Monday, February 6, 2012

Coachella Valley Preserve

             Coachella Valley Preserve is a great place to spend a few hours walking among the only native palms in the western United States,Washingtonia filifera, that occur in 29 Palms and Coachella Valley. Here on Thousand Palm Rd (no I didn't count them) the preserve sits right on top of the San Andreas fault which pushes water up to the surface which in turn feeds the palms and other wildlife.
Not the best picture of a Gambel's Quail but I could not get them to sit still.

The beautiful natural palm skirts hide many of the desert creatures including mice, rats, owl and other birds of prey. Nearly all landscape palms have their skirts removed but these with skirts are great but highly flammable. 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I love those “Washingtonia Robustas” in full skirt (old leaves left on). They provide lots of habitat for the birds! I have many on the property, unfortunately the local fire dept. made us remove all old fronds last year on the pretense that they are a fire hazard. Dah….talk about over reaction! Too bad birds…!
Jack