Sonoran Desert National Monument (near Shawmut)
Tuesday, 3 July 2018
3:45 am - 8:00 am
I decided to explore an area of Sonoran Desert National Monument that I had not visited before, the uninhabited region bounded in its four corners by Gila Bend, Buckeye, Phoenix, and Casa Grande. The only road cutting through this desert is Maricopa Rd. I parked on the north side of the road about 12 miles out from Gila Bend and hiked my way along a path, which I soon left for an off-trail adventure. The night was warm, and the night sky unpolluted and brilliant.
Ground vegetation was sparse, and thus I decided to explore the more elevated areas. There were many crevices, mini-caves, and openings in the boulders that seemed to advertise the presence of life forms. I was not disappointed and soon came across Desert Woodrat (Neotoma lepida), calling Common Poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii), unidentified spiders, and Arizona Bark Scorpion (Centruroides sculpturatus). As I kept ascending the eastern horizon became brighter, and I began to see that I was not far from reaching the summit of my hill. I pushed on, reaching the peak at around 3:50 in the early morning light. The hill was much higher than I thought and was, in fact, a mountain ridge stretching northward; from my vantage I could see Gila Bend and part of Buckeye, while to the south and east stretched flat desert interspersed with isolated ranges.
The vegetation on the hills was sparse. Fishhook barrel (Ferocactus wislizeni) and buckhorn cholla (Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa) were the dominant cactus species, followed by saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea), Englemann hedgehog (Echinocereus engelmanni), and Graham's fishhook (Mammillaria grahamii). The saguaro flowers were just beginning to open and were frequented by bees. I found an Arizona Woodrat (N. lepida) pair using a slumped barrel cactus as a nest site, and they would quickly depart the cactus whenever I approached. Birdlife was relatively plentiful in the early hours; I heard Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus) and Myiarchus sp. and saw Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (Polioptila melanura), Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni), Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis), Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis), groups of Cactus Wren (Campilorhynchus brunneicapillus), and at least three Gilded Flicker (Colaptes chrysoides). Warming temperatures led birds to give way to reptile activity, and I came across a number of Common Side-blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana). I must develop a better grasp of lizard identification, as I cannot say for certain whether these were not Ornate Tree or Long-tailed Brush Lizard. I also found two Harris' Antelope Ground Squirrel (Ammospermophilus harrisii), which are common in the area. Seeing all these life forms from the vantage point of a high ridge was quite the unique experience.
I followed the crest northward almost to its endpoint, descending down the western (shaded) side along a comparatively easy slope. The heat was nonetheless oppressive by the time I'd reached the flatlands. This area was heavily dominated by teddy-bear cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii), replaced by brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) on the slopes. Here I saw Western Whiptail (Apidoscelis tigris) and Zebra-tailed Lizard (Callisaurus draconoides). I also noticed Pepsis sp. and photographed a Cream Grasshopper (Cibolacris parviceps) that identically resembled the nearby granite stones.
This ridge, albeit not lush or rich in flora, turned out to yield a surprising amount of life forms even in the middle of summer. I hope to make this one of the many sites in the desert that I periodically return to.
