May 14, 2011
With another full day ahead, I started out with a short solo walk on the property before the rest of the day’s activities. I saw a good number of birds, plus a Desert Cottontail. New birds included a Green Heron flying along the salt flat, a Spotted Sandpiper tail bobbing on the fountain in Lake Tuendae, a Belted Kingfisher flying and calling at the lake, and a pair of Red-tailed Hawks on the rocks near the road between Zzyzx and Baker – the first hawks I saw on this trip.
We had a great sighting as a group before we’d even left the Zzyzx property. Driving to the highway, a snake was spotted. Of course, once we got out of the van, it retreated under a bush. It took a few minutes, but finally the snake flushed, and everyone was able to get a good look at a gorgeous male Patch-nosed Snake.
Back on Kelbaker Road, we had another bit of excitement: Nick located this Sidewinder when he almost stepped on it. The snake was curled up in the sand, out in the open, giving us a great look for several minutes.
A bit farther down the road, we found our first Mojave Desert Tortoise of the day: a small (~5 inch) friend with a warm-colored, almost pinkish carapace, seen at 11.3 miles from the Mojave sign. It was crossing Kelbaker Road, so we stopped to give it a bit of gentle assistance (the Ranger we’d met the previous day had explained to us how to take care to stress it out as little as possible, so it wouldn’t let go of the contents of its bladder). We attempted to locate its burrow but were unable to find it. Then, At 14.5 miles in, we spotted a large adult (~15 inch), and also helped it across the road.
I also spotted at least one Mojave Ground Squirrel as it crossed the road in front of the car. This is a small, adorable squirrel (6 – 7”), that held up its tail when running. I also saw a fascinating interaction between a Wandering Spider and a Hawk Wasp (Possibly Thisbe’s). It wasn’t going well for the spider.
Microtower Road
We drove up this primitive road through rocky hills, stopping to investigate whenever a lizard or snake was spotted from the van, and then ate our lunches at the top. The first lizard of the day was a Western Side-blotched Lizard with a distinct light and dark “scaly” pattern sunning itself on a rock near the base of the road. We also spotted Great Basin Collared Lizard, but I was only able to view it briefly through binoculars before it scurried away. There seemed to be a dark band around the neck, and the color on the back looked greenish at a distance.
One of the exiting moments of the day was the sighting of a Common Chuckwalla. This fantastic, large lizard was basking on some rocks along the road . . . until it saw us, after which it wedged itself into a crevice in the rock. It was still a great sighting! Chuckwallas are some of my favorite lizards. We also found a gorgeously colored Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard, with green and yellow on the belly and chin. (originally listed as S. magister)
We still had one more big treat in store: a Speckled Rattlesnake. A gorgeous snake, warm-tan colored. Rattlesnakes are cool!
I also saw a Mojave Ground Squirrel as we were driving up the road. Once we arrived at the site, we did walk down and back up through the wash in search of lizards, but didn’t locate any. I did see a gopher, probably Botta’s Pocket Gopher, and a gorgeous male Phainopepla with glossy black plumage, a feather crest, and red eyes.
Kelbaker Night Drive
That evening, we took our final night drive of the trip. We drove the first ~6 miles of the road from Baker (and back) twice. A Desert Horned Lizard was seen, I spotted a Glossy Snake crossing the road, and we found a Shovel-nosed Snake dead on the road, which we collected for the SSU museum. The big haul for the night was Banded Geckos – three of them, and they all had varying amounts of banding, a great example of the range of coloration that is present in this species.
The next morning, we explored this strange collection of decrepit vehicles, before heading back north.
This trip to the desert was an absolutely amazing experience. We were able to see wildlife that few people get the opportunity to see, in this harsh but very beautiful habitat. I’m grateful to have been able to make this trip.
Species List
Desert Studies Center: American Coot (Fulica americana americana), Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius), Green Heron (Butorides virescens anthonyi), Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura aura), Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) (Buteo jamaicensis calurus),Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon), Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus), Tui Chub (Siphateles bicolor), Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii), Western Patch-nosed Snake (Salvadora hexalepis mojavensis), Sweetbush (Bebbia juncea)
Kelbaker Road: Agassiz’s Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes), Hawk Wasp (Pepsini), Mohave Ground Squirrel (Xerospermophilus mohavensis), Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia), Wandering Spider (Syspira longipes)
MIcrotower Road: Common Sideblotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana), Common Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater), Great Basin Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores), Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus uniformis), Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii, or C. pyrrus), Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens), possible Botta’s Pocket Gopher (Thomomys bottae), Mojave Ground Squirrel (Xerospermophilus mohavensis)
Kelbaker Night Drive: Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos), Mojave Glossy Snake (Arizona elegans candida), Western Banded Gecko (Coleonyx variegatus), Western Shovel-nosed Snake (Chionactis occipitalis occipitalis)
Let me know what you think!