Cactus Wren at Red Rock Canyon State Park

We were on our way to Death Valley last week in the middle of the Bombogenesis storm, and indeed the constantly falling rain caused us to get creative in our selection of stopping places. Even though it was closed for the season, the visitor center at Red Rock Canyon State Park had a narrow porch where we could talk without getting rained on, so we gathered there to catch up on our notes. As I finished up, a pair of unfamiliar birds landed on the Joshua Tree next to where we were talking. It was a Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus), a bird I've seen only a handful of times, since I live north of their normal range. The last time I got pictures was during our southwest trip a few years back. These were a lot closer and sharper.

The Cactus Wren is a denizen of the southwest deserts and Mexico. It is well-adapted to dry conditions, rarely needing to drink water, since it gets the moisture it needs from its diet of insects and fruits. It is not considered endangered, but its numbers declined by around 55% in the last fifty years.

Cactus Wren at Hole in the Wall, Mojave National Preserve

I was exploring Banshee Canyon at Hole in the Wall in the Mojave National Preserve when I spotted another bird species of the desert, a Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus). The pictures aren't as sharp as I had hoped, but it was a great distance, and skies were overcast. Still, it was nice to see some new species as we started our exploration of the Colorado Plateau.

Oh, you think a picture of a Cactus Wren should have a cactus in it? Okay, the bird cooperated for a moment while it foraged on the desert floor...

The strange looking rocks are boulders of rhyolite tuff, a rock formed in huge explosive volcanic eruptions, like St. Helens, but hundreds of times larger. The eastern Mojave Desert is an excellent habitat for the wrens, as the slightly higher elevations there produce more vegetation and therefore more insects for the birds to track down. The bird doesn't need open water, deriving what it needs from the food it eats.