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Tag: desert wildflowers

12 April 2023

Sonoran Desert birds, bunny, and blooms

Mockingbird on Ocotillo desert Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZSeems I spend a lot of time watching Sonoran Desert birds, occasionally I see a rabbit, and there’s still some flowers blooming in the ever increasing temperatures at the end of March.

Saguaro desert Black Mt Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZAfter a week boondocking in the Sonoran Desert I had to go to town for fresh fruit.  Took advantage of a strong enough signal in Ajo to load a video about my drive from Owl to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.  Yes, I’m weeks behind real time on the YouTube channel and here on the blog.  I returned to the same camp, because I like it.

Jackrabbit Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZJackrabbit Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

One morning, motion caught my eye as a giant Jackrabbit, not a bunny really, bounded past camp.  Easter early but no eggs left behind.

cactus sunset clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZJust a beautiful sunset.

Flicker bird Palo Verde tree Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZMotion usually means Sonoran Desert birds, like a Flicker hiding in a Palo Verde tree.

Roadrunner bird with lizard Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZOr a Roadrunner catching a lizard.

purple Phacelia flowers Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZThe desert floor was heavily carpeted with purple Phacelia, also known as Scorpion Weed it’s prickly fuzz causes an itchy irritation to the skin.

desert Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZSeems most plants in the Sonoran Desert have a bite.  Some of the critters too but I’ve not seen any snakes or scorpions, yet.

Mockingbird creosote bush Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZSeems the Sonoran Desert birds mostly bite bugs so I’m safe, at least from the Mockingbird.

Turkey Vulture bird soaring Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZAnd unless it’s something dead the Turkey Vulture won’t bite.

Saguaro desert Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZSaguaro desert Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

I went for short walks that lasted several hours watching out for cactus that bite if you get too close and keeping an eye out for Sonoran Desert birds.

Saguaro arms Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZNeed a hug?

The Saguaros are captivating in their various shapes.

orange Globe Mallow flowers Bates Well Rd BLM Ajo AZI found a small patch of blooming Globe Mallow, but not like in past years when they were more dense.

red Ocotillo flowers Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

red fruit Ocotillo Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZThe Ocotillo flowers and fruit also bring in Sonoran Desert birds.

Blackthroated Sparrow bird Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZThe black-throated Sparrow was a new Sonoran desert bird for me to see.

desert mts clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZGood thing I went out the previous day, as Tuesday was cloudy and in my mind at only 66° cold with high winds including 40mph gusts.

desert light mts clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZMany RV neighbors left.  I’d rather be parked in high winds than driving.  Gave me time to work on writing and processing photos for the last blog post.

desert mts sunset clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZPlus, even though I didn’t get outside, I sure saw a lot of pretty right through my windows, including sunset.

trail-cam coyote Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZThe crazy wind set off the trail-cam all day and night with moving flowers and trees.  But it also caught a coyote after dark.

desert mts storm clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

Saguaro desert mts low clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZMore clouds the next day even brought a little rain, a special treat in the desert.

Saguaro desert sunset clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZAnd yet another beautiful sunset, this time looking east.

Saguaro desert light & shadow Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

Mockingbird on Ocotillo desert Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZBlack-throated Sparrow bird Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

The following day was clear with no wind and 65° suddenly felt warm enough to sit outside in the sun enjoying my desert views.  Must have been calm enough for the Sonoran Desert birds too.

trail-cam coyote Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZtrail-cam coyote Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

I checked the trail-cam in the morning and discovered coyote had been by again, several times over the night.

unidentified pink cactus flower Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZorange Globe Mallow flowers Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

Saturday I had company.  Paul Gill, well-known Arizona Highways photographer, was on this way to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument to shoot cristate cactus and blooms.  We took a short walk but mostly sat in camp comparing notes and catching up.

DSL_2002lecwfbr Blister Beetle Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

Blister Beetle

Paul left before sunrise and I wasn’t too far behind on my way northward to Owl for the night and beyond to a water site the next day.

Lupine & creosote flowers SR85 AZLupine along SR85

Struggling to catch up, almost a month behind, and am now four places past this location.  Hard to keep up when there’s so much cool going on.

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Ajo, Arizona, Places I've been, Sonoran desert, United States bird watching, boondocking, desert wildflowers 13 Comments
11 March 2020

Sauntering south in search of Arizona wildflowers

desert Kofa Mountains sunrise Palm Canyon Road Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaMy last full day at the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge I went sauntering not far from camp in search of Arizona wildflowers and I found a few, very tiny flowers.

