What You can Find in the Desert

This morning we hiked up the buckskin mountain trail above the campground to get a better view of the location.  You can see below our campsite which is only about half full of snow birds.  We have been here for about a week or so and will head east to Tucson later in the week.

 The desert here is an intersection between the Mojave and the Sonora deserts.  Thus you see many different species that you might not see if purely in one or the other deserts. Thought I would share some of the more understated yet amazing plants we saw today on our hike

The Teddy Bear Cholla gets its appearance from spine encasing sheaths often referred to as "jumping cactus"  The segmented joints detach easily and latch onto any passerby, human or animal, thus giving it the appearance of "jumping".  I know as I encountered them last year in Tucson where they stuck to my shins and belly one day.  ouch!  Severa desert creatures, including rodents and Big Horn Sheep, depend on cactus fruit and pulp for food and water.

Teddy Bear Cholla Cactus

 One of the most ubiquitous and successful plants in these desert areas is the Creosote bush.  It can clone itself by send up new shoots from its root mass.  This cloning adaptation has led to very long lived plants, some over 10,000 years old!!  Amazing

Creosote Bush

 Palo Verde, in Spanish, means "green stick". The Palo Verde tree adapts to low water desert conditions by bearing few leaves.  Photosynthesis takes place in the green branches and trunk.  QUite a beautiful tree.  Bees find the small yellow flowers attractive and the beans, twigs and pods are edible by wildlife and livestock.

Palo Verde

 The Buckhorn Cholla Cactus grows in cylinder shaped segments which are joineted like linked sausages.  It has no true leaves and photosynthesizes with its green stems.  Wrens love to build their nests in the branches and ants collect nectar from special glands at the joints and on the flower buds

Buckhorn Cholla

 One of my favorite is the cute little Beavertail Cactus, a member of the prickly pear cactus family.  Easliy recognized by the shape of its pads like a beaver tail.  The blue grey color of the pads is due to a thick layer of wax which covers the pad, protecting it from water loss.  The pads also store water and produce flowers.  The fruit is juicy and edible when ripe.  Javelina loves to eat the fleshy insides and we saw evidence of this on several cacti in the walk.

Beavertail Cactus

 An amazing little plant here is the Desert Trumpet, a member of the buckwheat family.  Small yellow flowers and the inflation of hollow leafless stems stand out, although the flowers were absent this time of the year.  The inflations are attributed to minute larvae feeding on the stem.  After leaving its secretion in the stem of the plant, the insect will exit through a small portal.  Dry stems were use by some natives as tobacco pipes

Desert Trumpet

 We saw this Palo Verday and noticed that the green trunk actually comes out of the dead area.  amazing.

This Palo Verde is very old.  the dead limbs are connected to the green live trunks at the base.

 The edge of the Sonoran desert here means our old friend the Saquaro Cactus.  The saquaro starts from a see no bigger than a gnat and can reach 50 feet in height. In order to survive, young Saquaro plants must grow in the shade of a mature plant, known as a "nurse" plant.  Here you can see the Palo Verde nurse plant.
The Saquaro is often known and a "cactus hotel".  Many animals, rodents, lizards, snakes and birds, seek shelter in cavities made in the fleshy sides by woodpeckers and flickers.

Saquaro Cactus

Desert Milkweed was a surprise find. It forms a clump of numerous slender, erect, gray-green stems that arise from a woody base. Historically, various Native Americans throughout its range have used desert milkweed as a medicinal plant. Others have considered it toxic. The Seris used the roots for headaches, toothaches and heart problems. Locally, Pimas used it as both a purgative and an emetic, and to alleviate sore eyes and stomach disorders. Desert milkweed is fit for a queen-a queen butterfly, that is. Typical of milkweeds, this species serves as a nectar source for the adult butterflies, as well as a food source for their caterpillars. The developing larvae will munch on the foliage as well as the buds and flowers. Don't worry-more will develop later! This milkweed also attracts the colorful tarantula hawk wasp.

Desert Milkweed

 Ths smells a little like sage is loved by deer.  surprise.

Arizona Sage

 Brittlebush, a member of the sunflower family, is a short lived, rounded shrub. Its leaves are not only light in color, but also have tiny hairs to further cool the plant and reduce water loss. A sticky resin, secreted from the branches was once chewed by native Americans and used as incense in churches in Baja area.

Brittlebush

Some Little Birds of Big Bend

Catching up on a few photos today while it rains and storms on the gulf coast.  The weather reminds me a lot of Seattle actually or home.  Cold in the high 50's, windy, drizzly.  We did take the RV out for exercise, to wash off salt spray, refill propane tank, and drain the wastewater tanks.  Sraddha did the whole thing while I sat in the co-pilot seat so she could get familiar with everything in case she needs to do it herself.  She did great.

While reviewing photos last night i uncovered a whole unedited album from our next to last day in Big Bend Park.  150 photos which I narrowed down to 6 or 7 and then worked them over.  We had driven down to our favorite riverside spot along the Rio Grande river, the hot springs, for a little meditation and soak. We then hiked about 1/2 mile to the springs.

Along the way and return, we saw several birds. The day was overcast and light was bland, however, with a little effort I was able to get some of the pictures to look ok.  Not great but ok. All photos shot with 300mm telephoto (200 and 1.4 extender). Notice that the markings of all these birds really blend in with their surroundings so their enemies have a harder time seeing them.

