Blackberries n' snakes: Tonto Creek

Back on August 18, 2011, my family and I went blackberry-picking on upper Tonto Creek along the Mogollon Rim. The Himalayan blackberry (Rubus procerus) is an introduced species that is invasive along riparian areas in some parts of Arizona, but this is one case where I really don't care about its exotic-invasive status: they're berries are freaking delicious!! My family has been berry-picking here for a couple of decades now, so it's part of our tradition. This year we did really well, my parents having gone picking prior to this trip and getting enough berries for a few pies then. On this trip we got enough to make a few more pies:

While berry-picking in summer, you do have to be careful of snakes hiding amongst the brambles during the day. On past visits we have encountered black-tailed rattlesnakes, but this trip we encountered a tiny ring-necked snake and a good-sized gophersnake. Gophersnakes look superficially similar to some rattlesnakes based on the patterns on their skin and sometimes will even imitate the tail-shaking behavior of rattlesnakes. However, they are non-venomous and harmless to humans (although I'm sure the bite would still hurt though!). On the other hand, the ring-necked snake is supposed to be mildly-venomous to humans.

ring-necked snake: 

Photos of the gophersnake with kind of a "where's waldo?" feel, showing how well they can camouflage with the vegetation:

While picking berries, I kept hearing a constant hard chip note from a bird along the creek. It eventually flew up to powerlines along the road to the hatchery. The lighting was not the best, but based on the noise it was making and its overall shape it appeared to be a bunting (probably a young one, based on the incessant calling). It's hard to really tell from the photos, but to me it looks like there might be a greenish coloration to its plumages. This makes me think it might have been an immature Painted Bunting, but alas, due to the inconclusive look I can't really make the ID call on it (it would be a "lifer" though!). Here are some pics and a video of the bunting calling:

The hatchery area was swarming with bird activity in general, especially the migrating Western Tanagers which numbered 30+. It was amazing to watch them since they kept darting back and forth across the creek just below the hatchery parking lot. Lots of warblers were starting to move through too. Here are a few bird pics:

Painted Redstart (immature):

Empidonax flycatcher species:

And there was also a cool fungus beetle (Gibbifer californicus) crawling on a decaying log in one of the berry patches:

tent caterpillars:

More photos of the blackberry patches and picking (and for Eva, playing in the creek):

More pics of Tonto Creek:

wasp species:

mullein species (Verbascum sp., Family Scrophulariaceae):

New tanks put in at the hatchery, where we noticed some monkeyflowers (Mimulus guttatus) and other plants growing inside them:

sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus, Family Fabaceae):

sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula, Family Poaceae):

toadflax penstemon (Penstemon linarioides, Family Scrophulariaceae):

mountain tail-leaf, or mountain taper-leaf (Pericome caudata, Family Asteraceae):

purple geranium (Geranium caespitosum, Family Geraniaceae):

Pringle's manzanita (Arctostaphylos pringlei, Family Ericaceae):

flax species (Linum sp., Family Linaceae):

nodding onion (Allium cernuum, Family Liliaceae):

moss species:

Arizona alder (Alnus oblongifolia, Family Betulaceae):

boxelder (Acer negundo, Family Aceraceae):

western chokecherry (Prunus virginiana, or P. serotina ???, Family Rosaceae):

unknown grass:

A white fir (Abies concolor) cone, which you will only find on the ground if it is chewed off by a squirrel. Otherwise, these cones will disintegrate on the branches with the scales and winged seeds falling away: