A Pick-Up on the Way Home: A Birding Hike at the Big Morongo Preserve

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

Date: November 30, 2025

Place: Big Morongo Preserve, Yucca Valley, California

Coordinates: 34.050394, -116.570635

Length: 2.6 miles

Level: easy 

 

 I first visited the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve in 2012 during on a road trip I did with Pappa Qauil and the chikas. One year after I was there again with my friend when we looked for desert bloom. Pappa Quail remembered the place and wanted to incorporate it into the itinerary of our 2025 Thanksgiving break, and so we did. The morning of our travel back home we packed up early, checked out of the lodge and drove westward to the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. 

Twelve years is a long time and since my last visit at the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve a new toilet facility was installed there, as well as a nice kiosk with information, photos and brochures. 

 

A docent was sitting at a desk by the trailhead, and he was happy to answer our questions before we headed out on the trail. He told us that the education center was open and that there were birds there. I didn't even remember that there was an education center in that place. perhaps there was and it wasn't open at the time. 

Our hike as captured by my GPS

The preserve isn't very big but it has quite an extensive trail system. We decided to take the right trail that went by the education center. The trail started on a boardwalk that curved eastward along the edge of the thick vegetation area which marked where the creek was. South of the trail was an open flat covered with low brush. Little sparrows and towhees tweeted from the desert scrub but all we could see of them was some moving twigs. 

On the way I came upon a drying bush that had a very healthy looking mistletoe growing on it. The mistletoe was carrying berried which weren't fully ripe yet. 

Mesquite Mistletoe, Phoradendron californicum

We entered a more wooded area of mostly cottonwood trees. On top of one of the more distant trees was an American kestrel. 

American Kestrel

In the canopy of a closer cottonwood tree was a small group of western bluebirds. The bluebirds were out in the open enough to be photographed but they were quite high and wouldn't come down to the ground. 

Western Bluebirds

We arrived at the education center, where we found a small botanical garden and a number of bird feeders. 

There, at the bird feeders and below them, we found saw plenty of birds. Some of these birds were very familiar to us, such as the California scrub jay, which is a common species throughout most of California. 

California Scrub Jay

Also of a common species - house finches were enjoying the seed mixture plated for them on a hanging tray. 

House Finch

There were hummingbird feeders too - the red-bottomed containers of sugar-water with holes that fit the long and thin hummingbird beaks. Most of the hummingbirds there were Anna's hummingbirds, also a common species. 

Anna's Hummingbird, female

Although the Anna's humingbirds are fairly common and are the only species of hummingbird that stays year-round in Northern California, it was nice to see them up close and posing here. 

Anna's Hummingbird, male

At the hummingbird feeder we saw also a Costa's hummingbird - a species that we see in Northern California only in the summer. To see it in the winter we needed to be there at the Bog Morongo Canyon, in Southern California. 

Costa's Hummingbird, male (left), and Anna's Hummingbird, female (right)

A Nuttall's woodpecker appeared in the feeders area. Now, that was a bird species we don't get to see every day. 

Nuttall's Woodpecker

The chika and I went into the education center. The activities they had set up there were fitting young children, so we didn't stay inside very long. When we exited the building Pappa Quail called me over and pointed at the ground - a California thrasher was scanning the soil for seeds that fell off the feeder trays. 

California Thrasher 

There thrasher was out in the open but behind him, partially hidden by the low vegetation was a small group of Gambel's quail. Occasionally they ventured a bit into the open only to scurry quickly back into shelter each time someone walked nearby. 

Gambel's Quail

There were plenty of other hikers in the preserve that day, most of whom were birders as well, carrying long lens cameras and binoculars. Needless to say, they too visited the feeder station by the education center. 

Yellow-rumped Warbler

When we've had enough of the education center and no new birds showed up at the feeders we continued along the trail. 

The trail curved to the southwest and for a little bit we had a nice view of the snow-capped peaks of Mount San Gorgonio. 

Mount San Gorgonio

We were off the boardwalk now. The trail was dry and pretty dusty. Once again we were out in the open, enjoying the warming day under the direct sun. 

