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Borrego Springs, CA

Thursday, March 3, 2011

2 Signs of spring…wildflowers and chiggers

57 MS Sandhill Crane NWR13

This afternoon, Emma and I took a hike down the Dee’s nature trail near the visitor’s center.  In just a week or so, the warmer temps have brought out the first wildflowers of spring.  Many of them are white in color, and most all are very small… less than 1/2” in size.

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One of the most colorful is this violet type flower.

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As we walked along the trail, there were still remnants of seed pods from last year, and still gal berries available from last year’s crop for birds to snack on.    The gal berry is one of three types of holly that grow in the wet pine savannah.  All of the hollies have berries that are toxic for humans, but the wildlife doesn’t seem to be effected adversely by them.

 

About a week ago, I made a really big mistake.  I guess I just wasn’t thinking.  I headed through the brush and grassy area in the savannah wearing shorts.  Since I’ve done that, my legs have been driving me crazy with chigger bites.  OMG!  The itching even wakes me up at night.  I’ve tried rubbing alcohol and hydrocortisone cream, but nothing seems to help.  I haven’t had to deal with chiggers in several years, so I just didn’t think about them.  Believe me, I won’t wear anything but long pants in the bush for the remainder of the time I am here!

 

This morning, I headed out with the biology interns and a local volunteer to help with a grassland bird survey (wearing long pants!). 

IMG_9431We went to two areas on the refuge to do the survey.  It involved marching through the savannah to identify and count birds that we flushed as we walked along.  I told the crew before we started that I wasn’t a very fast walker, and I’m glad I did.  I made it through a couple of the transect areas, but had to drop out since I just couldn’t keep up with them.  Sad smile  Two people carried long bamboo poles reaching out to their sides to tap through the savannah hoping to flush birds that are reluctant to fly up.  It was just too hard for me to walk through the hip high vegetation and uneven wet terrain at the speed that the young interns (with long legs) and the incredibly fit local volunteer maintained.  It was one of those moments when I came face to face with my own limitations.  While I’m glad I didn’t push myself too far, I felt sad that I didn’t have the endurance that I did 40 years ago.  Dang!  I guess the only saving grace is that next to no birds were flushed anyway.

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Back to the hike on the nature trail that Emma and I did, we came upon a  young long leaf pine with a huge pine cone at the top of it.  The young pines are called candlesticks, and it takes quite a few years before they grow large enough to have more than that one burst of needles at their top.  They certainly do not produce cones.

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As I looked skywards, I found where that huge pinecone had come from.  It just happened to land on top of the young candlestick as it fell from far above.  Smile

 

Thanks for stopping by…. talk to you later,  Judy

22 comments:

  1. A few years ago, we camped at a spot that had a very large population of Noseeums..not fun. Those little buggers bite right through denim and my legs were a mess. We couldn't get out of there fast enough!

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  2. I haven't had a chigger bite since I was a kid (boy, am I tempting fate by saying that), but I do get mosquito bites oncein a while if I neglected to use my Avon Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard. For the insect bite that itches and drives me crazy I use unseasoned meat tenderizer. Sprinkle some in the palm of your hand, then spit on your finger so you can easily pick up the tenderizer, and spread it over the bite. It works like a charm. You can use the seasoned if you have it on your shelf, although it probably has an orange tint so you will have little orange patches of tenderizer. It has always given me instant relief.

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  3. CHIGGERS! NO!! I am deathly allergic to their bites, so if I'm going out in areas that have those little buggers, I have to spray my feet, legs and their respective coverings. Last time I got reckless (I've only had 2 episodes) I had 40-50 bites that turned into half-lemons under the skin, and I ran 104°!! Since then, I've been very careful!

    You might try benedryl. It helped me. Good luck!

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  4. I guess I'll have to go to Google and look up Chiggers, because I've never heard of them!

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  5. I have no idea what a Chigger is either. But I might have once seen a Chigger aboard a Jigger because he looked bigger than what I could figure.

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  6. Great pics. Oh wow, haven't thought about chiggers in a long time. Remember being eaten alive by them as a child.
    B.W. and Carol
    http://bwcarolhappy-trails.blogspot.com/
    Creators of Free RV Tracker Program

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  7. sorry to hear about the 'chigger bites'..sounds nasty!..but you got some great floral pictures today!!!

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  8. Bugs are one thing I'm not looking forward to in my future as a full timer. I haven't had a mosquito bite in years. It's to dry here for them. Not that there aren't any in the area. Tiny flies bother us in the woods when we cut wood, and I've had a few spider bites. I've also had ticks bite me and once went to the doctor to have a tick removed from a very private below the belt area :~)

    No chiggers here either.

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  9. Are the bird surveys always that physically demanding? Hip-high vegetation and wet, soggy terrain would be very hard for anyone to deal with, let alone worrying about chigger bites. Seeing the wildflowers would have been nice, though.

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  10. Since Chiggers can live a long time under your skin you need to use nail polish to cover the hole. Use it every day on every bite until the itching stops. Sealing off the hole/tunnel will kill the chigger. From now on, never go out without spraying your shoes, socks and pant legs with a mosquito spray. Chiggers will climb up to your waist if you are not careful. Good luck.

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  11. Once again, ick. I am so not a bug person. Guess that's why you won't ever find me out wandering around through hip high grass and wet terrain. But I sure do enjoy the pictures you get while you are out there.

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  12. Permethrin. Treat your clothes with it before heading out. It kills chiggers shortly after they make contact with permethrin-treated clothing. Find it at any retail outdoor store.

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  13. Judy, it's not your age..your legs are just too short!..We have Chiggers here...Benedryl cream or the pills by mouth will help that itch..I got into fireants in Texas and almost lost my mind till I used the Benedryl..Loved the touch of Spring..nothing here yet..

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  14. Found many a chigger in my railroad hobby, Hope you can avoid them from now on. Great pictures again, haven't seen one of Emma lately is she calming down at all. Rigg's is doing a little better, just a little, until someone comes to the house and then he is back in super play mode. be safe out there. Sam & Donna..

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  15. Paint your chigger bites with clear nail polish, it kills the chigger and the itching stops.

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  16. I guess you were supporting nature by being a meal for all those chiggers! ;c)

    Wonderful pictures, what are the odds of that pine cone falling exactly ontop of that little shoot? :cO

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  17. I googled chigger bites and one suggestion was cool mint listerine, another vicks vapo rub, another hydrogen peroxide or old spice or olive oil. Good luck!

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  18. Oh no, not Chiggers! Nasty little biters!
    Have you tried pure Aloe Vera gel on the bites? Good for sun burn irritation and other itchies!

    I am glad to see the wildflowers are starting to pop out in the Savannah!

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  19. As a Girl Scout, I used the clear nail polish, but if there are a lot of them, you could end up shiny clear head to toe! The Benadryl pills will help but make you a bit sleepy. There is a Benadryl spray which also leaves a slight coating on the skin, plus a cream. I have also heard of the cool mint Listerine being effective, but never tried it. Again, it is your short legs that are the issue here, not your age. NOT your age! When the terriers go out with the greyhounds, they have trouble keeping up no matter their age. Ya?

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  20. OOO chiggers! who would have thought they would be out already. It makes me itch just thinking about them.

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  21. Beautiful pics -- as usual. I HATE chiggers & mosquitoes -- anything that bites. The itch will drive you nuts. Looks like you have received quite a few suggestions -- hope something works for you.

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