Spring in the Desert - Part II

 

The first signs of Spring we saw were the endless blooming Creosote bushes. A White-crowned Sparrow perched in this bush. Soon it will be heading north. It was a beautiful sight to see mile after mile of yellow blooms.

 Last Fall, the desert was missing flowers. Now, the blooms of the Desert Senna, Yerba Mansa and White Prickly Poppy add color to the desert.

 Spring brings other changes as well. The Say's Phoebe is one of the birds that nests in the desert. The sight of these tiny babies squished in their nest brought a smile to everyone's face.

 During migration, many birds are just passing through the desert. After a long night flight, they look for green patches and water to rest up before resuming their trip north. A couple of American Avocets found this pond for their stopover.

The Belted Kingfisher found a perfect spot to rest at the Desert Studies Center - A pond filled with fish!
This one stays year round but most keep on going.

Lots of people, including me, want to see the Greater Roadrunner when they go to the desert. Unfortunately, they usually miss them since they are always on the move. The best time to see them is when they are sunning themselves in the morning. After that, good luck! This one was perched high on the rocks early in the morning so we caught a glimpse of him before he zoomed off.

 

 Of course, the Roadrunner isn't the only one enjoying the sun. The Chuckwalla perched on this boulder in the early morning while this Gopher snake slithered away into the palms when we approached.

It's always good to wear boots in the desert but especially at night when you can't see anything. The scorpions are quite active at night. With a special light, you can see these awesome desert dwellers.

 

The scenery at the China Ranch Date Farm is amazing! This lush oasis surrounded by the desert is a family owned date farm. If you stop here, you will want to try one of the delicious date shakes - Yum!

 After much searching, I found this calling Gambel's Quail perched high up in a tree at the farm.

Water attracts lots of life including dragonflies like this Flame Skimmer. The wings sparkled with a glitter of gold in the light.

 Extraordinary plants and wildlife manage to survive inhospitable desert conditions. We were all stunned to see this unique Desert Five Spot  flower emerge from an old dump outside the abandoned miner's homes at Dublin Gulch. It was quite an unexpected site for this delicate flower to emerge.

 

We are fortunate there are still places that exist that are protected from the development of man.

"Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread."   Edward Abbey

Back on the Road to Zzyzx - Part 1

Driving through the vast, open land of the Mojave Desert surrounded by mountains is quite a unique experience especially when you find quirky, one of a kind landmarks along the way.

The famous Route 66 goes through the town of Amboy. The 2010 Census states the population was less than 20. Roy's gas station is THE place to fill up on gas and get an icy cold rootbeer on the long stretch to Baker.

Warning! You will be sorry if you don't stop at Roy's for gas and a cold drink when you leave behind Route 66.

 Eventually, you will arrive at the once bustling town of Kelso.

Ranchers and miners brought life to this town. The train depot was restored and turned into a museum. Visitors can learn about the mysteries of the Mojave Desert and the people who have inhabited it over the centuries.

A few miles away are the Kelso Dunes. I've been told the dunes sing. I look forward to experiencing their song.

 Last Fall when we drove down the road through the Mojave Preserve, we were on the lookout for tarantulas. This time we had to watch out for the threatened Desert Tortoises that live here. None were seen crossing when we drove down the road. This photo is a tortoise that was rescued and is now in captivity.

 Baker, the gateway to Death Valley is a welcome sight with gas stations and a few noticeable restaurants - one with Greek Goddess statues, the other with aliens on the roof....However, the tallest thermometer in the world grabs the most attention.

Minutes away from Baker is Zzyzx. Back when Curtis Springer started Zzyzx, signs such as this one dotted the highways encouraging people to come to his mineral springs and restore their health.

Springer's resort has been replaced by the Desert Studies Center. Here you can begin learning about this astounding desert.

 

Snowflakes in Spring

Spring blooms were covered in snow this past week.

 

 Within 24 hours, approximately 4 inches of snow fell. The snowflakes were great to see since too few of them have fallen here this winter.

 For me, a great part of hiking in freshly fallen snow is being the first one to make tracks.

Discovering animal tracks is the best!

When I arrived at the top of this road, it was covered in deer tracks.

The Mountain Quail had no trouble getting around in the snow. Since they are diggers, they didn't hesitate to shovel through the snow to the bare ground.

Since it was cold and windy, most birds were hunkered down. This Oregon Junco was an exception.

We spotted the White-headed Woodpecker in the Coulter Pine tree. The spiky pine cones are enormous. They are 8-16 inches long and weight 4-10 pounds. The nickname for these cones is "widowmaker".

 You never know what other surprises you might encounter. This T-Rex was one of them.

 It was a relief to see the Anna's Hummingbirds survive another freezing, snowy night. In fact, they are doing quite well!

As I write this, the snow has completely melted in town. Fortunately, some still remains in the high country. The snow was brief but beautiful.

Coast to Coast - Pensacola

Florida is full of beautiful beaches. However, the beach in Pensacola is exceptional! The soft, white sandy beach is accentuated by the sparkling turquoise blue waters of the Gulf.

Living in the mountains surrounded by the desert, I don't get to walk on the beach very often. This past week was a treat!

Whenever I have the chance to explore an area, I seize the opportunity to get outside and see what is there!

 The beach was the first place to start. On our first morning walk, we found this creative sand castle decorated with the many broken sand dollars found on the shore.

 Laughing Gulls were the noisy ones on the beach everyday.

The Sanderlings are in constant motion constantly running up and down the water's edge probing for morsels.

The first time I saw a single female Red breasted Merganser was on a recent trip to the Salton Sea. It was quite a surprise to see a flock of over 50 males and females swimming along the coast.

Since it was extremely windy, the feathers and plumes of the Great Blue Heron had a new look.

 Sponge Bob would have been interested in the Jellyfish. Too bad we couldn't see these amazing creatures underwater when they have a totally different appearance. Both of these photos are of the Moon Jellyfish.

This is a Compass Jellyfish.

 Some jellyfish have flourescent proteins that emit various colors like this Crystal Jellyfish.

 If you are in Pensacola at the right time, you can catch a practice aerial show of the Blue Angels. Unexpected surprise!

Pensacola Beach is located on the barrier island of Santa Rosa. At the far end of the island is Ft Pickens which is part of the Gulf National Seashore. The inner part of the island collects rainwater in depressions forming freshwater ponds. With great habitat and being located between two major migratory Flyways, this area is a great place to go birding in the Spring and Fall.

 This appropriately named Hooded Warbler perched long enough for me to get his photo.

The Sora is a resident of the marsh ponds. Usually, they hide out in the marsh grass so he was a great bird for us to see.

We saw 4-5 pairs of Ospreys taking turns guarding their huge stick nests up in the tops of dead trees.

Ospreys primarily eat fish so they are especially equipped to capture them. Besides sharp, curved talons, the soles of their feet are covered in sharp barbs called spicules which help them hold onto slippery fish. Once caught, they fly with the fish in an aerodynamic position with the fish head facing forward.

Pensacola Beach and the surrounding area is a very special place!

Thanks to Cathy, my marine naturalist friend and Kurt and Georgann, my birding expert friends who helped me with my identification.