Pincushion Purple Mat Unidentified flowers Kofa National Wildlife Refuge ArizonaI’m greedy, I want more.  The Sonoran Desert is the most diverse desert in North America and the density seems to increase traveling south.

flowers cactus mountains Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaA Ranger friend from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument told me the flowers were popping, not peak yet but lots of color.  So I began a slow coddiwomple south to search for more Arizona wildflowers in the green desert.

First stop, shop till you drop in Yuma.  I’m not keen on shopping anytime, but right now with the hype of Coronavirus, stores are just too peopley.  Yet this would be my last big stores town so I stocked up on food, water, and fuel.  Then I headed east out of town on I8.  Another thing I don’t like to do is drive the rough and frenzied freeways.  Kind of followed an Arizona wildflower lead for Ajo Lilies near some Tacna sand dunes, but decided the sandy frontage road wasn’t for me.

late light yellow Brittlebush flowers Mohawk Valley ArizonaBesides, being late afternoon I needed to find a place to park for the night and knew BLM land paralleled the highway so could only hope it was accessible.  I also knew the freeway followed historic US80 and would have driven that but it’s not consistent.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a RV parked a ways south and took the next exit at Mohawk Valley.  Not too far west on US80 I saw a dirt road and pulled off.

desert mountain clouds moon Mohawk Valley Arizona

desert mountain sunset clouds Mohawk Valley ArizonaVery pretty, except for the much appreciated communication towers in sight.  I could hear freeway traffic, and the train, and was within view of US80.  I was too exhausted to care.

yellow Brittlebush flowers desert mountain Mohawk Valley ArizonaAfter seeing blue Lupine and yellow Brittlebush flowers line the freeway I was more than happy to see them next to camp in the dry wash and up the hillsides.

Dips sign Painted Rock Road Arizona

unidentified Wild Radish flowers Painted Rock Petroglyph Site ArizonaBecause I had such a great signal I did a little online research and decided I would stop at a place I’ve blown by before located not far west of Gila Bend.  Painted Rock Petroglyph site with a BLM campground located 11 miles off I8.  $8/night, and cheaper at half the price with my Federal Senior Hippie Pass.  Sixty dry-camp sites in a sparse desert with pit toilets and within an easy walk to the petroglyphs.  Generators allowed from 8am-8pm, but still a pretty quiet place.

BLM Painted Rock petroglyph site Arizona

BLM Painted Rock petroglyph site ArizonaWas a warm afternoon with no shade so I waited until morning to explore the petroglyphs that can be seen from the less than 1/2 mile loop trail.  I found the amount of petroglyphs overwhelming for such a small area.  Archeologists believe these stories on stone have been left by people for about 10,000 years.

BLM Painted Rock petroglyph site ArizonaThe most recent O’odham people, claim descent from the Hohokam, would have grown crops along the Gila River.  The weathered lava flows covered in desert varnish are the perfect reversed canvas to peck away and reveal lighter rock and images.  Hard to say what stories are told here as the earliest of social media.

interp sign Butterfield Trail Gila River Painted Rock Petroglyph site Arizona

interp sign transportation Gila River Painted Rock Petroglyph site ArizonaThe river also provided for Juan Bautista de Anza along his route west in 1775.  During the mid 1800s the Butterfield Stage Coach Trail passed this way taking 23 days between St Louis and San Francisco carrying the mail and passengers.  In the 1870s railroads made travel easier and from 1927 to 1989, US80 carried cars and trucks across Arizona as part of the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway until replaced by Interstate 8.

Once a lush riparian along the Gila River is now a sparse desert where today’s agricultural settlers have siphoned the river almost dry.  I drove four miles out to the Painted Rock dam in hopes of seeing the river.  No luck as the Army Corp of Engineers have a fenced and gated compound and I never did see water or the dam.

I returned to the interstate east to Gila Bend, a rather dismal town IMHO. South on AZ85 to Ajo, where I enjoyed lunch with a friend for authentic tacos at the Mexican price of $2.50 each.

desert sunset clouds BLM Gunsite Wash Why ArizonaThen, because I wanted to boondock close to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, I bypassed my usual BLM Darby Well Road for Gunsite Wash just south of Why, also BLM.  I was not overly impressed.  The name alone put me off.  Very open and too many people.  But really, camping in a wash especially when rain is predicted doesn’t seen too bright.  It worked for one night.

desert blue Lupine flowers clouds SR85 ArizonaThe roadside flowers were thick: blue Lupine, orange Mallow, yellow Brittlebush, interspersed with white Chicory and yellow Desert Marigold.  Yet with no good places to pull over without driving on the flowers I truly looked forward to a drive with parking in the monument the next day.

