A "Short" Hike

Map Track Link

Bird List

We needed another "short" training hike so we choose "Short Canyon" based on the name.  Hmmm, I guess I shouldn't be allowed to write these things.  I really wanted to fill an ebird gap, and Bob wanted to see if the nolina had flowered since we were last there. They were in flower and quite bee infested.

When we looked back where we came, we were surprised to see a huge dust cloud building over Ridgecrest.  Turns out there was a big off road race on BLM land.  Guess that dust control wasn't part of the permit requirements.  We were glad we weren't down wind of that.

We had 38 species of birds and added two new ones, Brewer's Sparrow and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, bringing the total list for the canyon to 85. Getting this canyon to 100 species is going to be tough.

What Short Canyon lacks in birds, it makes up for in plants. My recollection is something on the order of 300 species.

In the higher elevations the annuals were still blooming and it was smell-a-vision -- the gilia and popcorn flower smelled lovely while the smell of the grape soda bush lupine brought back childhood memories.  Yes, it really does smell like grape soda pop. 

White evening primrose

Bob and a blooming nolina

Gilia and a scale bud seed head

Coreopsis and a probable White-throated Swift nesting area

Charlotte's Phacilia

Lupine, coreopsis, and scale bud

Pincushion, Gilia, and bush lupine

Bush lupine

Coreopsis

Gilia and forget me nots

Popcorn flower

Apricot Mallow

Gilia

Paintbrush