Navajo Lake State Park, Part 2: Cottonwood Day Use Area

 

Navajo Lake State Park, Cottonwood Day Use Area, New Mexico.

The Cottonwood Day Use Area of Navajo Lake State Park is along the San Juan River.

If I weren't so lazy, I'd carry around with me various field guides that would tell me the names, habitats, and stories of the flora and fauna that I encounter. But I am generally lazy in such areas, so all I can say about the red-twigged bushes are .... "oooh, pretty."

But I will go the extra mile to try and identify odd-looking effluvia from animals: 

Navajo Lake State Park, Cottonwood Day Use Area, New Mexico.

My first guess was that it was an owl pellet, but unsure, as this was kind of long and the contents loose rather than compact. (Did you know you can buy owl pellets?) ... but a more knowledgeable person told me that it's likely coyote or fox scat, the excretory remains of an eaten rabbit.

Navajo Lake State Park, Cottonwood Day Use Area, New Mexico.

Navajo Lake State Park's Cottonwood Day Use Area attracts fisherfolk. The campground, though not filled to capacity, had plenty of overnighters.

Navajo Lake State Park, Cottonwood Day Use Area, New Mexico.

It's very close to the town called Navajo Dam, which seems to exist primarily to support fishermen.

Navajo Dam (town), New Mexico

Navajo Dam (town), New Mexico

Navajo Dam (town), New Mexico

Below is part of the ride on Highway 511 between the Cottonwood Day Use Area and Navajo Lake. At :20 on your left is the scene of the photos atop this post.