We were up and at 'em early the next morning, checking out of our motel and checking out of Sierra Vista. We were heading west, and this was to be a 'light' day, without a full itinerary. Our goal this morning was to poke around on the western side of the Huachucas, looking for a certain little chocolate-brown rattlesnake.

The morning sky was cloudy with patches of sun showing here and there. Temperatures were a bit cooler as well. We swung north, short-cutting through the Fort Huachuca military reservation after passing inspection at the main gate. Our first reptile of the day was a DOR Diamondback, a sad end for a magnificent animal. It's always sad to see any kind of animal run over on the road; I wondered if the local people took much note of what had to be a common occurrence. Perhaps a dead rattlesnake on the road is just another part of the landscape.

The western slope of the long mountain range is quite different from the eastern side. Rolling foothills are cut by narrow washes, cut deep in some places.  I suppose it could be characterized as grassland habitat, but the landscape also held cedars, emory oaks and other small trees. In appearance it reminded me somewhat of the oak savannas back home in Illinois.

We set out on foot, with the purpose of walking the rocky draws in between the rolling hills. We were on the cusp of weather change - to the west, and the sun was shining through scattered clouds; to the east, thunderheads were building up over the Huachucas, and Ramsey Peak was already swathed in a rain storm. It was a little cool, and whether it warmed up for us depended on which way the weather blew...

Over the years Steve has lost some hearing, the higher ranges in particular, which is a heavy blow to a master birder. "Do you not hear that rattler?" I asked him. The clump of bunchgrass next to him was singing the song of a little rattlesnake. "No!" he replied, surprised. I carefully pulled grass stems this way and that, until I could see a patch of brown scales - the little snake was wedged tightly among the stems at the base of the plant. Had it not rattled from its place of concealment, we would have walked right by it and none the wiser. This was the third Arizona Ridgenose for Steve and I, and all three were located by ear!

I carefully extricated the snake from its hiding place. This was a hefty Ridgenose, perhaps two feet in length, and not pleased about being dragged out into the open. We 'plated' the serpent with a plant saucer while preparing for some pictures. This was Tracey's first trip to the desert southwest, and so anything we found was a new experience for him - I was glad he could add a willardi to his list.