Color on the Tablelands

Wildflower season may have gotten off to a bit of a slow start, but the Volcanic Tablelands just north of Bishop are currently covered in color!

	Malacothrix glabrata desert dandelion
	Mentzelia nitens Venus blazing star
	Sphaeralcea ambigua apricot mallow and Chaenactis fremontii desert pincushion
	Lupinus sp. and Malacothrix glabrata

Signs of Spring

Visiting a project site near Manzanar, we came across nesting birds and wildflowers, definitely signs of spring!

	Sage Sparrow (Amphispiza belli) nest
	Linanthus parryae sand blossoms and Eriophyllum wallacei wooly easterbonnets
	Opuntia basilaris beavertail cactus

Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery

This past week I attended the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Implementation Team meeting in Sacramento. The team is composed of biologists, researchers, and land managers with responsibilities affecting recovery of the endangered species. I learned a lot and it was humbling to be in a room with so many experts in the field.

Recovery Plan for the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep (pdf)

Inspired by the meeting, I took a hike up into Pine Creek Canyon where I heard that bighorns had been seen at lower elevations. On the way back down from the mill, we spooked a group of nine Sierra Nevada bighorns: three rams, three ewes, and three young. After scrambling a ways up a cliff face, the sheep felt safe enough to allow us to watch them while they fed. It was an amazing encounter with this highly endangered species.