27 April 2022
If you see what I gravitate toward photographically on IG (besides crafting), you know I like nature. Landscapes, scenery, water, critters, plants/trees. I had no hope of seeing any desert blooms on this trip to Big Bend National Park, but we were well rewarded with what we’d been told was the very very very end of the spring desert blooms; and this was not a particularly good year in any case as it had been too dry.
Nevertheless, having left snow and sleet in Ohio a few weeks ago, I was absolutely thrilled at the landscapes and flowers. Dan has learned to just give in and let me go take a picture. And in the meantime, I’ve learned to be very efficient.
I’ve wanted to visit Big Bend for many years and I took a TON of photos. I decided to divide them between two posts: Flora/Fauna at Big Bend, and Landscapes at Big Bend. Here you go with the first post from today. I didn’t expect any fauna shots since I wasn’t wanting to see a mountain lion or black bear, but stay tuned—we had a couple surprise animal encounters!
Flora At Big Bend National Park
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| Best guess: Santa Rita Prickly Pear cactus |
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| Creosote |
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| Green Sotol |
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| Tree Cholla Cactus |
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| Santa Rita Prickly Pear |
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| Honey Mesquite |
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| Yellow Bells |
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| Unknown…maybe in the sage family? I love how this color photo looks like BW! |
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| Possibly Purple Sage (?) |
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| Retema. The yellow blooms were nice contrast with the dark green trees around them. |
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| Closeup of Retema blossoms |
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| Green Sotol with bloom stalk |
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| Desert Marigold |
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| I was a bit obsessed with the Ocotillo stems—from the time we began seeing them along the highway on our way in from Austin. Most were past peak bloom but were did see a few with their distinctive red-orange flags still flying. |
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| Old Agave bloom stalk |
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| Pitaya Cactus blossom |
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| Prickly Pear Cactus |
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| Soaptree Yucca (Until I found out what this was, I just called it Chewbacca Cactus). |
And now, the fauna
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We were asked to move aside when the rangers were heading up the way we’d just come from in order to do some trail work. I felt most sorry for the guy in the back with the wheel barrow!
(I’m so glad I pre-medicated with ibuprofen before we headed out!) |
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| Heading up. |
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About half way up the side of the cliff, you can see one ranger and a couple of hikers.
Right below them, you can see the mules being led up the slope. |
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I got out of the truck to take photos of the Retema trees in bloom and found that the grazers were none too friendly….they moved out of the way. Glad they weren’t afraid of me or aggressive!
They were just out wandering around loose!
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Next up: the landscapes of Big Bend NP…stay tuned!
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