Gaelyn & shadow desert Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaStarted at the visitor center where I bought a book about the natural history of the Sonoran Desert and a kids hat that actually fits my tiny head.  Attended a Ranger talk about poisonous and venomous desert creatures.  Didn’t realize the extent of research being done on venom from snakes, spiders, and lizards.

desert flowers clouds Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaFinally around noon I took off on the 21-mile Ajo Mountain Drive suggested to take about an hour.  Hmmm…  So even though it was the middle of the day, clouds meant for even prettier pictures.

arches Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaI received a free guide for the Ajo Mountain Drive in the visitor center and stopped at each of the designated 18 stops, plus maybe a few extras.

Saguaro desert mountain clouds Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaThe tall stately Saguaro cactus seems to dominate the Sonoran Desert with arms pointing in all directions.

flowers cactus mountains Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaYet other prickly cactus like the Chain-fruit cholla find a home here as well.  This one is cousin to the Teddy Bear, or Jumping, Cholla with long spines that tend to glow in the light.  They all drop off pieces to spread themselves around.  This one was surrounded by Mojave Lupine and Desert Chicory.

desert mountains clouds Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaAnd then there’s the Organ Pipe Cactus found only in southern Arizona and across the border in Mexico.

crested Organ Pipe cactus mountains Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizonacrested Saguaro cactus Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona

Keeping an eye out I even saw a few crested, or cristate, cactus.

Saguaro desert mountain Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaThe yellow-green Creosote bushes are everywhere showing off yellow flowers. As they propagate by root shoots they could all be related.

Arizona wildflowers Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaAnd Arizona wildflowers were scattered throughout.  Desert blue Lupine, white Desert Chicory, orange Globe Mallow, magenta Owleyes Clover, yellow poppy, purple Desert Hyacinth, tall magenta Penstemon, purple Notch-leaved Phacelia, yellow Desert Marigold, red Chuparosa, and all dominated by yellow Brittlebush.  Not a “Superbloom”, yet.  But plenty of super blooms.

cactus mountains sunset clouds moon Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaFive hours and many stops later I headed to the monument’s campground where I was fortunate to get a space after hours.  Sadly, I missed the almost full moon breaking over the horizon.

desert North Puerto Blanco Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona

Arizona wildflowers Organ Pipe Cactus North Puerto Blanco Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaThe next day I drove a part of the North Puerto Blanco Road and saw more Arizona wildflowers.

Lupine & Brittlebush flowers desert mountain North Puerto Blanco Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaTo drive the entire 41-mile loop requires 4×4, which my truck is not.

yellow Brittlebush flowers Organ Pipe Cactus North Puerto Blanco Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaAlthough I could have dry-camped in the monument it didn’t make sense to pay $10/night, with my pass, to basically boondock.  Rain in the forecast for several days meant finding a safe place to camp, not Gunsite Wash.

Gaelyn's shadow cream Buckwheat flowers cactus Ajo North Puerto Blanco Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaOn the way through Why I stopped for lunch at Granny’s Kitchen.  The especial was mole chicken enchiladas that were OMGood, and I had left overs.

white Desert Star flowers BLM camp Darby Well Road Ajo ArizonaI returned to Darby Well Road for an undetermined amount of nights and found high ground with a good signal and neighbors at a respectful distance, other than a sweet singing Cactus Wren.  Camp is surrounded by tiny Desert Star flowers and a leaning Saguaro can be seen out the window.

desert rain clouds BLM Darby Well Road Ajo ArizonaLet it rain.  Then bring on more Arizona wildflowers.

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Arizona, Kofa NWR, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Places I've been, United States, wildflowers boondocking, desert wildflowers, Painted Rock Petroglyph Site, RV lifestyle, Sonoran Desert 18 Comments
22 February 2015

February wildflowers in Palm Canyon Anza-Borrego

Desert lavender, unidentified & Phacelia Palm Canyon Anza-Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaYes, I’m back where I started this winter’s desert explorations because I just knew, with December rain there would be wildflowers in Palm Canyon Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.  Plus I’ve been following Desert Wildflower Reports.  I was not disappointed.

Palm Canyon Anza Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaBecause the temperatures are peaking in the mid-80s, and I’m generally a slow starter in the morning I decided to camp for one night in the state park campground so I would be there for a late afternoon walk in the shade of the canyon walls and get out early the next day for a hike up Palm Canyon in search of wildflowers.  Plus, I could then fill and dump the camper tanks at no extra cost.

