Postings on this page began on March 11,
When California had a STAY AT HOME ORDER in place. 
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is now open to limited use.

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On these pages we hope to deliver some samples of desert beauty to you this year, right into your home.  With both state and county regulations instructing the public to stay at home, we hope that the photos, videos, short messages, eclectic posts, the artisit side of Borrego Springs, as well blogs and short stories you find here will remind you of Borrego Springs as we go through this difficult time.   Please also visit us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/ABDNHA.org
July 6 Hungry Bunny is the culpret.
When summer gets cooking lunch is easily found, served buffet style, wherever there is landscaping.  Marcy Yates photo.
  April 29 Clive has lunch
Not many squirrels get their own private table, built at squirrel height, but Clive does.  He is one lucky Squirrel.  The picnic table and photo are by Borrego Springs' Paul Taylor.
  April 25 This poem by Kitty O'Meara is place together with a photo from the Spanish Flu of 1919.
April 15  This poem and photo by Pam Blake with background photo by Andrea Taylor come together beautifully to express where we find ourselves at this point in time. 
 
April 13   Thank you, Joel McConnell for this wonderful photo of a Western Tanager, and allowing us share it for our our post of the day.   There are lots of these beautiful little birds around town right now.  I have two that spend a lot of time in a mulberry tree in the back yard.  But it has been hard to get a good clean shot, as Joel has done here.
 
April 12  The old videos seem to be popular.  Here is another one to watch, posted and shared from YouTube:
A New Beginning 1957.  This is a long one, about 46 minutes. 
April 11  You can't come to the park for real right now - - But Lego people can do it and if you think like a Lego person, as Paulette Donnellon has learned to do,  then you can be here too! 

We borrowed this photo from Paulette Donnellon as our "Outside-Inside' post of the day. Her lego family has been having a good time exploring the park lately on Facebook and we are happy to have her around to cheer things up!
April 10 A different kind of post for today - A GREAT BIG THANK YOU!
We are saying thanks today to the folks who get little to no glory for what they are doing in this tough time, going to work every day in Borrego Springs, keeping our grocery stores open, the hardware store, essential car repairs, and restaurants where we can get take out food.  They make it possible for the rest of us to stay in our homes.  Without them we would all be forced to drive well over an hour to get the basic groceries and other things that we need. 

If you wish to share, the YouTube address for this video is:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IAzs_BVc94

Visit the ABDNHA facebook page or BorregoSprings92004 and say THANK YOU to them in the comments!
 
April 9
Take a journey in time and place with this 1949 video to visit the spring wildflowers in Borrego Springs.
Thank you, Pea Hicks, for finding this unauthored old video.  Very interesting to watch.  Some San Diego streetcar scenes were also on the video but edited out here.  If you want to see the original video:  https://youtu.be/5__f95QI96o

There is another side to the story of this old video, and that is Pea, the guy who found it. He visits garage sales, flea markets, any place that sells old forgotten stuff and searches for old film reels, just like this one. He reviews them, scans them and makes them digital, and shares them. It's a mix of film, history, and technology. These old reels are not going to live forever and I am sure there are fewer and fewer of them each year. Pea says he has lots of video on old town San Diego, and he might be willing to do a program in our ABDNHA weekend lectures next year. That sounds interesting. Let us all hope for a normal desert season this next year!
April 6 Bullock's Oriole in Blooming Ocotillo by Selden McKee
 Thank you Selden for this stunning and well-composed shot.
April 5 Inside looking Outside - a shot through our Borrego back door.
 Thanks Terri McElhatton for this shot.  We are lucky here in Borrego Springs because just stepping through the patio door into our own backyard gives us a pleasant place where we can be totally safe outdoors while enjoying the mountains and desert scenery that surrounds us.
April 4 The Anza-Borrego Desert at Sunset
 Thank you once again, Sicco Rood, for another wonderful photo.
April 2 Monkey Flowers in white?
 Hal Cohen found these unusual Monkey Flowers on a recent walk.  Unusual!
March 30 Cleanliness is important! Now more than ever, says Marcy Yates, with her birdbath photos.
The birds all know this: from hawks and doves, grackles and hummers, to sparrows and starlings, and orioles and warblers, too.  1 - Coopers Hawk, 2 - Yellow Rumped Warbler, 3 Anna's Hummingbird, 4 - Common Grackle

