Superbloom & Swainsons TR (not FF)

Made reservations in December to spend a week in the Cali desert hiking and birding, not knowing that all the moisture to come would produce an orgy of flora. By the time we got there, the weekend crowds of 40,000+ had somewhat abated, although it was still a hell of a lot busier than we've ever seen it. Even so, it was easy enough to find trails we had pretty much to ourselves, and the Swainson migration was in full swing (just missed the Big Day - 3700 sighted in one morning, but still saw plenty of hawks).

Nice morning

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...pstyndcb5c.jpg


A little bit of weather to the west, although this storm never made it to the valley

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psflhmcpsh.jpg


Birds eye view of Borrego Springs (our campground is in the lower left end of town)

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psdrdzgzrc.jpg


what the fuss is all about

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psuj3sqhvl.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...pswtfhjzbw.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psblkk3pn8.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psmuugafic.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psexo6zos0.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...pslvarbujy.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psqcx1tbfi.jpg

These guys (sphinx moth) were digging the bloom

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2uetmvs1.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psw7vmaeh5.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psfum4f875.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psq6djpbna.jpg


City of New Orleans

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7p8m3df5.jpg


doing donuts

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0ofsmdid.jpg


Swainson liftoff

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psdtxe8ctu.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psceajddxw.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psg31ggxih.jpg


reserved seating is available

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psxuppge79.jpg

cactus blossoms and assorted stuff along the trail

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psbo7zrgvj.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psbapdb7d8.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psnmvptl3t.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psoipclvp8.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...pswinq4i91.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psz9f9atb0.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psrygydajp.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...pshhx3uecq.jpg

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...psactjupyl.jpg


Regards,
Scott

Wow! Really pretty. I had not thought about what the effects of the rains would be on the desert community. Awesome!

Wow! Awesome thread!

Scott, Thanks for showing off our Southern desert. We were planning a trip there during my wife's spring break in another week and a half. The birds will be gone but there should still be flora galore. We have a lot of wildflowers in my neck of the Mojave desert. Jim