Field trip destinations around Yuma AZ

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rogeruzun
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Joined: January 31st, 2018, 8:53 pm

Field trip destinations around Yuma AZ

Post by rogeruzun »

It's getting the time of year I want to go out and try to photograph lizards, but it's so often really windy in the desert around Western Imperial County in Southern CA where I typically go (I live in the San Diego area).

Can anyone point me to a location where I might be able to photograph lizards between El Centro, CA and Yuma AZ? I generally do not go that far east and have no idea where to begin. Just any location where I could either drive the car in the morning/afternoon and look to spot lizards, or get out and hike looking for lizards to photograph in the AM or afternoon? Some hiking trail or road that offers good success. The parks and areas closer to Ocotillo, CA and Anza-Borrego have been so windy on days I have free time, and I notice El Centro and east look much calmer, but I have no idea where I would go in that area.

Maybe even as far as the stretch of highway 95 between Yuma and Quartzsite. I've been there before to photograph cactus and scenery, but I never noticed much reptile activity in the areas I was shooting.

-Roger Uzun
Jimi
Posts: 1955
Joined: December 3rd, 2010, 12:06 pm

Re: Field trip destinations around Yuma AZ

Post by Jimi »

https://www.avenzamaps.com/maps/417001/ ... es-rec-map

guys I work with really like this app (the pro, not free, version anyway)

anyway, back to your question - I think this stretch of road ought to provide a diversity of habitats, species, aspects, etc for your shutterbug needs, while being less consistently, obnoxiously windy than the eastern versant of the Peninsular Ranges ("hmm, why did they put all those windmills there???" ha ha ha)

good hunting, stay safe
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regalringneck
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 6:20 am

Re: Field trip destinations around Yuma AZ

Post by regalringneck »

... pyty the foro culture nowadaze is that folks dont share info, ( & rebuke those that do). Tiz also a turnoff to several of us, when folks (w/ few if any contributions) come asking for help, rarely (like never) do they think to "seed" the conversation w/ some pretty pix & info of the areas they are familiar with; ex YOU giving some good general info where someone might have a great herp experience in SD County.
& rarely do these seekers follow up w/ posting a trip report & perhaps a thankyou .. but yahtahey ... it tiz what it tiz ... & i realize your new here Roger, so this is not directed specifically (yet) to you.
But i'd like to see Scott get more hits on his site & it is primarily in that spirit i will grudgingly toss out a coupla jewels for your perusal, & likely suffer the wrath of some otherwise good buddies : }

I presume you are aware; herp collecting is (or was) prohibited in the Kofa and most other USFW refuges.

http://virgil.azwestern.edu/~sd1/2YC3%2 ... Trails.pdf

one of the finer denizens of the yuma desert ... buena suerte / rxr


Image


edit; holas jimi & thnx 4 your contribution, i love those dunes algodones = cotton en espanol : } I'd also like to see some posts ( + spex & rosy boas) from the cargo muchacho mtns, which are also good lizard haunts for the area under discussion.

nuff sed, gotta get ready 4 anudda gr8t spring trip out into the gran desiertoe myself ... hooah life is good : }
rogeruzun
Posts: 6
Joined: January 31st, 2018, 8:53 pm

Re: Field trip destinations around Yuma AZ

Post by rogeruzun »

Herp Collecting? I'm talking about photographing lizards on a day trip from San Diego. Apparently I broached some sort of unspoken etiquette here.

Do I need to post recent photos? Last lizard I saw around here that wasn't a side blotched or fence was a mearns back in January at Agua Caliente Park.
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craigb
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Re: Field trip destinations around Yuma AZ

Post by craigb »

Roger this forum has been here a long time.
Folks can't tell by a seemingly honest and sincere inquiry about where to get some good pics of interesting animals from a dirt bag commercial collector that takes all the animals they see.

Those are the extremes. In reality most folks are just hobbyists trying to find some new areas to see and photograph some cool animals.

In in this environment we have been fooled. So folks are a bit shy about sharing "their" spots. Think of us like old fisherman with our favorite "secret" fishing holes. Most folks here will try to engage you in conversation and ask a few probing questions to identify in their minds if you are a scumbag our just a fellow herper in search of knowledge.

It's not great but it is what we have...

