A Diversion to the Mojave National Preserve, Part 1: The Kelso Dunes

From March 25 -27, we travelled to and from and explored the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County. We met with several other nature-oriented people from a variety of backgrounds, and many eyes found many interesting natural treasures.

The area includes the large Kelso Dune Field (or Kelso Dunes), as well as several mountain ranges. We visited the Kelso Dunes, along Kelbaker Road in the southern portion of the preserve, the Granite Mountains and ended the trip in the Mid Hills region.

One of the goals of the trip was to find and photograph various arthropods, including endemics, of the area. The dunes delivered in this regard, with Alice Abela's efforts (with long trails of oatmeal to attract night-active creatures) helping reveal many interesting species.

A view of the dunes, with the "big" dune dominating. The tiny ant-like things climbing up its backbone are...people!

Ammopelmatus kelsoensis, an endemic Jerusalem Cricket. It is quite pale for this group of crickets, as is typical of many of the dunes inhabitants.

Ammopelmatus kelsoensis

A sand treader cricket, probably Ammobaenetes sp.

Sand treader close-up.

Asbolus papillosus, which closely resembles Asbolus laevis, a common inhabitant of the Algodones Dunes. Apparently this is the only "smooth" Asbolus sp. at the Kelso Dunes.

Trogloderus sp., a small teneb species. We saw a handful on the sand each night.

Lariversius tibialis, a small tenebrionid. Not endemic to the dunes, but not a commonly-seen teneb! It liked the oatmeal!

Lariversius tibialis

These weevils were quite commonly seen at night clinging to grass stems. They appear to be a Trigonoscuta sp., but which species is yet to be determined.

Trigonoscuta sp.

Trigonoscuta sp. It was hard not to take a lot of photos of these muscular-looking little creatures.

Many were busily creating the next generation...

At first I thought that this was a different species of Trigonoscuta. Smaller and less abundant in our search area. Actually Eucilinus aridus. Thanks to Margarethe Brummermann for the determination. 

Eucilinus aridus

Another weevil, possibly the commoner type, with more brownish coloration.

A robust weevil, Ophryastes sp.

A small bee sleeping on a grass stem in the dunes after dark.

Mating stiletto flies (Therevidae)

A nocturnal mutillid (velvet ant). The only one seen (by myself, at least).

A small crab spider.

This slender crab spider was clinging to one of the numerous Desert Evening Primroses in the late afternoon of the first day.

Apparently a Botta's Pocket Gopher (the same sort that we have in abundance here in Cuyamaca Woods). This was a hefty, healthy-looking fellow (the telltale bulge of furry flesh at his posterior end suggests a male's testes). He was attracted to the oatmeal trail! We photographed him and moved on...

Just a little farther along the oatmeal trail we stopped...and suddenly a gopher appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and went straight for Alice! He proceeded to "attack" her shoe. We were pretty surprised by this behavior from a normally shy (underground) species. Later, I wondered if he also followed the oatmeal trail (feeding as he went) and saw us as competition. He is clearly a very well-fed and healthy individual and is good at finding food in this food-poor environment, so perhaps an aggressive personality has aided him over his lifespan. Or maybe there was an oatmeal-y or other delectable smell on Alice's shoes? We may never know. 

A Geology Field Trip to the Local Mountains and Desert (yes, GEOLOGY)

I am taking a Physical Geology course at Mesa College, as a pleasant diversion from the life sciences. San Diego County is chock full of fascinating rocks and minerals and interesting land forms. More than I ever imagined!

On March 19th, we took a day-long field trip to the Laguna Mountains, and then the local desert. Terri Groth (friend and neighbor) accompanied me. About 13 people were on the adventure, including fellow classmates and the instructor, Don Barrie.

The photos below are from Canyon sin Nombre ("canyon without a name"), not far from Indian Gorge where we camped the weekend before.

This canyon was full of fascinating geological formations and types of rocks, including igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic - a little of everything we are learning about in the class at the moment.

Varied landscape near the entrance to Canyon sin Nombre. Much of the dark brown rocks are schist, a metamorphic rock.

More of the unusual swirls and strange rock patterns.

A big dike of light-colored igneous rock filling an ancient crack.

Contrast between the darker (what I believe is schist) and the felsic, light-colored igneous rock of the dike.

Some really nice gneiss (pronounced "nice"), another metamorphic rock, the result of ultra-high temperatures and pressures deep in the Earth.

Amphibolite, another metamorphic rock. 

Schist, a metamorphic rock with course grains, and foliation (a "layered" look), the result of intense pressures.

Folding in sedimentary rocks in the Olla Formation.

Dictyoptera simplicipes: A Colorful Inhabitant of Cuyamaca Woods

This beetle appears here in late winter and early spring in some years. I do not see it every year, with 2011 being the first year in which I did. In that year, quite a few were seen scattered about in Cuyamaca Woods, by myself and others. This year Gary saw one by his garden, and then the one shown below flew by us when we were on the patio at the end of the day on March 18th.

