Before leaving Anza . . .

OK, it's time to move on from the desert to Chicago, but before we do...I just want to add a few more photos, lest you think that Anza is all about little stuff --i.e., Gnatcatchers, butterflies, beetles, flowers, sand grains, cactus needles, etc.
For some folks, Anza is about palm trees, streams, horseback riding, and four-wheelin'

Jumping Cholla (Cylindropuntia fulgida)

Looking up the identifications and locations of the plants we'd photographed our first time out, I happened to read that the desert was still in bloom, and expected to be through the coming weekend. Don was all for a return visit and read that many more of the Jumping Cholla, also known as Teddy Bear Cholla, were now in bloom, so off we went on April 3rd for another photo excursion.
According to Wikipedia, "It grows at elevations ranging from 300 to 1000 m (1000 to 3000 ft). While the name "jumping cholla" is applied especially to this species, it is also used as a general term for all chollas."









The previous weekend had also provided some good Cholla photo ops:

Blue Palo Verde

According to Wikipedia "Parkinsonia florida (Blue Palo Verde; syn. Cercidium floridum) is a species of palo verde native to the southwestern United States (southeastern California, southern Arizona) and northwestern Mexico (Sinaloa, Sonora, Baja California). Its name means "green stick" in Spanish, referring to the green trunk in which the tree does photosynthesis." ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinsonia_florida ). When they bloom they are smothered in yellow flowers. It's rare for me to like a tree sans leaves and flowers, but I find this one very attractive through it's entire cycle.

9:30 A.M. April 3, 2010. Approaching Anza-Borrego

These are a few shots of the Anza Borrego desert valley taken from the top of the "Montezuma Grade" on S22.
The route to Anza Borrego from Orange County (CA) that we take is the 22 Freeway East to the 91 East to the I-15 South to Temecula. Highway 79 is then taken South about 41 miles to the S2 where we turn left. Then another left in about 4.5 miles on the S22 which leads into the desert valley. Once on the desert floor, the first intersection is Palm Canyon Drive. We turn left here and follow our noses to the visitor center so that we can find out which areas are in bloom at that time.

Aposematism

These too are photos I took in Anza Borrego a week ago. This little fella is called a Desert Blister Beetle (Lytta magister), so named for the effect of the cantharidin toxin he excretes that will blister skin or sicken any would-be hapless diner. Such beetles have proven fatal for horses who've inadvertently consumed them while munching alphalpha hay.
"Aposematism" is warning coloration, in this case his bright red accents, that serve as a warning of the toxicity. If this little fella lands on your skin, you are likely only in danger of blistering if you startle him. So it's probably best not to scream or whack at him. (smile)








I haven't figured out yet what type of spider that little white fella is on top of that flower.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and West Coast Lady Butterfly

I've been so busy and preoccupied with that pesky jury duty, that I have not had a chance to post any of our photos from our desert trips the past two weekends.

They are all loaded at our Flickr site though, and clicking on either of these images should take you there.