Salton Sea Part 1
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Salton Sea January 2015 Part 1
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Salton Sea State Park

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View from the shoreline of Salton Sea State Park. The halophytic shrubs in foreground are pickleweed (Salicornica pacifica = S. virginica).

The beach "sand" is composed of barnacles.

Union Pacific freight train.

At first I thought this was a species of honeypot ant (Myrmecocystus) nesting in the Salton Sea State Park pavement. Under higher magnification I saw the very obvious propodeal cone typical of Dorymyrmex. This is probably D. bicolor, although it appears a little larger than colonies of the latter species on Owens Peak and Palomar Mountain.

Salton Sea Beach

Common Egret: Although Salton Sea Beach is unsightly, there are beautiful water fowl.

Anza-Borrego Desert: Coyoye Creek

January 2015: Abundant desert wildflowers have sprouted in Coyote Creek at the end of Di Giorgio Road in Borrego Springs. Depending on the temperature & rainfall, there should be a good wildflower display in about a month. The prolific, introduced Sahara mustard that obscured the wildflowers in previous years did not germinate this year, apparently because of the prolonged drought.

  See Wayne's Word Article About Sahara Mustard