Exciting news around here lately — Gray-headed Kites have nested at OTS Las Cruces Biological Research Station/Wilson Botanical Garden in a huge tree (local name ‘Mayo’, genus: Vochysia) and we are all agog! There’s even a semi-visible chick, hidden by branches, perched on a nest that looks almost too small for its family.

These birds are beautiful raptors, described in eBird and local field guides as found in lowland tropical forests. (As most of you know, Las Cruces is not in the lowlands but change is the only constant so this is our good fortune.)

Seen here is a photo from our most recent Bird Walk, Sunday, August 23. NOTE: the lizard dangling from the kite’s right talon.

Photo by David Rodrigues, Biologo Regente, Finca Cántaros Environmental Association

More photos from David are below: in the next one, it appeared that one of these butterflies had just emerged from its chrysalis and wasted no time starting new life!

As for the next photo, it’s a confusing sight but you can see a pinkish-white spider on a porterweed flower that had just captured a bee!

With 14 participants, it was a lively walk with interesting natural history moments and plenty of laughing and talking. We welcomed Tina Christoper back to San Vito and wished Helen and Greg Homer safe travel to their home base in the US.

We urge you to join us on these walks — they are free, we have binoculars to lend, and clearly you never know what you are going to see. The next walk will be Sunday, September 7; meet at the Las Cruces Reception Building at 7 am.