When we moved here from La Mesa, I set out my customary hummingbird feeders. I was expecting one or two takers, maybe four birds at a time at the most. I was astonished to see a dozen to twenty birds at one time, all swarming around the feeder, squeaking at each other, and zooming around. What a show! This phenomenon seems to occur when food is scarce, in winter and summer. This spring, with plentiful flowers, I have few takers, and none of the drama enacted previously with multiple birds jostling for access to the food.
Many people who are unfamiliar with the desert consider it a barren and lifeless place. Nothing could be further from the truth! There is an abundance of life to be seen everywhere. Besides the hummingbirds, there are many other birds commonly seen. These include mourning doves, mockingbirds, grackles, starlings, the inevitable sparrows, roadrunners, quail, various types of birds of prey, and seasonal orioles. The Salton sea, a short distance away, is a stopover for migrating birds. Four-hundred different species of birds have been seen there!
The insects are also very interesting. Can you see the beautiful beetle in one picture?
Loyd recently went on a ranger and naturalist-guided outing in Ocotillo Wells State Recreational Vehicle Area. The biologists monitor many species of mammals and reptiles, setting up traps to capture animals, which are of course then released. Pictured is a small mouse which was part of this survey.
On one of our trips to Hawk Canyon, we spotted a well-camouflaged desert iguana under a bush. He posed for a picture, blending into the gravelly surface almost completely.
At night, we listen for the howls of the coyotes. We watch the rabbits scamper around our yard. We frequently see many birds on our morning bicycle rides. After spending any amount of time outdoors here, an appreciation can be gained for the amazing abundance of diverse life forms.
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