March 29 Coyote Portrait by Sicco Rood
 This is a fantastic photo, so much more than something you might classify as a "wildlife shot." This is a natural portrait, an image that reveals the essence of the subject, all beautifully done, and it makes you think about that coyote. You can see understanding, thought, and judgement taking place in that coyote's mind and you wish you could somehow engage with it to learn more. It is no wonder that the spirit of the coyote always assumed such an important role in the beliefs of native people. The coyote is cleaver, it has insight, and it is everything that it needs to be, wherever it may live - the ultimate survivor. Thanks, Sicco, for another outstanding photo!
March 28 I’d like everyone to offer congratulations to a couple friends you never knew you had.   

Carl and Hannah live in the San Diego area and they came to ABDNHA before the start of the current desert season to ask if they could have a wedding in the ABDNHA Desert Garden – a wedding scheduled for here today but which never took place here today. They explained how much they loved the desert, they talked of their favorite places in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and said that they wanted to be married here so friends and family could celebrate in the desert environment. They were like so many that we ourselves once were, I thought to myself, future residents, young people drawn to the desert but in the midst of careers right now.

The wedding of Hannah and Carl did not take place in the ABDNHA garden today, as everyone will understand. Hannah said to keep their deposit as a donation to ABDNHA. That was very kind and appreciated, and we offered to take that deposit as full price for another date, maybe next springs, when a desert wedding reception, after the fact, can take place in the garden.

Hannah emailed this evening to say they drove to Borrego Springs early this morning, before their wedding. They stopped by the garden, took a few pictures, and then headed to a wedding they had to attend. They sent a couple of pictures along and said they’d be celebrating in a virtual way with friends and relatives tonight.

To my surprise they told me they had been following all of the posts of “Borrego Outside for People Inside.” So they will see this, probably tonight, and everyone is encouraged to give them congratulations in the comments on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ABDNHA.org/
March 27  Springtime color - Male Hooded Oriole by Sanjiv
 The Hooded Oriole is a southwest US and Mexican bird, generally arriving in the local area in March, with males setting up a breeding area.  They are a common sight around Borrego Springs right now.  They can be seen feeding in all sorts of acrobatic positions, including upside down, moving through trees and shrubs for insects, berries, and flower nectar.  They are sometime seen at hummingbird feeders as well.  Thanks, Sanjiv, for this great shot.
March 26 A few more of Pam Blakes very popular flower Haikus
 When Pam and Dan first came to Borrego they were known to spend their summers on an island in Maine and Borrego Springs in Winter.  Two very different environments, it would seem.  But no, they said, the two places are actually very similar.  In once place we are surrounded with water and in the other we are surrounded by desert. They are both islands.
 
March 24 Goldfinch gathering material for her nest.
 Today's contribution comes again from Marcy Yates
 
March 23 The Spirit of the Mockingbird - a lesson for all of us at this time.
There is a lesson to be taught to us by the Mockingbird in these uncertain times if we listen.   If you have ever had a male Mockingbird living outside your bedroom window then will understand the lesson.  It is a lesson of persistence, determination, and holding fast to the things that you need to do.  It matters not one bit if the wind is howling, if the rain is pelting down, or whatever other calamity is happening around him, the mockingbird will be there, he will be there all night long, singing his song, doing what he needs to do.  Thanks for the photo, Marcy Yates
   
A bit of humor for our times....
THE JOYS OF WORKING AT HOME

Being a person always on the lookout for new trends that nobody has yet noticed, I have discovered one that will surely hit the news in the following days. Please remember you saw it here first.

When you work at home nobody sees you. Nobody really knows if you are working at 2 am or 9 in the evening. Nobody sees the coffee cup on the floor or notices that you have one sock on and one sock off.

After a few days, there are telltale signs that begin to appear. You may not notice them yourself but your spouse or partner will take notice, and they will let you know.

So be prepared and don't panic if it happens. The bottom line is that grooming standards are at risk during this crisis.  It is a crisis within a crisis that nobody is yet talking about. The stocks of safety razor companies will be affected, so look out for that too.

