I couldn’t help but make an Owl pun at a time like this! We have begun our Mexican Spotted Owl habitat surveys here at the field office in St. George, UT. This entails leaving the office at 6:00 or 7:00 in the morning in order to attempt to beat the heat, which doesn’t ever happen no matter how early we start. Maybe if we left the office at 3:00 AM it would stay below 100 during our nine hours in the field. Maybe. Needless to say, it’s HOT. But the weather is predictably beautiful, something that I really appreciate coming from the notoriously unpredictable Pacific Northwest.

What are we doing out there? We’re really looking for “cool microsites” — spots in canyon caves and crevices or ponderosa pine forests that would provide the owls with a spot to nest and forage where it stays shady throughout the day. I can relate to the owls in this desire for consistent shade, that’s for sure. Although we haven’t spied any owls yet (they’re not exactly common), I’m confident that by the end of my five months we will. Or at least hear a shy hoot. However, our trips have not been devoid of wildlife. We’ve come across a pair of Red-Tailed Hawks soaring along canyon walls, a lone Northern Harrier crying out in the distance, plentiful riparian songbirds catching bugs around a canyon spring, and some really cute Red-Spotted Toads.

It’s been tricky work, and I’ve had my share of complications, including heat exhaustion and a sprained ankle. But despite the difficulties, the remote locations we have had the chance to see have been pretty spectacular. These are spots that are not easily accessed on foot, let alone convenient for driving. They require a lot of washboarding and use of 4-wheel drive, then clambering up steep sandy hills to get a decent view. It’s quite the adventure! One thing in particular that I have noticed about Arizona is its tendency for spiky plants. Literally everything growing here has spines, spikes, prickles, burrs, or something else sharp that will get stuck to your socks and stick you when you’re least expecting it. It makes sense to me, though. A harsh environment calls for equally harsh methods of dealing. I’m always quietly panicking that I will trip and fall on a Joshua tree, though. I have a theory that those branches (leaves? What are they?) would impale me if I fell at just the right angle. Luckily, that’s a pretty ridiculous theory.

So, as the summer presses on, we will continue with our surveys right into the monsoon season (yep, there’s a monsoon season!!!) and beyond. I can’t wait to see what else Arizona has to offer!

Laurel Mundy
BLM
Arizona Strip, AZ