Joshua Tree National Park

Hello!

After a lengthy bird drought here at Cibola, we finally had the fallout we've been waiting for. A huge influx of birds had us running between net lanes this morning (a good workout in the soft sand!). The highlights were a Hermit Warbler and Cassin's Vireo, and we caught tons of Orange-crowned Warbler and Warbling Vireo. Nice to see the birds have finally arrived!

I spent my day off this week at Joshua Tree National Park. I decided (against my better judgement) to tag along with the housemates. They definitely do not travel like I prefer to, and much time was spent cooking, socializing and shopping. The large group is definitely encumbering when trying to get out and see things, especially when they are not overly motivated. Enough of my complaining though, Joshua Tree is very cool and I did get some decent photos. I also had the pleasure of listening to the music of Lyle Lovitt on the drive. For those of you unfamiliar, I would like to share with you some lyrical selections:

This old porch is like a steaming, greasy plate of enchiladas
With lots of cheese and onions
And a guacamole salad
And you can get'em down at the LaSalle Hotel In old downtown
With iced tea and a waitress
And she will smile every time

And if that wasn't enough...
If I had a boat I'd go out on the ocean
And if I had a pony I'd ride him on my boat
And we could all together
Go out on the ocean
Me upon my pony on my boat

Stunning.

Ok, on to the photos. It was an oddly overcast day in the desert so not the greatest landscape shots, but at least they get the point across.  For many, one of the big appeals to Joshua Tree is the spring wildflower bloom. Many of the flowers were doing their thing, so I did grab some photos. I have no idea what any of them are, so please don't ask, but do tell if you know!

Along a trail, someone spotted a Black-throated Sparrow nest. The female was surprisingly calm about our presence, and even flew in and fed the chicks while we stood 20 feet away.

Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) at nest with two chicks - cropped
















On the way back to the campsite I spotted this singing male, posted up on a creosote bush.

Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) - cropped

Joshua Tree is home to some weird vegetation. Not the least of this is the Ocotillo, a gnarly cactus with brilliant red blooms.

Ocotillo Flower

Ocotillo Patch
















There are also several varieties of Cholla cactus, mostly (it seems) named after things that are cute and squishy.

Teddy Bear Cholla flower

Teddy Bear Cholla 'forest'

Finally, a 'forest' of Joshua Trees, for which the park is named.

Joshua Trees

















That's all for this week, until next time!

Kyle