Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center

A very large singing dune quite a bit further up north from Anza-Borrego Desert in Northern Nevada. This dune hums and vibrates with fascinating sounds when the conditions are right. Sand Mountain is 180 meter tall (600 feet) (Video: Sicco Rood). www.youtube.com/watch?v=40Qs... (HD longer version).

A coyote in the Borrego Valley looks left.

A coyote in the Borrego Valley (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Sand ripples around a chunk of a caved in flood channel this morning east of Borrego Springs.

Sand shifting in ripples around a chunk of caved in flood channel this morning east of Borrego Springs (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Monsoon humidity has come into Anza-Borrego Desert this morning creating a more hazy sunrise (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Current temperature this afternoon just under 115F or 46C.

Sunrise yesterday morning in the desert showing some clouds.

Sunrise yesterday morning with a few clouds (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Crepuscular rays radiating from a large cloud formation near the Reserve Tuesday morning.

More crepuscular rays near the Reserve Tuesday morning (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Black-tailed jackrabbit ears showing veins dilating (vasodilation) to release excess heat.

Black-tailed jackrabbit ears showing veins dilating (vasodilation) to release excess heat.

Black-tailed jackrabbit with eyes half open due to flies.

Several black-tailed jackrabbits in the shade of mesquite trees at Clark Dry Lake this morning (Photos: Sicco Rood).

Yeah, we just got a broken AC system fixed at the Reserve before a big group comes, so yeah!

Sunrise through the clouds east this morning. A cholla cactus in the front.

Sunrise through the clouds east this morning (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Fledgling great horned owl on roof after it flew from the cage.

Fledgling great horned owl out of the cage.

Fledgling great horned owl out of the cage.

Jennifer Peterson helping a great horned owl out of the cage.

These two baby brother great horned owls were rehabilitated & taught to hunt on their own at Bear Paw Ranch Wildlife Rehabilitation center. Yesterday evening, they were released back here in Borrego Springs where they had prematurely fallen out of a palm tree nest (Sicco Rood).

A cholla lit up by the golden sunrise light in front of a boulder.

A cholla lit up by the sunrise in front of a boulder near the Reserve Wednesday (Photo: Sicco Rood).

A roadrunner looking up towards camera.

A roadrunner looking sideways left.

A roadrunner looking for food near the Reserve yesterday (Photo: Sicco Rood).

A coyote looks over to the camera on an old dune surrounded by cacti and creosote bushes at sunrise.

A coyote looks over to the camera on an old dune surrounded at sunrise (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Cool, yes, same ram. He walked up to a rock and hung out there for a while creating a backlit scene.

Bighorn ram looking at camera.

Bighorn ram looking at camera while laying on rock.

Bighorn ram looking left.

Younger bighorn ram standing on rocks looking at camera.

(2) These four bighorn rams were lounging around and drank from the now receding stream (Photos: Sicco Rood).

A bighorn ram drinks water from one of the ponds of the Borrego Palm Canyon Creek.

A bighorn ram stands on rock looking left.

A bighorn ram drinks water from one of the ponds of the Borrego Palm Canyon Creek.

A bighorn ram looks up towards the viewer after drinking from the Borrego Palm Canyon creek.

While the temperature climbed up to around 110F (43C) today, the early mornings are still pleasant in the canyon. Especially at the palm groves. These four bighorn rams were lounging around and drank from the now receding stream (1).

A desert pupfish at Borrego Palm Canyon this morning (Photo: Sicco Rood).

The full "Strawberry Moon" rises behind on old dune with an ocotillo.

The full "Strawberry Moon" rise behind on old dune with an ocotillo. In Borrego Springs yesterday evening (Photo: Sicco Rood).

View of one of the stone shade ramadas at Borrego Palm Canyon Campground last week. A dark cloud formation overhead.

View from one of the shade ramadas at Borrego Palm Canyon Campground last week (Photo: Sicco Rood).

This shows the impact craters from various size raindrops on freshly formed mud after the flash flooding had receded.

A few more pics from the Fish Creek area yesterday morning while it was still cloudy. This shows the impact craters from various size raindrops on freshly formed mud after the flash flooding had receded (Photos: Sicco Rood). (2)

Fish Creek this morning after it had flooded, but was still wet.

Looking east towards the sunrise, which was now peaking through the clouds. Ocotillos in front.

Looking east towards the sunrise. Ocotillos in front.

Looking east towards the Chocolate Mountains.

A few more pics from the Fish Creek area this morning while it was still cloudy (Photos: Sicco Rood). (1)

Fish Creek flash flooded from a thunderstorm yesterday evening. As seen moments ago (video: Sicco Rood).

Coyote looks left

Coyote looks up and a bit of a funny stance

Coyote looks right

Coyote looks up

Wild coyotes in Borrego don't hesitate to walk right into anyone's yard. They feel totally at home out here, because they are not hunted in this area (Photos: Sicco Rood).

It sure looked like we might get a nearby thunderstorm yesterday evening, but it never materialized. We did get a few sprinkles Saturday and some yesterday. A haboob drifted into the valley from the east (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Overcast in the Borrego Badlands with an ocotillo in the foreground.

Mostly overcast in the Borrego Badlands this morning (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Sorry, can't say, as that could create complications since it is not native to the park.

Yes, one had a collar. After documenting it into iNaturalist, the new wildlife biologist contacted me for the coordinates. He will be retrieving the GPS collar to get the data.

USGS map shows location of earthquake in relation to the Reserve.

We felt and heard this small earthquake just a few minutes ago at the Reserve. It was a M3.2 at a depth of 2.4 miles and about 6 miles south of the Reserve.

Yeah, mostly cultivated out here. In California, they are known to be found naturally in a small, isolated area in the southeastern corner along the Arizona border. This one is a fluke it appears. Possibly planted a long time ago in the right spot where it could thrive on it's own.