Mt.
San Jacinto, Palm Springs Tram w/ San Diego Natural History Museum
Sep 27, 2003
Guides: Bob Miller and Tim Cass
A botany, birding
and all-around nature field trip to the top
of the Tram. Tim is a "plant guy" and this trip was a
great learning experience for me as well.
18
species (list follows at end
of page)
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized shots.
Tree sniffers! |
It always feels nice to step out at mountain station on a summer
day. The cool mountain air and the smell of the forest is
addictive. Not as addictive as this pic might suggest but
the vanilla smell of a big Jeffery Pine is worth looking a little
silly! |
| We added a few birds to our list while on the upper station deck and then got a
bite to eat before heading down the trail. OK, before heading down
the trail again! |
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Hairy (not Downey ;-)
Woodpecker!
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The birding in late September has definitely
slowed down at the top. We had only two Hairy and one Acorn
Woodpecker. Conjuring couldn't even produce a White-headed
Woodpecker for us! A Cassin's Vireo found by Geoff was a treat.
The humor was flowing, don't let the apparent scowl fool you,
(sorry Geoff, couldn't resist!) as we kept calling everything a
Downey something or other! OK, so it was my fault!
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| Yellow-rumped Warbler seemed to be the most common bird of the day
followed by Western Bluebirds. One Band-tailed Pigeon came up
the middle of Long Valley at full speed and the Clark's Nutcrackers
were flying high. |
The adventurers!
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Funereal Duskywing |
Orange Sulphur
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Butterflies were very numerous in the patio area at the
bottom station and we had some nice ones on top also. Each of the
two butterflies above has one "look-alike" so let me
know if I called one of the twins by the wrong name.
There were still some beautiful colors about in the cooler damp
spots, like this Yellow Monkey Flower. You will have to let
me know what the other is! Heliotrope of some kind is my guess. |
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Variegated Meadowhawk
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This lone Variegated Meadowhawk was the only dragon we saw on
top and it was a beaut! There were several Flame Skimmers around
the bottom station and a damsel or two I could not get close to.
Darkness comes early in the deep canyons and it makes the
surrounding desert seem so much brighter.
I had a great drive home and hope you all did as well.
Thanks everyone for coming along and Dee for making it happen! |
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The view!
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Going up!
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