california's secret - the carrizo plain

"The Carrizo Plain was named a national monument in 2001 and today encompasses 250,000 acres of unfragmented habitat — making it the largest single native grassland remaining in California.

The diverse terrain of the Carrizo Plain — which includes mixed scrubland, mountains, desert scrub and annual grassland — supports myriad species of birds and other wildlife."




we arrived after dark, to the hooting of owls, yipping of coyotes and steadily dropping temperatures. i couldn't remember the last time i was this cold. at it's lowest, the thermometer read 22 degrees. we were excited to experience the carrizo in winter. this is as close as you can get to a safari in california's serengeti...





1.) soda lake 2.) first tiny wildflowers 3.) raptor nest in the tower
4.) side-blotched lizard 5.) mountain bluebirds and flycatchers.
6.) mountain bluebird 7.) mountain bluebird for sharon lovejoy

8.) walking safari 9.) soda lake overlook 10.) sparrow 11.) white crowned sparrow

12.) american avocets 13.) scanning with the binoculars

14.) ferruginous hawk 15.) ferruginous hawk 16.) ferruginous hawk in flight

17.) on safari 18.) carrizo's empty roads 19.) equipment check and cleanup

20.) historic barn at kcl campground (our campsite under the eucalyptus tree)

21.) inside the barn 22, 23, 24, 25.) knitting in our tent, drinking tea made by my lovely husband

26.) american kestrel & western meadowlark 27.) in flight together

28.) sunset on the plains 29.) first tidy tips

30.) abandoned fences are good for roosting birds 31.) tiny flowers

32.) carrizo means grass 33.) side-blotched lizard 34.) soda lake

35.) american avocets 36.) american avocet

37.) sunrise at kcl campground

38.) barbed wire left over from old ranching days 39.) beautiful carrizo roads and my husbands favorite knitted balaclavas 40.) painted rock 41.) the trail to painted rock, a sacred place belonging to native americans 42.) my favorite thing to see this weekend...can you spot it on the rock, near the words? it's a...

43 - 47.) it is a pair of barn owls!! i saw the one on the rock first. then chuck found the one on the nest. we left soon after they were both away from the nest, so as not to upset them. fantastic. this was a spectacular treat to see.

48.) tea and lots of lens changes (between cameras and chuck and i)

49.) this is not snow, it's salt 50.) soda lake 51.) soda lakes salty shore

52.) salt still life

53- 57.) heading home through the los padres forest, the ocean, although it's hard to see, is on the horizen. and this months issue of camping life magazine, with chuck's carrizo plain article in it. the photos show how different it is in the spring. i don't usually show his work here, except the timing of this i like, so here it is, well done honey!

58.) and last, do you see the cards in the rack? the visitors center bought some (and they want more). my cards! oh, and the very last , i have had my first order of green sleeves today, due friday to this shop in santa barbara. he said he'd like the green felted bowl too.

i have gratefully accepted chucks invitation to a celebration dinner tonight. i wish everyone of you could join us. thank you for coming along on our carrizo trip and for sharing our joy.

♥ lori