As we walked back to parking lot we heard this warbler deep in the reeds and finally spotted him peeking out from the reeds 

Orange Crowned Warbler 

Above the hot springs this Phoebe would sit on a bare branch looking for insects, then quickly dart out to grab it and zoom back to his perch

Say's Phoebe looking for insects

 While lounging in the hot springs,  I spotted this Sandpiper cruising the shallow river bank seeking out little morsels like snails, insects, tadpoles, etc.  He was quick but I managed to get this photo

Spotted Sandpiper catching a morsel in the river

 We could hear this little Canyon Wren with its distinctive call.  Took me a while to find him and then he darts up and down the cliffside rocks.

Elusive Canyon Wren up on cliffs

On the way home Sraddha spotted a coyote, so we stopped by the side of the road whereupon we also spotted this hawk perched on a dead mesquite branch about 5 feet off the ground but 50 yards away from the road

Cooper's Hawk looking for somebody to make a mistake so he can have lunch

 As we watched, the coyote moved through the bushes towards the road and then crossed behind us.  I got this photo from the car as he passed maybe 20 feet from car.  We could hear the coyotes all night from the campground but this was first one we saw.

Coyote lurking around in middle of the morning

I fly back home tomorrow for 2 weeks to do some work in the office while Sraddha remains in one of her favorite birding spots.  Spring migration is just beginning and she hopes to see lots of birds. I hope to post a couple more times

Tucson!

View of catalina mountains out front of campsite

5 nights after departing Ananda Village we arrived in Tucson area.  Actually north of Tucson about 15 miles at the foot of the Catalina mountains in a place called Catalina State Park where we will reside for a week or so, exploring the area, hiking, etc and also spending time with our good freinds of Ananda Tucson!  More on that later.

Since we will be here for almost a week, before departing east to New Mexico, setting up camp was a little bit more detailed.  we stripped off the towing equipment from Ms. Toad, brought out the carpet (no, it's not red or green) and the lawn chairs and unloaded the bicycles.  Now the motorhome becomes our home on this campsite for a week while we explore and see friends in the area.

While Sraddha discussed the week's plans with Elizabeth, the Ananda Tucson leader, I stowed everything in the "basement" or below decks if you will.  Actually there are several compartments on both sides of our motorhome in which we store all kinds of things from cords, to hoses, to tools, to extra camera equipment, to surgical gloves and cleaning supplies.  Amazing how much space we have and how quickly we have filled it up with "stuff" (think George Carlin, etc)...sigh.

Watching birds from bicycle

Still an hour left in daylight so off we rode on our bicycles to explore the campgrounds.  We rode up to the equestrian area and, sure enough, I turned around and Sraddha was about 1/4 mile back gazing into the mesquite bushes.  Lark sparrows were abundant. Never a dull moment.  We continued the tour over to the trailhead at the base of the mountains and decided that might be the place for tomorrow morning's hike before we meet Elizabeth.

What a beautiful area. We are used to forested lands up north at Ananda Village so the desert vistas, and botany takes some adjustments.  The Sonoran desert here is truly a wondrous experience.  so filled with life if you know how to look.  En route earlier in the day we were traversing a rather monotonous desert section north of Quartzite in western Arizona.  same look mile after mile when we noticed a red tail hawk perched up on the top of the power pole.  another 1/4 mile we saw another hawk, then again another.  This went on fo a good ten miles or so with many, many hawks.  Hmm.  this many hawks means lots of food, like mice other little animals.  Yet the desert appeared so bleak on the surface.  Looks can be deceiving.  If you are still reading, all these photos today taken with Annie Leibowitz' favorite camera...The iPhone.

View across our campground looking eastward

Trains Trains Trains!

BNSF Eastbound near Daggett, CA 

Hadn't realized how busy the train tracks are in Barstow area.

Saturday morning we were set to meet the UP steam train where the UP and BNSF tracks split at Daggett, Ca. W

UP eastbound near Daggett, CA

We thought we would get there early, find a good spot and wait.

Old Garage in Daggett, CA

However, the steam train was 2 hrs late and the biting cold wind was blowing hard. Over those two hours we saw almost 15 trains! Patience paid off

UP Steam near Dagget, CA

UP steam train finally showed up with our friends which we chauffeured over to their hotel and off to Peggy sue's diner for a late lunch. Also ran into another friend from Los Angeles area who joined us. Fun time visiting, however we were way late departing Daggett around 3 PM with sunset at 4:45.

This was one of those decision times: Do we head 100 miles out to Mojave reserve to camp at a high altitude (4,00 ft) as originally planned or do we head over to Amboy crater (700 ft) and boondock for the night? Being the ever prudent (ha ha) souls we are, Amboy crater was the decision.

As we drove along I-40, I couldn't help wondering if we made the right decision. Arriving near dusk, we were greeted by a cute little dog and a very big sky.

Very quiet! A couple other motor homes and no one else. Plus the price was right! (free).  oh yes, here is a pic of the sunset I snapped with iphone. Turns out not so quiet some of the time when a BNSF train rolls nearby.

Sunset from Amboy Crater, California