Thursday, October 8, 2015



                                       The rain came.

















PHOTO. The last good rainfall in Shoshone Village that amounted to anything was in late December of 2010. This was nowhere near that volume. In 2010 the dry lakebed between Tecopa and the highway to Baker, was filled with water, the Amargosa River breached the road below Tecopa post office, and the road from Shoshone to Pahrump was briefly impassable. Last weekend felt substantial, but like half of all that.
     It was beautiful to see waterfalls cascading down the normally dry rock mountains while driving through Chicago Valley.PHOTO

   In Shoshone, the dried sections  Amargosa River filled with fast moving muddy water. At the confluence of Shoshone Spring and the Amargosa River, the elevation drop made for high adventure in this normally tranquil spot. CLICK VIDEO.






Great birding has followed the rain.




As the land warms and dries, insects are hatching everywhere.  The birds have been lining up along the new Pupfish Creek Trail

to feed on them. This short lovely trail not  only  has excellent birding, but butterflies, damselflies, and dragonflies abound. If you park in the parking area next to the campground, then walk up the road between the school and the swimming pool, you’ll see the new pupfish pools, trail, and the creek which connects them.
The only time I've ever seen a Verdin flycatching!(repeatedly catching insects in mid-air and then returning to the starting perch to feed)
 There are Coyote Willows, Goodings Willows, Honey Mesquite, and Screwbean Mesquite. The bulrushes, and other creekside plants give insect eating birds and excellent habitat to eat, drink, bathe, and preen.

Come and see Shoshones' Pupfish Creek for yourself!


Len Warren
Staff Naturalist
Shoshone Village, CA 92384


760-852-4284

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