Natural History Journal

On my recent geology field studies trip to Death Valley, we made a side trip to another beautiful and geologically rich place: Red Rock Canyon State Park.  Located on Highway 14 north of the town of Mojave, Red Rock Canyon State Park offers visitors opportunities for hiking, camping and more in a stunning desert landscape of red rock formations.  But due to the incessant rain, our time at Red Rock Canyon was relatively brief. The impressive layered cliffs at Red Rock Canyon are part of the Ricardo Formation, an assemblage of rock layers that are unique and distinct enough to be separated from surrounding rock.  Looking closely at the layers, you will notice layers of red, brown and gray sandstone, pebbly conglomerate, very fine-textured gray clay, and both light-colored rhyolitic tuff and dark basalt from volcanic eruptions.  Layers of sandstone and clay indicate that these deposits were laid down in the lakes, rivers and floodplains of a terrestrial landscape.  Conglomerates f

If I were to ask you to describe the quintessential desert plant, you would say a cactus, right?  Of course.  So then what is the first type of cactus that comes to mind?  Maybe the grand Saguaro cactus of the Sonoran desert in Arizona.  The tall, branching cactus has become a symbol of the American West, although its distribution is limited to the Sonoran desert of Arizona and Mexico, with a few very isolated populations in the rugged desert mountains of extreme southeastern California.  But we're not talking about the famous Saguaros today, since there are many other fascinating and beautiful species of cacti out there!  Today, I'd like to introduce you to a lesser-known member of the Cactaceae family, a small cactus known as the Many-headed Barrel Cactus ( Echinocactus polycephalus ). Species account from The Jepson Manual, Vascular Plants of California Other common names for this cactus include Cotton-top and Mojave Mound.  I like the name "Many-headed Barr

The desert southwest is a captivating place, and Death Valley is certainly no exception!  The largest National Park in the lower 48 states, Death Valley is well-known for being a land of extremes: hottest, driest, lowest.  It is a land of dramatic scenery, hardy desert plants and animals, and an impressive geologic record. Uplifted and tilted layers of ancient lake sediments, alluvial fans and volcanic ash deposits  are found in the Furnace Creek formation, exposed at Zabriskie Point. Over the Presidents' Day weekend, I was able to spend several days exploring Death Valley with a geology field studies class from Modesto Junior College.  (Last September, I went on a similar trip to Northern California where I studied geology at  Mount Shasta , Lava Beds National Monument , and Lassen Volcanic National Park , as well as  botany on the Modoc Plateau .)  Never pass up a good learning experience! Water in Badwater Basin (a rare sight) While we were in Death Valley, an unu

The Phainopepla ( Phainopepla nitens ) is an intriguing bird.  It is a songbird of deserts and the arid southwest, and the first time I encountered one was last spring in Joshua Tree National Park.  But it turns out they can also be found closer to home (my home in the Central Valley, anyway!).  Last weekend, I spotted a female Phainopepla in an oak tree along the Stanislaus River, near the town of Knight's Ferry. The name Phainopepla is Greek and means "shining robe," in reference to the male's black, shiny plumage.  Females are a more subdued gray, but still have the crest and red-orange eyes characteristic of the species.  These birds are found throughout the southwestern part of the United States, and south into Mexico.  Their preferred habitat is desert, chaparral and riparian woodlands.  According to Cornell's All About Birds, Phainopeplas exhibit different breeding behavior in different territories.  In the desert, they are very territorial, but in wo

When considering places to explore in the off-season, never overlook the largest national park in the lower 48 states, Death Valley National Park!  Next week, I'll be heading down to spend a few days exploring the geology of Death Valley, and hopefully catching a few of the first spring wildflowers!  Last spring, Eric and I were able to visit Death Valley during the 2016 Super Bloom, making it the first stop on our week of desert camping. A spectacular view of the sunset from Texas Springs campground, looking southwest toward Telescope Peak Eric and I left home one morning last March with high hopes and no definite camping arrangements, aside from a list of campgrounds and a vague idea of where each was located on a map.  We made it to Death Valley a couple of hours before dark... during an enormous sandstorm.  If you've been to Death Valley, you might be familiar with the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.  As we drove past Stovepipe Wells looking for a campsite, the dunes wer

The following scene is a common cause of despair to many beginning birders: mixed shorebirds.  They are small and brown, far away and flighty.  Furthermore, they are all mixed together and most of them have their heads in the water.  Where is one even to begin? What are these?  There are four species here:  Greater Yellowlegs (in the back, blurry), Killdeer (with prominent black collar), Least Sandpipers (the smallest birds; one is at the edge of the water toward the right of the photo), and Long-billed Dowitchers (the other brown birds!) Initial despair can either bolster a birder's courage, causing him or her to rise to the challenge, or torment the beginning birder, allowing frustrations to give way to defeat.   Don't be defeated by shorebirds!  Rise to the challenge!  Shorebirds are a tricky group to identify, but not entirely impossible.  I've been studying them recently, and would like to offer a few of my beginner's tips (as I am still in the beginni

I can't imagine life without nature, life without hiking in the mountains, camping in the desert, swimming in lakes, exploring tide pools.  Because my parents taught me to appreciate the natural world from a young age, my life has been lived largely outdoors, exploring, learning, wondering.  They didn't just teach me how to hike and camp and swim; they taught me to be a naturalist. My parents are the best parents in the world.   Let me tell you why. On a road trip with my parents in Grand Teton National Park                 First, they named me after a glorious mountain range, the Range of Light, the Sierra Nevada.   They couldn't have picked a more suitable name.                 Second, they packed me with them all over those mountains in a "baby backpack" when I was still too small of a tot to hike.   I don't remember the first time I went camping and slept in a tent, because that event took place before my first memories were formed.     

It's February, and Great Horned Owls ( Bubo virginianus ) are already nesting in California; in fact, some owls in this area begin breeding as early as January.  These large, nocturnal predators are particularly active at this time of year, and I've seen quite a few Great Horned Owls while I've been out and about this winter, even during the day.  Look for these magnificent birds roosting during daylight hours in thick stands of trees, often near the trunk.       As the afternoon begins to fade to dusk, listen for the distinct and familiar series of mellow hoots that indicate a Great Horned Owl is near.  During the late fall and winter, you will likely hear a pair of owls calling to each other as courtship begins.  The pair may sing (or "hoot") simultaneously in a duet, or alternately, and often part of their songs will overlap.  The male's voice can be distinguished from the female's by its deeper tone, although he is the smaller partner in size.