DMXA - Borrego Bonanza (4/22/01)

[Mark Walker]

Day Five:

After a little rest in Oceanside, Dave and I were up early to search for
warmth.  The storm had completely passed through by Sunday, but the low
pressure was keeping the temps down in the 60's.  When the weather doesn't
cooperate, you have to be very flexible and spontaneous with your planning.
We tossed a three sided coin and chose the western Colorado desert for our
next exploitation - er, exploration.  It had been over a week since I had
been down to Anza Borrego (more like two), and there had been two cold
spells con rain since then.  Who knew?  Perhaps the desert was all done for
the spring?  Perhaps all we'd find would be Painted Ladies?

And then there's the wind.  So often when it's nice and warm everywhere
else, the lower desert blows.  Literally.

Well - I'm keeping you in suspense long enough.  We drove over the top of
the Laguna Mountains (just to get a look), and we were surprised to find the
early morning temps there to be well into the 60's.  Perhaps this was a good
omen.  We also found lots of snow - which would soon be melting away.  Dave
had not seen snow in many years.  He's a Floridian, and I tease him about
being a flatlander.  I guess he was born in the blizzard of '78 (youngster -
geez I was already out of High School), but it had been almost as long since
he had seen snow.  Needless to say, that was a bit of a highlight in and of
itself.

Wow, what a difference a few weeks can make.  There was so much nectar in
the Scissors Crossings area - I have never seen so many flowers.  Once
again, the entire desert floor was a carpet of green and white and pink and
blue and purple and red and yellow (did I forget any colors?).  Absolutely
spectacular.  And only a few of them were cactus - everything else was
wildflower, and destined to be gone in a matter of days.  In one location
there were literally thousands of white flowers everywhere.  And no surprise
that nearly every one of them hosted a nectaring Painted Lady.  These things
are worse than rabbits, if you know what I mean...

Up at higher altitude we found lots of cool bugs flying.  Plenty of
Checkerspots everywhere.  Still no end to the nectar sources.  I was very
pleased that Dave got at least one good day in.  By 2:00 p.m., we were
exhausted, tired, and sweating profusely!  After freezing our buns off in
the Mojave, this was a welcome discomfort.

Our list:

Papilio polyxenes coloro (Desert Swallowtail)

Pontia sisymbrii (Spring White)
Pontia protodice (Checkered White)
Euchloe lotta (Desert Marble)
Anthocharis sara (Sara Orangetip)
one large yellow Pierid - Zerene cesonia? eurydice?

Brephidium exile (Western Pygmy Blue)
Leptotes marina (Marine Blue)
Hemiargus ceraunus (Ceraunus Blue)
Plebejus acmon (Acmon Blue)

Calephelis wrighti (Wright's Metalmark)

Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady)
Chlosyne acastus neumoegeni (Neumoegen's Checkerspot)
Chlosyne californica (California Patch)
Euphydryas chalcedona hennei (Henne's Checkerspot)

Copaeodes aurantiacia (Orange Skipperling)

Mark Walker

 
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