This species occurs extensively up and down the Pacific coast.

These are the first photos of live specimens that I have taken.

Add caption

A Short Diversion to Indian Gorge in the Anza Borrego Desert

From March 11 - 13 (2016), we camped with friends in Indian Gorge, a canyon in the southern portion of the Anza Borrego State Park.

We have camped there before around this time of year, and on the last trip were toasted in unusually hot temperatures (low 90s), but this year things were cooler (with a little rain on Friday night even). Some flowers were blooming from earlier rains, but it has not turned into an "epic" flower season, sadly (the El Nino rains have not materialized for southern California in the way we had hoped).

Here are a few of the highlights from this trip:

"Palm Bowl" group of native palms (Washingtonia filifera). This was one canyon south from Indian Gorge.

Desert Iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis), also in the canyon to the south of Indian Gorge and Indian Valley (as is the iguana below).

This one allowed a very close approach!

This very pale (felsic) granite is everywhere in the area. It has nicely formed mica embedded in it.

A pottery shard, from the earlier inhabitants of the region - the first I have seen in the Anza Borrego Desert. Indian Gorge.

Oncerimetopus nigriclavus (a small true bug with a BIG name!). In Torote Canyon, which is an off-shoot from Indian Gorge. Torote is Spanish for Elephant Tree, and a few of these trees (twhich are more abundant in Mexico) occur in this small canyon.

The Red-eared Blister Beetle (Lytta auriculata). This was the main beetle seen. NO tenebrionids (darkling beetles) were seen at all - very unusual. Possibly due to the cool temperatures.

Lytta auriculata feeding on Brittlebush.

More Lytta auriculata (MAKING more Lytta auriculata).

An ichneumon wasp, one of the few (non-moth) visitors to the black light that I set out on Saturday night.

A nocturnal mutillid (velvet ant - which is actually a wasp). At the light.

Ready to demolish Tokyo!!! Well, maybe not (it's less than a centimeter long...).
This appears to be a nymph of the planthopper Orgerius sp. Just about the most photogenic creature to appear at the light.

Another view of Orgerius sp.

Who's Out in the Unseasonable Warmth?

It's a round 70 degrees today (February 14th), and we have been buried in a foot-and-a-half of snow in March before, so this is REALLY unseasonably warm!

I decided to see what little creatures might be out and about in the warmth. This was a small sampling (some native flies and bees were also seen, but did not cooperate for photos).

Phyllodesma americana (American Lappet Moth). This was a lingerer on the patio after the black light last night. It was still hovering around 60 degrees last evening even a couple hours after dark. Small moths and a couple ichneumon moths showed up.

Velvety Tree Ants (Liometopum occidentale) on the Engelmann Oak by Mountain Meadow Road. They were very active.

Largus californicus (a bordered plant bug). Clinging to the stucco on the house.

Small carabid just outside the front door.

New Year's Birding

With the arrival of the new year, I like to work on my NEW year bird species list. We took a trip to Mammoth Lakes and vicinity (in the Sierra Nevada Mountains) in the first week of January, and then I made a couple trips to the coast of San Diego County.

Snowy scene at Convict Lake, which is just a bit downslope to the east of Mammoth Lakes. Two Black-billed Magpies were hanging around the lake, and one repeatedly flew and landed near me, allowing a fairly close approach. Maybe they are used to being fed by people?

The best close-up I could manage of the Black-billed Magpie.

Take-off!

We took a drive up to Bridgeport (via Mono Lake), and saw many Red-tailed Hawks perched in these lowlands east of the mountains, but this hawk looked different. Eventually, with some help, I learned that this was a Rough-legged Hawk - a nice life-bird!

This was taken at the Tijuana Estuary in southern San Diego County. There was a very high tide in the morning, and some birds were foraging quite close to the trail. This was a cooperative Little Blue Heron.

Whimbrel. Tijuana Estuary.

Willet. Tijuana Estuary.

On the same day that I visited the Tijuana Estuary, I checked out Mission Bay - at a very LOW tide, in the afternoon. These were two Ross's Geese at Ski Beach, Vacation Isle.

This photo really shows how tiny Ross's Geese are - since this a Ring-billed Gull, which a small gull species (and the goose is not very far behind the gull in this photo)!

There were some Redheads floating around near shore at Ski Beach.

Two days ago, we paid a quick visit to La Jolla Cove and vicinity. A small number of Brown Pelicans were perched on one of the higher cliffs. This particular pelican was doing a lot of flapping in an attempt to settle in and get comfy. I did not even see this little interaction with the Double-crested Cormorant pretty obviously saying "Get out of my face!" until I looked over the photos at home later!

Flap, flap, flap!

I might be a little annoyed, too!

Damp pelican.