It has been over a year and a half since I went birding at Zzyzx and other desert hotspots looking for migrants. As always, the drive getting there is half the fun.
Roy's, the vacant motel landmark, is still selling overpriced gas and Route 66 rootbeer. It's definitely a welcome sight since the next gas station is a LONG way!
This year, I stopped by Amboy Crater. Imagine getting out of your air conditioned car in 108 degree heat to look at a lava field and volcanic crater! When it is cooler, it would be pretty fascinating to go on the trail that leads to the top of this crater. That adventure had to wait for cooler weather.
Outside of Joshua Tree is a small town called Twentynine Palms. Impressive mural paintings and other outdoor art bring color to the desert town. Way more fun than looking at traditional billboards!
When I arrived in Baker, the tallest thermometer confirmed why I couldn't hike in the lava fields!
So why would anyone go birding in the desert? I wondered the same thought when I first signed up for a birding weekend at Zzyzx. Most migrating birds look for places to rest and refuel on their journey. There aren't too many inviting places to land in the desert so when there is a water source and a green patch, word spreads in the avian world.
The Spotted Sandpiper and Green Heron are just a couple of the shorebirds that we discovered seeking refuge in the desert oasis on their migratory journey.
People are a lot like birds. When we find a place we like, we tend to go back again and again. Hopefully, next time I return, it will be cooler.
