Hidden in the Boulders

One of the benefits of camping is having more time to discover the wildlife that does a great job staying hidden.

Our first sight outside of our tent early in the morning was a couple of Jack Rabbits munching under the creosote bush. Great way to start the day!

Verdin

 

 Although we didn't see a lot of birds on this trip, what we did see was pretty special...nest building.

Black-throated Sparrow

Desert birds are great at concealing their nests. The only reason we were able to spot a couple of nests is because the birds were actively building them while we watched. The first one we saw was the Black-throated Sparrow. 

 The male was singing away on various perches while another nearby Black-throated Sparrow, presumably his mate, was in constant motion filling its beak with nesting material and delivering it to its extremely well hidden nest.

We would have never recognized this as a nest site if we hadn't seen the Rock Wrens flying into this "belly button hole" in the boulders.

At the opening of Smuggler's Canyon, we heard the descending song of the Canyon Wren. By perching himself on the highest point above the canyon, his voice was amplified. Absolutely beautiful! 

Fortunately, this was the spot we ate lunch so we were able to seen another Canyon Wren possibly the mate of the singer. She was actively searching the various ledges for a secretive nest site.

Banded Rock Lizard

Chuckwalla

A bonus for us was seing both the Banded Rock lizard and the Chuckwalla lizard while the Canyon Wren's voice filled the canyon. Pretty special encounter since we rarely see them.

Then, there was the blue lizard...

Patience, a pair of binoculars and a dash of good luck help to discover what's hidden in the boulders!

Wildflowers Blooming in the Desert

Colors of purple, yellow, white, orange, blue, red and pink are dotting the desert landscape. The wildflowers have started blooming in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

 Desert Lily

Dune Evening Primrose

Sand Verbena

 It is a spectacular sight when these delicate flowers burst through the sand and rocks. There is no guarantee 

of a blooming desert. Sun, wind, rain,and temperature all have to be in just the right amount for the dormant seeds to come alive.

Arizona Lupine and Gold Poppy

Brown-eyed Primrose

Fortunately for us, all those elements came together so we were able to experience a weekend camping in a desert full of color.

   The California Primrose is a favorite flower of the Sphinx Moth caterpillar. We saw LOTS of them munching away. Our friend, Hal, the "Hawk Guy", informed us the caterpillars are a favorite food for the migrating Swainson's Hawks that pass through Borrego Valley in the Spring.

Ocotillo

Yucca

 If you miss the wildflower show, there are desert plants that can be seen blooming at various times through the year like the Ocotillo, Creosote Bush, Yucca and Agave.

Beavertail Cactus

And of course, there are lots of cacti to discover!

To follow the migration of Swainson's Hawks through Anza-Borrego, go to borregohawkwatch.blogspot.com

To follow wildflowers blooming and other great activities in the desert, go to

theabf.org

San Jacinto Valley Wildlife Area

Last weekend, I was introduced to the San Jacinto Valley Wildlife Area. It is such a special place that I had to return immediately to share it with someone else who loves the outdoors as much as me.

San Jacinto Valley Wildlife Area is full of ponds and open fields where wildlife can flourish. Living in a place where water is scarce and open natural habitat is threatened daily, one quickly realizes that this is an incredibly important place to protect!!

When we first arrived, this "empty" pond was filled with Northern Shovelers until a Peregrine Falcon swooped in causing the entire flock to take flight. The deadly talons of the hunter barely missed one of the lucky Shovelers this time.

It was probably the same falcon who we saw a few days earlier feasting on an unlucky American Coot.

Another "fierce" little hunter is the Loggerhead Shrike. Usually they are seen alone on the lookout for their next meal. This visit we saw courtship in action when an insect was offered to a potential mate. Spring is coming!

The Mountain Bluebird! I was lucky on my second visit when it perched on a post!

Bird watching on an extremely windy day is crazy! Tumbleweeds roll across fields until they get stuck on a wire fence; hats and sunglasses fly off your head and the birds that attempt to fly get whisked off in the opposite direction from where they are headed.

Surprisingly, the tree swallows didn't let the wind deter them. It was exhausting to watch them fly into the wind without going anywhere. They were burning mega calories!! A few checked out the cavities in trees made by woodpeckers for future nesting sites. It was a relief to see them rest on a branch or wire momentarily before conquering the wind again.

My absolute favorite photo of the day was the Western Meadowlark as it sang loudly from a trapped tumbleweed! Unforgettable moment!

Hunting continues in the fields. I don't know which would be more dangerous...a field of hunting Great Egrets or a Red-tailed Hawk hiding in the grass..Better to keep hidden if you are a furry, little rodent.

After leaving the wildlife area, we drove by some nearby dairy farms...havens for wildlife as well. It's a pretty special sight when you can see both the Tri-colored Blackbird and the Yellow-headed Blackbird! Both of these striking birds were seen hanging out with the munching cows.

My other favorite moment of the day was seeing a cow with a spiked hairdo, a long-eared goat and fluffy sheep all snuggled together for an afternoon nap!

 Protecting habitat starts with being aware of special places that surround you!

"In every walk in Nature, one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir

Birds of Prey in the Mojave Desert

If you want to see magnificent birds of prey, try heading to open land, agricultural fields or lakes. Our destination was agricultural fields in the Mojave Desert.

When you are in this landscape, keep your eyes on telephone poles. All the beautiful birds we discovered were first spotted on these high perches. Finding a Peregrine Falcon is like finding the golden egg in an Easter egghunt. They have the distinction of being one of the fastest "animals" on earth.

The Prairie Falcon is another unique bird of prey seen infrequently. To tell these birds apart, you need to look at the details which set them apart from one another.

The adult Ferruginous Hawk was absolutely beautiful to see especially in flight. They are the largest hawks in North America.In flight, their contrasting colors of rufous, white and grey were stunning against the blue sky and distant mountains.

Like many birds, younger birds have different plumage. I was lucky that this young Ferruginous Hawk let me

get as close as I did before taking flight.

Most of the birds do this when you get too close!

Yesterday, we unexpectedly saw this little gopher pop his head out of the ground and grab a snack. We were at Lake Hemet far from the Mojave Desert. It reminded me of all the hawks and falcons I had seen the previous day who would have had their eyes on this underground critter.

A day spent outdoors is a great day,indeed!