Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center

Yes, they smell great!

Flowering desert lily growing out of hard packed sand surrounded by rocks at sunset.

Another flowering desert lily at sunset Wednesday evening (Photo: Sicco Rood).

A roadrunner holds a stick in it's bill for nest building in one of the native California Fan Palms out front.

A roadrunner couple at the Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center has begun the work of nest building in one of the native California Fan Palms out front (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Flowering desert lily underneath yesterday's spectacular sunset lenticular clouds. The lily sits on bare compact soil with rocks.

Flowering desert lily underneath yesterday's sunset lenticular clouds (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Desert dandelion up close

Desert dandelion flower field in front of Toro Peak, with ocotillo on the right

Desert dandelion flower up close

A desert dandelion flower field bounced back from a full day of sun with snow-capped Toro Peak (8716 ft) in the background (Photos: Sicco Rood).

Borrego Palm Canyon at sunrise with palms in front and snow above 4000 feet.

Borrego Palm Canyon even more impressive with snow at higher elevations (2/19/26).

The Reserve and Research Center with snow-capped Toro Peak in the background this morning.

The Reserve with snow-capped Toro Peak in the background this morning (Photo: Sicco Rood).

A solitary dune evening primrose weathered these storms and winds, yet still "stands tall" in front of snow covered San Ysidro Mountain in the west this morning.

A solitary dune evening primrose weathered these storms and winds, yet still "stands tall" in front of snow covered San Ysidro Mountain in the west (Photo: Sicco Rood).

A rainbow "portal" made of dew and light this morning on the curvy road.

A rainbow "portal" made of dew and light this morning on the grade (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Snow on rocky mountains

Snow above Borrego Palm Canyon

Snow above church

partial rainbow and mountain snow

Snow on the mountains (above 4000-5000 feet) in the last couple of days (Photos: Sicco Rood).

A bright rainbow above a field of desert dandelions (closed up due mostly due to high wind/rain) this afternoon.

A bright rainbow above a field of desert dandelions this afternoon. Some areas around Anza-Borrego have already received almost 0.2" of rain today (Photo: Sicco Rood).

A coyote taking a whiff in front of a cactus

A coyote taking a whiff to "gather intelligence" near the Reserve earlier last week (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Arizona lupine in sand on a large sand dune, sun barely able to get through thick layer of clouds

Overcast sunrise this morning in the Borrego Badlands (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Flower fields have been spreading around Anza-Borrego. Purple verbena field under puffy skies.

Raven amidst Purple verbena field and brown-eyed primroses.

Purple verbena , dune primroses and brown-eyed primroses field under puffy skies.

Purple verbena field with two dry looking prairy sunflowers

Flower fields have been spreading around Anza-Borrego. After 38 days without precipitation and 80F+ weather, these plants will welcome the rain which we will hopefully get next week (Photos: Sicco Rood).

A big desert lily flowering in a sandy wash, puffy clouds overhead.

A big desert lily flowering in a wash. Borrego Badlands (2-6-26). Photo: Sicco Rood

Coyote amongst green desert mix of desert dandelion/phacelia flowers.

Coyote amongst desert dandelion/phacelia flowers Borrego Valley this morning (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Desert lily with one flower at sunrise in the mostly barren Borrego Badlands.

Desert lily sunrise in the Borrego Badlands (2/6/26).

Borrego sunrise with a few cirrus clouds along side date palm lane.

Borrego sunrise from the 18th of Jan (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Brown-eyed primroses in early sun

Desert lily flowering out of the sand

Desert lily flowering

Brown-eyed primroses and desert lilies are found plenty this year in the Borrego Badlands (Photos: Sicco Rood).

Lone dune evening primrose flowering on a large sand rippled dune in the Borrego Badlands.

Lone dune evening primrose flowering on a large dune in the Borrego Badlands (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Full moon coming up behind the Borrego Badlands this evening. Shows how green the flat areas are below the gullied badlands.

Full moon coming up behind the Borrego Badlands this evening (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Desert lily on more barren sandy wash edge in Borrego Badlands this morning. Desert verbena/brown-eyed primrose flower on hillside in background.

Desert lily on wash edge in Borrego Badlands this morning. Desert verbena/brown-eyed primrose flower on hillside in background (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Bighorn ram up close showing curl eyes, ears nose

Bighorn rams up close showing curl eyes, ears nose

Bighorn ram up close showing munching on greens

Bighorn ram up close showing eating and a weed stuck on the curl

From a group of 14 bighorn rams who were roaming around Borrego Palm Canon on 2026-01-18 (Photos: Sicco Rood). (3)

Bighorn ram up close showing curl eyes, ears, and teeth

Bighorn ram up close showing curl eyes, ears, and teeth and creosote

Bighorn ram up close showing curl eyes, ears nose

Bighorn ram up close showing curl eyes, ears.

From a group of 14 bighorn rams who were roaming around Borrego Palm Canon on 2026-01-18 (Photos: Sicco Rood). (2)

Bighorn ram up close showing curl eyes, ears, and teeth

From a group of 14 bighorn rams who were roaming around Borrego Palm Canon on 2026-01-18 (Photos: Sicco Rood).(1)

Flamboyant pink cloud stripes over the sky, two mexican fan palms in the foreground.

Flamboyant Borrego sky Wednesday evening (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Versatile fairy shrimp swimming

Versatile fairy shrimp swimming

mud imprints by shrimp settling in.

mud imprints by shrimp settling in.

Versatile fairy shrimp have gone back into dried mud at Clark Dry Lake. They are best known for producing incredibly hardy, drought-resistant eggs (cysts) that can survive for decades in dry mud, extreme temperatures (-310F to 210F), and even outer space (Photos: Sicco Rood).

Smoke tree lit up

"God Rays"

Hikers on spine of mountain

A few impressions from an Anza-Borrego Foundation Adventure Hike Saturday up Pyramid Peak. (5)

hiking through narrow canyon

last bit hiking on highway

Map shows location of Pyramid relative to Santa Rosa Mountains

Rock tank with water in it

A few impressions from an Anza-Borrego Foundation Adventure Hike Saturday up Pyramid Peak. (4)

Clark Dry Lake in the distance

Class 3 scramble up dry waterfall

Pyramid peak in distance with hikers coming down

hikers walking up canyon in early morning light

A few impressions from an Anza-Borrego Foundation Adventure Hike Saturday up Pyramid Peak. (3)