January update

January 2023

January was a somewhat cooler than normal, especially at night.

Several storm systems that moved along the coast line brought

a few rain drops to our area, no flooding, though.

The desert gets very little precipitation, located as it is on the 

east side, in the rain shade of the coastal mountains.

But the sky looked ominous at times with 

big black clouds drifting overhead.

Now and then we saw "sun dogs" a halo phenomenon 

made up by ice crystals in the clouds.

The precipitation the area had got in Sept/October 

and the sprinkles recently brought some

flowers to the desert. Mainly along the highways 

were the runoff accumulates 

the most of the rainwater.

Yellow Brittle Bush

Purple Desert Verbena

Yellow "Brown Eyes" Primroses

A small Ground Dove is not much bigger 

than a White-crowned Sparrow (front)

A pair of House Finches 

watching us walking by. 

A Black-tailed Gnatcatcher flitting 

through the twigs in search of insects.

We even saw the first Monarch Butterfly the other day, but 

I did not have my camera around to document the sighting.

Translation

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Der Januar war etwas kühler als normal. Schlechtwettersysteme, 

die an der Küste entlang zogen, 

brachten aber auch ein paar Regentropfen in die Wüste. 

Eiskristalle in den Wolken brechen das Licht der Sonne zu

"Sonnenhunde" oder Nebensonnen. 

Einige wenige Blume blühen nun, meistens entlang der Straße 

wo genug Wasser vom Asphalt abläuft. 

Gelbe Encelia farinosa, lila Verbena (Eisenkraut), 

und gelbe Brown-eyed Primroses (Chylismia claviformis)

Gegen Ende Januar, wenn die Tage deutlich langer wurden,

 begannen auch die Vögel wieder zu singen.

Photos in dieser Reihenfolge zeigen:

Sperlingstäubchen und Dachsammer,

Ein Paar Hausgimpel

und ein Kalifornien Mückenfänger.