a dilapidated corral. The Cave Spring transect came with its own quirks. Although the main road is maintained, the road following the Cave Spring wash is a test for my shiny-new high clearance vehicle. Full of rocks, loose gravel, sand, and trenches, on various days I would only be able to drive so far before having to get out and walk. I persevered though, and managed to get my precious Jeep through unscathed. More pinyon pine land, with an emphasis on pinyon jays, canyon wrens, and gray flycatchers. One of the days after birding I was able to go down a warm springs and relax, easy when you got sun, water, a nice breeze, and some entertaining American coots. Saw some interesting reptiles, although I was only able to get pictures of two.