Esperero Trail – 2/13/2017

February 2017.
A phainopepla near the Tram Road in Sabino Canyon. February 2017.

The Tram Road in Sabino Canyon is not always my favorite – but today… Clouds and beautiful colors in the sky – Phainopepla in the trees – easy walking.

Good light makes it easy to see the grey color of the female Phainolpepla and the shiny black of the males – sometimes perched, calling, at the top of the trees, sometimes flying, flashing the light patches under their wings. The Phainopepla are here for the Mistletoe berries – they eat the outer layers and expel the the sticky seed giving the parasitic Mistletoe a chance to spread. 

The easy walking on the tram road is appreciated today – with limited time I tried, and failed, to get to Bridal Veil Falls and after turning around under a just-out-of-reach deflated balloon stuck in a tree in Esperero Canyon (the first trash I had seen in miles) I was exhausted and happy to reach the tram road… 

February 2017.
Flowing water – one of many crossings on the Esperero Trail – still well below Bridal Veil Falls… February 2017.
February 2017.
A balloon stuck just-out-of-reach in a tree – Esperero Canyon. February 2017.
February 2017.
Looking up Bird Canyon from the Esperero Trail. February 2017.

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