May 5, 2023
12 p.m. to 2:15 p.m., 73°F
We arrived at Kelso Dunes later than intended, but for the best of reasons: because of all the great wildlife we’d stopped for on the drive here. We stopped first at the main trailhead to use the facilities, and right away, we spotted a Western Tiger Whiptail crossing the desert between a couple of Creosote bushes. We also saw a pretty little California Patch butterfly.
We then headed about 15 minutes’ drive to the west, to the spot where we’d focus our search.
I wandered off to the west to photograph some gorgeous wildflowers, and almost immediately, someone shouted out that a lizard had been spotted near some Creosote next to the parking area: a Desert Iguana! It took cover under the Creosote, but everyone was able to get a good look (and I got some excellent photos). What a magnificent lizard, and a fantastic sighting!
While we were looking at the Desert Iguana, we also saw an adorable Zebra-tailed Lizard underneath the same Creosote Bush.
After all this initial excitement and success, we still had the entirety of the Dunes to explore (not just the parking area haha). I stayed relatively close to the parking area, mostly taking photos of the beautiful and interesting vegetation found in the Dunes, while my students wandered farther afield. Some of my favorites included an abundance of Evening Primrose (both California, and Birdcage), gorgeous Desert Purple Lupine (I always love lupines), and Borrego Milkvetch. Fan-leaved Tiquilia is lovely, with it’s tiny flowers, and I also loved the rich colors of the Canaigre Dock. Last year, I saw a single, very small Desert Twinbugs, but this year I saw several, much larger specimens. A few Desert Inkcap mushrooms dotted the sands, and I saw a variety of interesting invertebrates, as well, including Blister Beetle and Bristle Fly.
I didn’t spend much time looking for footprints this year, but found some that strike me as probably Mule Deer, and also some other mammalian tracks, maybe Black-tailed Jackrabbit or even Kit Fox? I also love the patterns the wind makes in the sand.
None of the students were in sight – they had all dispersed themselves across the landscape looking for wildlife – and I was starting to feel a bit warm and dehydrated, so I thought I’d go back and rest in the vans for a spell. After sitting in the van for a few minutes, I decided to look for Long-tailed Brush Lizards in the Athel Tamarisk under which we’d parked. (I had seen one up in these trees last year). So, I wandered around looking up and down the trunks and branches. No lizards were to be found, but at least one bird did come through – an Audubon’s Warbler. I watched it forage in the Tamarisk and some nearby Creosote for several minutes, before my students returned from their explorations.
Between the lizards and the plants, I was well-satisfied with what I’d seen at the Dunes on this day.
Species List
Western Whiptail (Aspidoscelis tigris), California Patch (Chlosyne californica), Desert Iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis), Zebra-tailed Lizard (Callisaurus draconoides), Banded Soft-winged Flower Beetle (Collops vittatus), Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus), Blister Beetle (Pleuropasta sp), Desert Inkcap (Montagnea arenaria), Bee Fly (Lordotus sp), Bristle Fly (Gymnoclytia occidua), Common Raven (Corvus corax), Audubon’s Warbler (Setophaga coronata), Convergent Lady Beetle (Hippodamia convergens), Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata), Burrobush (Ambrosia dumosa), Desert Twinbugs (Dicoria canescens), California Evening Primrose (Oenothera californica), Birdcage Evening Primrose (Oenothera deltoides), Fan-leaved Tiquilia (Tiquilia plicata), Borrego Milkvetch (Astragalus lentiginosus borreganus), Whitestem Blazingstar (Mentzelia albicaulis), Common Mediterranean Grass (Schismus barbatus), Purple Desert Lupine (Lupinus shockleyi), Sacred Datura (Datura wrightii), Tumbleweed (Salsola tragus), Canaigre Dock (Rumex hymenosepalus), Desert Pincushion (Chaenactis stevioides), Bristly Fiddleneck (Amsinckia tessellata), Big Galleta (Hilaria rigida), Cushion Cryptantha (Greeneocharis circumscissa), Desert Dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata), Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata), Athel Tamarisk (Tamarix aphylla), Soft Prairie Clover (Dalea mollissima), Devil’s Spineflower (Chorizanthe rigida), Fremont’s Pincushion (Chaenactis fremontii), Brownplume Wirelettuce (Stephanomeria pauciflora)
Let me know what you think!