May 14, 2022
10:30 to 12:00
Our first stop for the day was the Kelso Dunes, where we would be looking for different species than we’d seen in the Bajada.
I didn’t want to do a bunch of hiking, especially through the sand, which makes walking that much more difficult. So, I mostly stayed fairly near the parking area while my students wandered father afield. I did tell them, however, that if they found anything cool, they needed to let me know, so I could come and see it. (This turned out to be a very good strategy).
I spotted a couple of warblers hopping around in the creosote bushes (Wilson’s Warbler and Yellow Warbler), and noticed a lot of beautifully clear sets of footprints in the sand – lizards, Greater Roadrunner, and probably some small mammals.
While I was walking, someone called out “☆DESERT IGUANA☆” so I started to head in that direction, all the while yelling back to try and figure out exactly where they’d found the lizard. When I caught up with them near the bottom of a rise, I was thrilled to see this gorgeous animal! I’d never seen this species before, and it is a seriously cool lizard. Pretty big – maybe 20 inches long – and beautifully patterned.
After seeing the iguana, I was feeling exhausted from the heat (it was really warm, especially on the reflective sand). So, rather than risk heat stroke or a migraine later, I started to wander back in the direction of the car, watching for birds and looking at footprints. I finally was able to catch more than just a glimpse of one of the small mammals that have been scurrying around throughout our trip – a White-tailed Antelope Squirrel. (And by “more than a glimpse” I just mean that I was able to snap a really crappy photo before it ran out of view).
Back at the cars, I found a Long-tailed Brush Lizard up in the tree that was shading our van.
Once we were finished up here, we got into the vans for our next destination: The Mid-Hills Campground.
Species List
Wildlife Seen: Wilson’s Warbler (Cardellina pusilla), Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia), Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus), Desert Iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis), Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana), White-tailed Antelope Squirrel (Ammospermophilus leucurus), Long-tailed Brush Lizard (Urosaurus graciosus), Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Notable Plants: Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata), Athel Tamarisk (Tamarix aphylla), Desert Twinbugs (Dicoria canescens)
Let me know what you think!