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Friday, April 10, 2009 - Elephant Butte Lake State Park, Elephant Butte NM

Vultures at Roost, Percha Dam State Park, Arrey NM, March 26, 2009
Vultures at Roost, Percha Dam State Park, Arrey NM, March 26, 2009

After seeing Jane off at the Albuquerque Sunport this morning for her ride home to Fairbanks I headed back to Elephant Butte to hang out here for a few more days before I begin the long trek east to Red Rock for the summer.

Night camp

Site 32, South Monticello Point - Elephant Butte Lake State Park, Elephant Butte NM

Crayfish Chimney

Late one afternoon I sat upon my camera case beside the path where it wound through the darkest part of the woods, down near the pond, and watched a crayfish building his "chimney," the land entrance to his underwater tunnel. He had just started to work above the ground when I first arrived. He came up through the moist black earth, carrying a ball of it between his two enormous fighting claws. Using the claws as hands, he spread the soil around the hole to form the base of the chimney. He then backed down the hole and after several minutes came up with another armful.

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