Post by: FrankB on March 16, 2016, 10:13:16 PM
(https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-March-13-2016/i-MZPdQmt/0/L/DSC_1054-L.jpg)
(https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-March-13-2016/i-gDgnhWL/0/L/DSC_1042-L.jpg)
In addition to the usual ground flowers, the cactus were flowering nicely, as were some of the larger plants like the ocotillo.
(https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-March-13-2016/i-QxxtT9v/0/L/DSC_0994-L.jpg)
(https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-March-13-2016/i-mKQpFXj/0/L/DSC_1016-L.jpg)
(https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-March-13-2016/i-QQvSHPz/0/L/DSC_1040-L.jpg)
Since people always like to see photos of the trucks, I'll throw in a few of those too. These are in the very south end of Inspiration Wash, where it passes alongside the sand dunes just north of the dump.
(https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-March-13-2016/i-3Z87sX5/0/L/DSC_1082-L.jpg)
(https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-March-13-2016/i-Kdkn99D/0/L/DSC_1087-L.jpg)
It turns out that the dunes have taken over a good part of what was the trail, producing some very soft sand and off-camber spots in a few places.
(https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-March-13-2016/i-QB6Wnrf/0/L/DSC_1121-L.jpg)
We stopped at Hawk Canyon (just off Buttes Pass Road) for lunch, and ended up in a sort of WTF situation. There were these not-so-little caterpillars crawling around, and after a bit we realized that there were quite a few of them, and that they were munching their way through the wildflowers. They moved surprisingly quickly actually.
(https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-March-13-2016/i-S7KZNC7/0/L/DSC_1184-L.jpg)
(https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-March-13-2016/i-HX6KC75/0/L/IMG_0076-L.jpg)
Up close they are really weird looking. They reminded me of the sort of thing you would see in those mid-50's monster movies.
(https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-March-13-2016/i-L4T3sJm/0/L/DSC_1204-L.jpg)
(https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-March-13-2016/i-t7cwngS/0/L/DSC_1195-L.jpg)
Other than the flower-devouring caterpillars munching their way across Hawk Canyon, it was a pretty nice day out there.
(https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-March-13-2016/i-D3GHTJM/0/L/DSC_1044-L.jpg)
Click here to see a few more pictures.
https://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/So-Cal-Explorations-Day/Anza-Borrego-March-13-2016/
Post by: RBduffer on March 17, 2016, 10:33:41 AM
Post by: FrankB on March 17, 2016, 12:48:22 PM
. . . Those little monsters are freeky. I hope you used a telephoto-macro lens from a safe distance lol
I wish I could say that I shot those "from a safe distance" but I can't. The lens that I had with me required me to get down on the ground for at least some of those shots. I'll admit I was scared, those things have a pointed barb at the back end, and then those 3 sets of arms at the front just below the mouth make it look like they can really grab on if they want to. I guess I've seen too many B-grade movies from the 50's and 60's, but I was really getting the heebie-jeebies out there. It didn't help that my shoelaces were the same color as the little monsters either.
Post by: Ghost65 on March 17, 2016, 03:14:05 PM
Frank...watched this little guy while hiking Daley Ranch in Escondido.
Love yourAB pics, as always.
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Post by: JFanaselle on March 17, 2016, 03:21:24 PM
John - that's a beautiful red diamondback. Looks like the one I almost stepped on at the end of last summer, except that one was smaller (probably only about 4 feet). The regular westerns are plentiful out here, but you don't see many of those reds. They're out in full force already because of the warm weather - just 2 weekends ago, someone got bit up on the Tenaja Falls hiking trail on the Santa Rosa Plateau. They had to hoist the guy of the trail with a helicopter.
Post by: RBduffer on March 17, 2016, 09:31:41 PM
Post by: Ghost65 on March 21, 2016, 06:31:59 PM
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