I willingly share this photo to alert you to the symptoms before the fashion police are called and a rescue copter lands in the front yard to whisk you away for professional help.

Be careful. Be safe, And look in the mirror every once in a while.
- Mike McElhatton / ABDNHA Program Director
March 22  The Joys of Working at Home  
 
March 22  Coyotes! Another great video by Borrego's Sicco Rood. 
Thank you for bringing Borrego Outside to Those Inside!
Look Up Now!     A Quad Conjunction Party     Join the Party!
A spectacular celestial conjunction is taking place in our early morning skies, before dawn. Three planets get together while most of us are not looking. The best time to observe is before 5 a.m. Jupiter and Mars are within one degree (!) of each other, doing elbow bumps as it were.  Saturn is a few degrees away to the north and closer to the horizon. Over the next few weeks, Mars will leave the vicinity of Jupiter and move towards Saturn. Bright white Jupiter, red Mars and yellow Saturn are putting on quite a colorful display for us.  

And, then the last two mornings, a red sliver of the waning moon rose over the horizon to join the planetary conjunction party.

Oh my!   Wake up early and enjoy the show.  Everyone else will be in bed.  Your "social distancing" will be great!
 
March 21  Flower Haiku, Haiku poetry by Pam Blake, flowers with painting effects by Mike.
March 20    Social Distancing - Borrego Style Thank you, Sanjiv!
 
March 19 
Borrego Hawk Watch this morning.  Roughly 400 Swainson's Hawks take off to head north after roosting for the night.
 
March 19
Desert Day Transforms to Night
From our "Borrego Outside for People Inside" series. 

Just an average day here in Borrego as night slowly spreads across the land, with rabbits chasing each other, coyotes getting started as their night of hunting begins, a dove calling out as they do every evening, and a mockingbird, which will likely go all night long. We also have other birds chirping, a desert highway in the distance, and colorful clouds over the mountians that tell us there is just the slightest chance of rain during the night or in the morning
March 18
David Larson gives us this wonderful conclusion to our hummingbird story.  He was there as the babies left the nest and stayed several hours to photograph the events that followed.  The baby hummers were not left to their own after they left the nest.  Momma was still there to help!  Photos are:
1. One of the babies tests its wings, standing on the edge of the nest, jumping up and down to slowly learn what it takes to fly.  The other one, he says, just flew off with little hesitation.
2. Momma is there to provide some much-needed nutrition after the birds have left the nest.
3. She stays around, looking after her young ones, making sure they know how to fly and what to look for as food.
4. One of the babies feeds itself for the first time. 
Thank you so much, David, for this incredible series of images.  Very well done, indeed!
March 16
Sanjiv Nanda sent us this photo of a swarming honey been colony.  Swarming is a springtime and early summer event that takes place when a large group of honey bees leaves an established colony to form a new colony.  The bees swarm when the original colony begins to get too crowded.  A honey bee swarm may contain thousands of worker bees, a small number of drones, and one queen.  The bees will fly around searching for a cavity in a tree or other spot and the entire mass of bees will often cluster, as seen in these photos, until a suitable spot is found.  Bees will also cluster late in the day to stay warm through the night during their search. Photos by Sanjiv Nanda.
 
March 15
Thank you so much, Sicco Rood, for sharing your video!
Here we have kid having fun as a kid should have fun, as kids used to have fun, with no video games or phones, just shallow water and slippery mud beneath.  In this video you can almost feel the thr fun of this little girl as she does what kids do, using her sense of adventure to enjoy the water in a lake bed that is normally bone dry. Thank you again, Sicco, for being there to capture this video!
March 15
Thank you Kevin Key for the use of your image.
Kevin is very much a "Nightscape Photographer" combining the night sky with the landscape below.  In this image we see Clark Dry Lake full of water from recent rains and a long exposure that captures the movement of the starts in the sky.

Kevin says on Sunday that he and a friend were tired of the rainy and gloomy weather in San Diego and decided at the last minute to head to Anza-Borrego for some sunshine and maybe some pictures of desert flowers.  They did not find many flowers, so they went to Clark Dry Lake to see if recent rains had placed any water there; there was in fact a lot of water in the lake.  So they decided to head into Borrego Springs and get some pizza and come back later to capture some star trails with reflections in the water.  They sat patiently  for the sky to get dark and started shooting star trails around 8 p.m.  This particular shot had a total exposure timeof rouughly two hours.  Thanks for sharing, Kevin.
 
