Lamb on the Run: Who’s going to refuel the battleships on the Gila River?

A couple of license plates for you … “BLANCO” on a white car … “4KTHRYN” (and I hope Kathryn knows how to drive) …

All hands on deck…The U.S. Navy plans to close its Phoenix Navy base…

…Who’s going to refuel the battleships on the Gila now?…

…Don’t get too excited…The 1,100 Navy and Marine Corps reservists who are assigned to the base will get new quarters at Luke Air Force Base…

…And there are only about 35 full-time military and civilian personnel at the Navy Operational Support Center now…They’ll also go to Luke…

When it rains it pours…and drizzles…and slops…and generally makes a mess…

…Ask the people who live in Nogales North and Nogales South…

…Running through part of the downtown sections of both cities is a handsome-looking wall that sits on the border…

…The wall was built in the early 1990s and replaced some of the 15-foot-high fence made of aircraft landing mats set on end…That fence is still in place on both sides of downtown…

…Well, back to the water…During last weekend’s severe rains, the water from Nogales, Sonora’s streets tried to flow northward, only to encounter a dam, i.e., the wall…

…Some reports said six-feet of water backed up against the wall, washing away autos that are usually parked on streets there…

…The Morley Avenue pedestrian crossing east of the main gate was closed for several days because of the flood damage…Also a sinkhole opened up on some of the northbound lanes at the main port, the Deconcini Port of Entry at the south end of Grand Avenue…

For years, serious bird watchers, scientists and ornithologists have tagged birds to help learn about their migrating habits…

…Now Arizona State Parks is helping a program to tag monarch butterflies…

…Chris Kline, education coordinator for Boyce Thompson Arboretum, wants volunteers to stick adhesive tags on the hind wings of the butterflies…About 3,000 monarchs have been tagged, including one that was caught and reported from Mexico City…

…Come on…I’m guessing he probably caught a ride in somebody’s southbound camper…

…But if you’re interested in tagging monarchs, there will be field trips to Jacob’s Lake Aug. 12-15, Springerville Aug. 16, Canelo Hills Aug. 30 and Sept. 14, Hereford Sept. 6, Blue River, Oct. 2-4, Hualapai Mountings, Oct. 15-17, Perkinsville Oct. 18 and Sonoita Nov. 1…

… “Participants are responsible for their own travel, said the park announcement…

…For more information about the monarch research trips, call Chris Cline at 520-689-2723 or click on www.btarboretum.org…

…The arboretum’s three miles east of Superior on U.S. 60…

And some more nature news…Green Valley birdwatchers George Jones, Reid Freeman and Carol Hooker have been recording the kinds of birds on the West Desert Preserve west of town…

…There are some local folks who’d like the county to acquire the preserve and make it a permanent recreation area…The land’s under jurisdiction of the State Land Department…

…Wel,l Jones, Freeman and Hooker have sighted 64 different kinds of birds and he said he’ll keep looking to add to the list…

…Among those he reported are Sharp-shinned Hawk, Common Ground Dove and Gilded Flycatcher, rare visitors here…

jlamb@gvnews.com | 547-9749

Jim Lamb’s a reporter for the Green Valley News and a not-so-avid birdwatcher, especially when they “mess with my windshield.”