Craig Barnes
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regalringneck
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 6:20 am

Re: Field trip destinations around Yuma AZ

Post by regalringneck »

... so do we surmise he never went ... or like so many ... left his civility offline &@ home ... jajaja ... & so we aw8te w/ unbaited breath ... the next frengly "request for info" : }

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s8nRL2bPCU
Jimi
Posts: 1955
Joined: December 3rd, 2010, 12:06 pm

Re: Field trip destinations around Yuma AZ

Post by Jimi »

Dunno 'bout that dude - maybe he got out, maybe he didn't. Not exactly near Yuma, but...I just spent some time w/ friends in the Cerbats & Hualapais. Got a little spanked. Tough herping! Ha ha ha. Best thing we saw was a fattie groundsnake. Herpwise anyway - it's a killer area for scenery & exciting habitat. I'll be back, maybe next April.

Here's what I'm saying about it - "We were humbled, but not humiliated; thankfully, we left just in time!" Ha ha ha...
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regalringneck
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Re: Field trip destinations around Yuma AZ

Post by regalringneck »

.. i hear you, its been a terrible spring here in the dry sonoran, i'm not sure i've seen squat despite many hikes n bike trips + nyte hikes ... a few DoR's on the hwy ...even my arroyo transects indicate near nada for tracks...tho i did find a fresh tortuga scat yesterday outside an excellent caliche cover site.
Even in my yard w/ supplemental h20 & alfalfa pellets (put out 4 the birds mind you ) .... very little rodent activity beyond packrats ...
I surmise iitoi is upset & needs 2 smyte us w/ the drought of the millenia ... : {
Odd'ly & perhaps not, unlike the last 5 years, the sauaros & ironwoods are blooming profusely ... perhaps they know what we cannot ?
Keep u'r vehicles clean & keep raindancing ... rxr ...


saguaros .. ;p
Jimi
Posts: 1955
Joined: December 3rd, 2010, 12:06 pm

Re: Field trip destinations around Yuma AZ

Post by Jimi »

the drought of the millenia ... : {
My notion is, we're already well into it - basically we're in about a 20-year drought already with a couple of good years. Which is probably what any really long drought looks like - gotta be a couple wet periods in there.

I think we're suffering both hydrological drought and also "hot drought" - the increase in potential & actual evapotranspiration rates resulting from increased air temps. Even "normal" amounts of precip would feel like a drought in warmer temps. It would take a lot more precip to make up for the increased temps - and we are low on precip. Double whammy, Sammy.

I think the Colorado Compact is gonna get renegotiated soon...it's getting medieval out there. This http://www.pnas.org/content/107/50/21283 is a decade old, but there's nothing incorrect about it today...I'm glad I don't own any real estate in the Lower Basin.
Drought conditions, especially in the cool season, have generally dominated over many parts of southwestern North America since at least 1999 (4, 61) (SI Text). Whereas in some parts of the Southwest, and by some measures, the recent drought has not (yet) been the most severe drought in the instrumental period (5, 61, 62), it is notable for warm temperatures (37, 61, 63) (Fig. 1).
I think about this when I wonder why I feel like herping AZ, NM, TX, SoCal today sucks relative to what I recall from the 80s and 90s. Lower survival and lower recruitment equals fewer animals and worse hunting...
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regalringneck
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Re: Field trip destinations around Yuma AZ

Post by regalringneck »

Indeed, like most in the bidness, i track the weather pretty closely, our last truly wet winter was 93, tho 96 wasnt too bad, & even more depressing, the last really wet summer in fony phoenix ( 5"+) was 80-frickn 4 (8") ; typical for 2scon. We;re going to look as bleak az yuma pretty soon ...

heres the look of the new paradigm of field herping ... you haf2 bring the goodies w/ you, & likely c/b ... but this one was'nt, ... and insure you go home w/ a decent shot or 3 ... im surprised i didnt lose her down a friggn hole or into a big crack !

Image


edit; i too remember occasional 10-15+ snake nytes too ... i used to keep detailed notes in my pre-computer daze ... tossed em all along w/ my college papers way back when ... pyty.
I distinctly recall many times having more than 1 critter in the headlights at the same time during the magic hour ... oh well ... i guess im lucky that it all interests me & the archeology / geology & flora tend to cooperate most of the time ... : }
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