Borrego Humor -
 
March 15
Today the nest is empty; the entire family has moved out. Few people ever see a hummingbird nest because they look like a blemish on a branch and blend in so well.   Hummingbirds use soft plant fiber and bits of leaves to build their nest, with spider silk to hold it together and make a nest with elastic sides that stretch as the hatchlings grow.   As for the baby hummers that lived here yesterday; they are now out in the wild.   Photo by Mike McElhatton.
 Although taken at a different spot in Borrego Springs, this beautiful photo shows the male Costa Hummingbird feeding on chuparosa, a plant in bloom all around the community right now. Dan Cain Photo.
March 14  These "babies" in the ABDNHA Garden are as big as momma this afternoon.  She came by to feed them but it is so tight for space in that little nest now that she must be thinking the time is near for these kids to move out and get jobs as real hummingbirds.

We believe this little family is made up of Costa's Hummingbirds, although it is hard to identify by looking only at the female.  Costa's are typically found in hot and dry areas, like the Anza-Borrego Desert, and the Palo Verde tree they are in is one of their favorite nesting locations.  We discovered this nest while doing garden maintenance in the ABDNHA Desert Garden, trimming the thorny brainches so they don't poke people in the face.

The Costa Hummingbird typically lays one egg two days after the nest is built, and a second egg about two days later.  The eggs are about the size of navy beans.  It takes 15-18 days for the eggs to hatch, depending on how warm the weather is, and the chicks will grow and develop 20 - 30 days before leaving the nest.  Hummingbirds have a very fast metabolism and feeding the chicks is a busy job.  This female makes from two to five feeding trips to the nest each hour, giving each chick several drops of nectar that she has collected from nearby flowers. Photo by Mike McElhatton.
 
March 14
Seen on Palm Canyon Drive in front of ABDNHA Desert Nature Center this afternoon. These dog training people are ON TOP OF IT! Having a dog that can drive will be a real help for older people. And look at the parking: it's right between the lines!  The only precaution is to make sure there are no people thowing balls or sticks on the sides of the road or the riders might take a sudden detour! Photo by Mike McElhatton
 
March 14
Look how much these little guys have grown in just a few days!  It is amazing to see all that complicated life crammed into such a tiny space. Mamma is flying back and forth so almost constantly now because hummingbirds need a tremendous amount of food to keep their surper fast metabolism running smooth.  Video by Mike McElhatton.
March 13 Thank you, Paulette Donnellon for this shot!
Do the Desert Bighorn Sheep know that it's safe to wander in the middle of the road now with all the toursits gone?  No, it's not very likely they have figured that out, but this shot sure gives that impression!   Paulette got this shot driving down the Montezuma grade and there were an additional 7 adults and 4 babies in the same vicinity.  Bighorn sheep are frequently being seen in this area recently and Paulette advises that you look out for sheep as you go around the corners of the grade.  This is a demanding road to drive under any conditions, so be careful!
 
March 12
We discovered this hummingbird nest while working in the ABDNHA Desert Garden today trimming the thorny branches of trees so they don't snag visitors.  The mamma hummingbird goes out to feed on the surrounding flowers and returns about every 20 minutes to feed her hungry little ones.  They are so tiny that all you can see is the little beaks rise up inside the tiny nest.  Video by Mike McElhatton
 
March 11
Rain in the desert is a wonderful thing. It feels wonderful. It smells wonderful. And it is especially wonderful at night. the only thing missing is the smell of he creosote bush. It's too bad that nobody has yet figured out how to convey smell over the internet, because the small of desert rain is an intense sensory experience that signal life is coming back to the desert.
Turn up the sound, get yourself relaxed, and listen to the sounds lof desert rain at night.  That's a mockingbird you hear in the background.  It goes all night, every night, and the rain makes no difference as he sings out a song to find a mate and to let all the other male mockingbirds know "This is my space!  Don't even think of moving here!"  It might keep some people awake but to me is says all is well, and is a reassuring sound in these uncertain times.  Sound Recording by Mike McElhatton
 

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