Coachella Valley Preserve

The Coachella Valley Preserve was created to protect 4 palm oases and their springs. 

A volunteer naturalist offered to show us a long-eared owl, alas it was not showing itself.  They have built a very nice boardwalk through the palm grove next to the visitor centre; from there we hiked toward McCallum Grove, but it was closed to protect the rare and endangered . . .. breeding pupfish.

Most of the birding action was was in the first hour of our hike.  We saw the usual desert birds and a couple of raptors. 

As we continued on the moon country trail it got hotter and hotter and the bird activity tapered off.  Good for flowers

Desert Marigold

Desert Sand Verbena

And lizards though.

Whiptail

Western Zebra-tailed Lizard

Flower of the day is

Sand Blazing Star

After a couple of hours I was getting seriously dizzy from the heat, and not a speck of shade anywhere.  I managed to get back to the palm oasis before I fainted! 

Recuperating from near heatstroke

We had a high of 30 C today.  Not acclimatized yet, I guess.

And the bird of the day is the white-winged dove.