As daffodils emerge and pink blossoms fill the trees in Idyllwild, cacti are blooming down in the desert. I didn't want to miss it so I took a trip back down the "hill" to the Living Desert where the botanical area is full of color.
The Ocotillo is beautiful in the Spring with its green leaves and red blooms that the birds enjoy. When it becomes more arid, the leaves drop,blooms disappear and the plant looks like dead tall stalks but it is just waiting for the rain to fall again when the leaves will reappear.
The bird behavior has changed since last time I was here. The day I visited, the male Cactus Wren were competing for nesting sites in the Palm trees.
The Roadrunner was back visiting the enclosed Roadrunner in the aviary.
The male Black-crowned Night Heron presented sticks to his mate while they worked on building a nest.
The male Gambel's Quail called from his perch on the rock for a mate or for establishing his territory. It was funny for me to discover that his "challenger" calling loudly back wasn't another quail but it was a parrot!
It still amazes me that within one hour from Idyllwild, the habitat changes so dramatically...from a blooming cactus to blooming daffodils.
Magnificent!
