High Desert Spring

Spring is in full swing here in the high desert. In the midst of the dry land, beautiful blooms have appeared to put on their very short but gorgeous yearly burst of color.

And the special creatures that inhabit this area are also coming out of hibernation and enjoying the warm days basking in the sun.

The nightly serenade we have been hearing that I thought was toads is actually mostly provided by the tiny Pacific chorus frog. They are just one to two inches in size but have a mighty voice this time of year. They have been clustered down the hill at a pond, calling to mate. But last night I noticed that they are starting to disperse out into the desert again. I found one in the garage this morning. They are very good climbers and like to hide until night when they head out to hunt. We also have a very large toad that has been showing up every year, spending his days in a drain pipe and his nights under the porch light waiting to snap up errant bugs. In fact, we went out last night to put some scraps in the compost bin and almost stepped on him. We haven't seen him since last fall and are very glad that he is back again.