The resilient hope of spring in the borderlands

I felt like I was waiting for winter to start all year, and finally felt it during one snow storm in late March, then I blinked and spring was here. And blink again! Spring will soon turn into summer. But enjoying the brief seasons is part of what makes life in the desert so irresistible. 

This is my first spring living in Patagonia; I love seeing the cottonwood “fairies” float around town, as the bright green leaves mark the unseen creeks from above, like street lamps over an old meandering road. I have been mesmerized by the lazy tornado of vultures that circle above town in the evenings, and love hearing the rustle of their wings as they fight over roosting spots in the cottonwoods. I’ve had some help learning the constellations, and now can easily find Orion's belt, Taurus’ horns, and Mars in Patagonia’s nighttime sky.

Black vulture (Coragyps atratus) on a telephone pole, snow in the Huachuca Mountains, and cottonwood (Populus freemontii) along Sonoita Creek

Speaking of springs, as we enter the hottest time of year after a dry winter, water becomes even more precious. 

The borderlands’ natural springs were once reliable water sources, forming where groundwater naturally emerged at the surface and fed by seasonal rain. But over the last century, many of these springs have diminished or disappeared completely due to human activity like groundwater pumping, and environmental changes like extended droughts and unreliable monsoons. This makes our wildlife drinkers at Borderlands Wildlife Preserve critical water sources for all animals, from deer to snakes to birds and bees. 

We’ve been seeing more young javelinas, or reds, exploring the mesquite understory under the watchful eyes of their protective squadrons. We’ve also been capturing bits of the spring bird migration, with many visitors making a stop at our wildlife drinkers. Despite the poor winter rains we had, birds will be making the most of the borderlands, sometimes with hundreds of thousands of individual birds passing through the southern counties in a single night at migration’s peak! The first rattlesnake sighting of the year has yet to come, but we’re finding more lizards and snakes out and about as they become more active in the warmer weather. 

A baby Rainbow cactus (Echinocereus rigidissimus), a painted redstart (Myioborus pictus), photo courtesy of Trevor Lauber, and a patch-nosed snake (Salvador sp.)

As we enjoy spring, it’s hard not to think about the future - of our work, our public lands, our wildlife - and the impending 100 degree days. But I am feeling more hopeful after the support that has poured into our organization the past couple months. 

Just like our fellow desert dwellers, we are resilient - here is to a safe summer and a strong monsoon season!