Plants and critters at Rock Hound State Park

On this blog entry I want to display some of the wild life and plants we enjoyed around our campsite.  When we first arrived there was a horned lizard right in the site into which we were pulling.  As a child growing up in Northern California, we always called them horn toad lizards, although they are not toads.  I did not have the camera handy and looked everywhere for one.

While trying to get a picture of a different species of quail, I spotted this horned lizard in the middle of an unoccupied campsite across from  ours.  I followed him to these rocks and continued to photograph it.

It was soon joined by a companion.

Yes, they are indeed companions.  I was thrilled to get this photo of them together.

Here is another very colorful lizard that walked across our campsite.  Notice the injury to his right hind leg.

I captured this picture of this little fellow on a foot bridge along one of the paths I hiked.

Cicadids were out in force while we were there.  Their sounds are loud and piercing.  While hiking one made a screeching sound right beside me, and flew up in front of me.  I was on the alert for the sound of rattle snakes, so I jumped back a couple of feet.

We did not see just reptiles and insects.  If you look closely, you can see the backside of this little cotton tail rabbit.  I tried several times to photograph a species of quail that I had not seen before.  Unfortunately for me, they were just too shy.

I did get this one picture of the quail, but it is not too clear.

Following are some of the plants that are around the park.  Some are labeled.

This is Occotillo, although the sign is out of focus.

I will conclude this blog post with a note that there is a lot to see and do at Rock Hound State Park.  I seem to have reached a limit to the number of photos I can upload to the blog.

Our next blog post will take you on a tour of Willow Beach Campground, Lake Mead Arizona.