The volunteer on duty allowed me to cruise the campground with a map marked with the available sites without hookups which I don’t need.  The people in #108 were packing up to leave and this site gives a view right up the canyon with no neighbors on that side.  Sweet.  I took it for $23/night.  Then because it was too early to check in, I reserved the site and went to lunch in town.

Desert Inky Cap Rockhouse Trail Anza Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaI’d already had some interesting sightings that morning.  Before I even left my camp off of Rockhouse Trail I’d seen several mushrooms that had forced themselves through the hard desert soil looking like Shaggy Manes.  Mushrooms in the desert?  Of course I had to look it up in my trusty Audubon Deserts field guide.  Desert Inky Cap has often been called a Desert Shaggy Mane yet is more like a stalked puffball without gills and although not poisonous they are hard, dry and woody.  I left these alone.

Poppy, Brown-eyed primrose, unidentified & phacelia Palm Canyon Anza Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaOn the way to the park I drove along Henderson Canyon Road as recommended for wildflowers but the soft sandy shoulder didn’t provide a place for me to stop and park.  Sure looked pretty though.

Phacelia & unidentified Palm Canyon Anza Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaMy campsite was level so setting up meant, park.  And flowers were scattered all around.  As I was backed right up to the mountainous wall of Palm Canyon it was shady by 3pm so I took a little walk and never got out of sight of camp because there were flowers at every step.  They are mostly small and delicate, thin stalked with flowers from 1/8 to 1 1/4 inches across.  Have to be hardy to survive in this harsh dry environment.

Palm Canyon Anza Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaThe following morning I was on the trail just before 8am and it was already feeling warmish.  More scattered flowers with a profusion of Brittlebush showing off it’s yellow blooms.  The perfect rock garden with busy bees and birds pollinating.

Black phoebe, hummingbird & canyon wren Palm Canyon Anza Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaI saw and heard hummingbirds, canyon wrens and what I believe is a black phoebe.

Ocotillo Palm Canyon Anza Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaThe ocotillo are covered in green, some with soft red flower tips and others blazing with fire.

Chuparosa Palm Canyon Anza Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaThe flowers are not like a blanket of color, yet they pop out against the rather drab beige ground and cactus.  Creosote bushes are everywhere some speckled with yellow blooms.

Mt Sheep Palm Canyon Anza Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaOn the way up canyon some folks were stopped with their binoculars out watching three Mt Sheep, one up on the ridgeline silhouetted against the sky and the other two very difficult to see until they moved a bit.

Palm Canyon trail Anza Borrego Desert State Park California

Stream & palm grove Palm Canyon Anza Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaAs I approached the palm grove where water still trickled in a tiny stream before disappearing into the ground the trail was briefly lined with almost neon mesquite.  The oasis is such a sharp contrast to the desert floor.

Looking up in palm grove Palm Canyon Anza Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaAfter siting in the cool shade of the palm canopy enjoying a snack and chatting with other hikers I headed back down canyon before it got any warmer.

Flowering Beavertail cactus Palm Canyon Anza Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaI started to take the Alternative trail and saw flowering Beavertail cactus but then it started to climb and it didn’t make sense to me to go up hill to get down canyon.  So I turned around and hoofed it back to the camper.

Mt Sheep Palm Canyon Anza Borrego Desert State Park California

Mt Sheep Palm Canyon Anza Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaAlmost within sight of the parking lot a group of people were stopped.  No wonder, several Mt Sheep were within 5-20 feet of the trail just eating away and not bothered by the click of cameras or hikers moving past.  How exciting.

Sacred datura, trailing windmills, desert chicory & lupine Palm Canyon Anza Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaAfter the hike and lunch I went to the visitor center so I could find out what all these flowers were.  And I still don’t know them all.  Unfortunately my wonderful Audubon Desert book is all inclusive—birds, plants, flowers, trees, bugs, snakes—which means it just doesn’t show everything.

Sunset Rockhouse Trail Anza Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaThen returned to Rockhouse Trail to find my chair and table right where I’d left them in the middle of seemingly nowhere.

—————————————————————————————————————————–

I know it’s still cold in parts of the winter world but spring is coming.  Hope you’re thinking of planting flowers that benefit butterflies.  Maybe some seeds like these you can get from Amazon.


Geogypsy is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

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Hi, I’m Gaelyn, the Geogypsy

I retired after 29 summer seasons as a Park Ranger, traveling solo for 40+ years. My passions include travel, connecting to nature, photography, and sharing stories.

I started exploring US National Parks in 1977 and 20 years later became a seasonal Park Ranger.  I’ve lived full-time in a RV for 30 years working summers and playing winters.  I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow old, other than grow up.

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