We had a quiet few days in Twentynine Palms and enjoyed a side trip to Indian Cove in Joshua Tree National Park. We took the short interpretive trail along a wash which was up against a large bolder ridge.
January 11
We entered Joshua Tree National Park by the Oasis of Mara entrance. This palm oasis is slowly reverting back to desert as the water supply diminishes. There were several 70) Phainopeplas beside the short interpretive walk.
Phainopepla
The north section of Joshua tree National Park is part of the high Mohave Desert so we saw lots of Joshua Trees as we made short stops to walk at Belle and White Tank campgrounds.
At the white Tank campground there is a short trail through the Mojave Desert to the Arch Rock.
We started to descend a 1000 feet through a canyon that transitioned from the Mojave Desert to the Colorado Desert. The Joshua Trees disappeared and were replaced by Jumping Chollas and Ocotillo.
A 71) Roadrunner sprinted across the road.
We descended further and leveled out in the Colorado Desert.This desert has a lot of plant variety with Creosote Bushes being the dominant species. These plants were nicely spaced out. They have a spreading root system that inhibits the nearby growth of other plants. As a backup they also secrete a herbicide that also discourages other plants.
Late in the day we arrived at the Cottonwood Springs campground in the south section of Joshua tree National Park.
January 12
I awoke early to take predawn photos of the sunrise. Surprise!
There was frost on the windows and snow on the ground. I went for a half mile walk in the predawn light to the Cottonwood Springs Oasis.
Cottonwood Springs
It was cold but beautiful with snow on the ground in the Colorado Desert. As the sun rose the snow started to melt and lots of birds were scurrying about in the thickets. I saw a new lifer, Le Conte's Thrasher.
We headed East to Blythe and on to Yuma in Arizona. Last time we went this way we hit a major sand storm but today was all blue skies, sun and calm weather.
North of Yuma we stopped beside the road to take pictures of the Arizona mountains.
We cruised into Yuma in the late afternoon and went to the visitors centre. The same birds were at the visitor's centre as last year ... 75) Vermillion Flycatcher, 76) Gila Woodpecker , and 77) Yellow-rumped Warbler.
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