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Anza Borrego Desert SP and Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR : December 19-21, 2025

December 19: Borrego Springs

I went on a 3-day photography workshop led by Paulette Donellon (https://paulettedonnellon.com). On the first afternoon we shot sunset landscapes and I did a little astrophotography in the hotel (Stanlunds) parking lot. Borrego Springs is an International Dark Sky Community and the hotel turns off their exterior lights at 9P.

A bristling cholla

Capturing sunbursts

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This dead ocotillo Paulette found was reminiscent of a squid or jellyfish

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A sunset charcuterie

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Orion

The Milky Way and Cassiopeia

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Orion's Belt and Nebula

December 20: Henderson and Coyote Canyon

We were out at dawn at Henderson Canyon, where rains the previous month brought a winter wildflower bloom.

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Dune Evening Primrose

Playing with focus - Near focus

Playing with focus - Far focus

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Desert Sunflower

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Brown-eyed Evening Primrose

Gray Sunflower

Datura discolor

Spanish Needle

Arizona Lupine

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White-Lined Sphinx at Sand Verbena

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Sphinx, likely impaled by a Loggerhead Shrike

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House Finch

Mourning Dove

Coyote Creek was flowing

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White-crowned Sparrow

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Coyote print

Costa's Hummingbird

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Honeybee at bladderpod

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Bladderpod

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A very purple Sand Verbena

Vermillion Flycatcher with a finch

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Bighorn frequent the slope near de Anza Club but we didn't see any

Anna's Hummingbird

December 20: Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR

In the afternoon, it was off to the Salton Sea for some birding.

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Say's Phoebe

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Burrowing Owl

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Peek-a-boo

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American Kestrel

Red-tailed Hawk

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Great Egret

Sandhill Cranes

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Brewer's Blackbirds

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Obsidian Butte

A kestrel with a Cooper's Hawk (?)

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December 21: Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR

Another sunrise start, this time to see the geese depart en masse.

Jupiter with moons (top to bottom) Callisto, Ganymede, Io

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Coyote

A flock of ibises

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Double-crested Cormorants

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Northern Harrier

Long-billed Dowitchers (?)

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Northern Shovelers

Cattle Egrets

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A mass departure

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Snow Goose

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The rest of the geese depart

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White-faced Ibis

Black-necked Stilt

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Least Sandpiper

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Willet

Killdeer

Greater Yellowlegs

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Snowy Egret

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Playing with depth of field - f/13

Playing with depth of field - f/4.5

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Playing with depth of field - f/4

Playing with depth of field - f/20


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Interesting looking water droplet

Honeybee swarm

An owl pellet