Locations

San Bernardino County, CA
   Afton Canyon
   HWY 178
   Tecopa
   China Rance
   Armagosa River

Dates

Mar. 31st - Apr. 1st 2007

Weather

Mostly clear with some high clouds. Temps in 80s, evening warm, little wind, full Moon.

Species Summary

HERPS
Chuckwalla (1)
Side-blotched Lizard (few)
Panamint Rattlesnake yearling (1)
Pacific Treefrog (couple)
California Toad (TMTC)

BIRDS OF NOTE
Leconte's Thrasher
Bell's Vireo

I stopped to flipped some trash along HWY 18 on my way east and came up blank. Next stop was Afton Canyon. Awesome oasis and glad I brought some DEET due to lots of no-seeums. Hiked downstream and back in afternoon from around 3:00PM to about 5:30PM along the creek and then into some tributary canyons. Only a couple I saw only a couple unidentified lizards, heard many California Toads and saw a couple Pacific Treefrogs. Birding was pretty fun with a couple up and singing Leconte's Thrashers, lots of Lincoln's Sparrows, a few Chipping, White-crowned, and Savannah but curiously no Song. Also Marsh Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumps Warblers, Red-winged Blackbird, Killdeer, and Snipe. A Gnatcatcher heard was presumably Black-tailed. Lots of Rough-winged Swallows and of course the ubiquitous desert Ravens.

Left late afternoon headed for night driving on HWY 127 and HWY 178 passing through Shoshone around nightfall. Lots of traffic headed out on HWY 127 on way in caused concern but traffic all but died by the time I turned on to HWY 178 with only four other outbound vehicles total on my cruise.

First and only AOR was a small 18 inch Panamint Rattlesnake at 8:15PM. I attempted photos but my camera malfunctioned - must have been something to do with the lens adapter/diffuser arrangement and finally gave up and continued on, soon to encounter a recent DOR which must have been hit by one of the cars on the way out. Cruised on into Death Valley till about 9:30PM then turned back and eventually made camp on a turnout about 6 miles or so before Shoshone.

Woke up to a mellow morning and a sore throat. Then headed off to check out Tecopa and China Ranch. I took a few pics of the "lake" at Tecopa...surprising beauty in the middle of nowhere along with some birds: Marsh Wren, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Red-wingeds, Pipits, Least Sandpiper etc.

Lake Tecopa, home of the Tecopa Yacht Club

The entrance to China Ranch at around 8:30 was a stunning surprise. I did some birding till about 10:00AM then bought a gift pack of dates and headed out. The Ranch was alive with Lucy's Warblers, Verdin (heard lots but saw none), Ladderback WP, and a Roadrunner was heard calling while a Coyote wandered through the orchard. Also detected at least two Bell's Vireos, one offering great looks. Also had a "Solitary" type Vireo which I couldn't see well enough to nail down. Surprisingly no Song Sparrows! I left without even seeing a lizard!

Entering the China Ranch oasis

I stopped to have a look at the little Aramagosa system upwelling just southbound of Dumont Dunes on HWY 127. There was a Roadrunner calling from the very top of the rocky hill which I wound up hiking around seeing only one speedy, unidentified lizard until I came upon a monster Chuckwalla tee-up on a rock just about 40 feet from me. It had a lot of white mottling on it's body. Very cool but dove before I could get my camera out. Only one more tiny lizard said goodbye as I got back in my truck and started the long drive back to Ventura.