Plains and Badlands: Carrizo Plain National Monument

friday, april 9, adam, sergio, kurt and i loaded up the suv and and began the five hour drive to carrizo plain national monument--a narrow, undulating plain, west of Bakersfield. wildlife viewing and wildflower displays and the areas cultural and geological attractions make this a popular springtime destination. measuring about about 10 miles wide and 45 miles long. elevations range from about 1900 feet in the soda lake basin to about 2500 in the elkhorn hills. the plain is framed by the temblor range which maxes out at 4,332 feet, and to the west by caliente mountain at 5,106 feet.

Birds Sighted (4/9-4/11)
Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens)
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Common Raven (Corvus corax)
Plain Titmouse (Parus inomatus)
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Parus rufescens)
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
European Starling (Stumus vulgaris)
California Towhee (Pipilo fuscus)
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psalitria)
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
Great Horned Owl (Bubo viginianus)
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)
Cliff Swallow (Hirundo pyrrhonota)
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
White-tailed Kite (Elanus caeruleus)
Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
California Quail (Callipepla californica)

Wildflowers Sighted (4/9-4/11)
Tidy tips (Layia platyglossa)
Broad-leaf filaree (Erodium botrys)
Freckled milkvetch (Astragalus lentiginosus)
Larkspur (Delphinium recurvatum)
Graceful Owl's Clover (Castilleja densiflora ssp. gracilis)
Common Monolopia (Monolopia lanceolata)
Munz's Tidy-tips (Layia munzii)
Hayfield Tarweed (Hemizonia congesta)
California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
Sky Lupine (Lupinus nanus)
Miniature Lupine (Lupinus bicolor)
Lacy Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia)
Thistle Sage (Salvia carduacea)