It rained all night so the next morning in the fog we figured we'd better not chance a hike. Instead we visited an abandoned golf course in Borrego Springs, known as a good site for birds. It proved to be so with lots of trees and a pond; highlights being 2 new species for this trip, lesser goldfinch and western bluebirds.
Not a new species but a pretty sweet little yellow-rumped warbler.
It appeared to be lightening up so we picked up a trail map for hell hole canyon at the visitor centre only to a hear a loud clap of thunder and the beginning of a torrential rain that lasted all afternoon.
So instead we visited Borrego Spring's award winning library built on stilts to avoid flash flooding (handy today!). After that we decided to drive west into the mountains to visit the tourist town of Julian, home to apple orchards and the Julian Pie Company.
It was interesting driving out of the desert into first chaparral, then oak, then Douglas fir.
Hillsides covered with blue coenothus.
While it was a cosy little cafe, the Julian Pie Co's pie was good enough but certainly not the world's best as advertised (too sweet for my taste). I can think of 3 relatives off the top of my head who make better. Later when we took a stroll in the pouring rain down main street we found 3 or 4 other bakery cafes also offering apple pie. I guess they get the overflow and some of them looked more like my kinda pie.
Back at camp the rain subsided and we went out to call up an owl. Sure enough three showed up and so did 4 other birders. This is the best photo Leo got in the fading light.
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