The beautiful golden canopies of the cottonwood trees were a present reminder that autumn was here now. California isn't known for its fall colors display but here and there the local autumn gold can represent very well our golden state. 

The trail curved again, to the southeast. East of us were the mountains. Nestled below the mountains was the thick riparian vegetation that lined the Big Morongo creek. 

The trail curved again to the east, delved into the vegetation, and crossed the creek on a small wooden bridge. 

When we came up from the creek we found ourselves on a narrow trail squeezed between the thick riparian vegetation on the west and the mountain slopes on the east. 

At the curve of that trail was a junction. The trail that would have taken us looping back to the parking area was blocked and the sign didn't provide an explanation. Our choices there were to go back on the same path or take the loop that went up the hill and down the canyon itself. Since we've only seen very little of the preserve up until then, we elected to go on he larger loop that went up the hill and down to the Big Morongo Canyon. 

The uphill part of the loop led us directly south, along the boundary fence of the preserve. We were out of the main creek line and the riparian vegetation that lined it. Near the trail was the usual high desert scrub, including some very healthy looking cholla cacti. 

Cane Cholla, Cylindropuntia bernardina

On one of my former visits to the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve we did make it up the hill all the way to the fence, but at that time that was where the trail ended and we had to backtrack downhill on the same path. Since then the trail was extended into a large loop, and when we reached all the way up to the crest of the hill we had a lovely view of the south-eastern ridge of mountains, and of the beautiful canyon below. 

We followed the trail down to the bottom of the canyon. The loop trail marked on the preserve's brochure map was following the creek downstream all the way back to the main area of the preserve. The canyon trail however, extended also south into the wilderness and I wondered how far and into which agency's land. I noted it to myself as something to explore sometime in the future. 

Canyon Trail

Still fascinated with the geology of the area I paid attention to some of the more colorful and interesting rocks that I saw along the way. 

At the bottom of the Big Morongo Canyon we rejoined the thick riparian vegetation, of which a very big component were the mesquite bushes. 

Parched at the top of the tallest branches of the tallest mesquite bushes were a few phainopepla birds, a species that is very common in the southern California desert areas, but a fairly uncommon sight in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I only saw them once.  

Phainopepla, male

 

Although we see more frequently the male phainopepla perched at the penthouse floor we do sometimes see also females occupy that top bush level. 

Phainopepla, female

East of the creek towered the mountain ridge - steep, rugged, and mostly naked of vegetation. What lay beyond that mountain ridge I could only guess. 

After photographing the phainopepla and dedicating some time to searching (unsuccessfully) for more birds we resumed our hike, following the marked loop trail back north along the creek. 

Canyon Trail

Pappa Quail was losing hope of seeing any other birds on the hike and he quickened his pace. The chika followed him, leaving me, still checking out the plants, at the rear. 

Creosote, Larrea tridentata

Naturally, most of the vegetation, definitely the greenest, was right by the creek bed. The slopes flanking the creek were arid and had more sparse and grayer vegetation/ Occasionally however, I did see a colorful plant, usually some sort of a cylindrical cactus. 

Most of the vegetation along the creek comprised of tall bushes. Here and there were also tall trees, of which the most common was the Fremont cottonwood tree. We were there at the right time to see these magnificent native trees turning colors before dropping their leaves for winter. 

Fremont's Cottonwood, Populus fremontii

 

The California fan palm wasn't as common on this part of the preserve but occasionally we did see one growing over the bushes. 

California Fan Palm, Washingtonia filifera

 

Our chika noticed a movement behind a large mesquite bush and called out, 'rabbit!' There were in fact, two rabbits there, and for a few long moments both Pappa Quail and me tried to get a good photo of the shy mammals. Eventually one of them braved stepping out a bit and Pappa Quail got him on his camera. 

Desert Cottontail Rabbit

Birding wasn't any better on this part of the trail. There were a few sparrows, usually white-crowned, as well as some dark-eyed juncos that were pecking at the trail's dirt and flew away as soon as we came near. They were too common and too hyperactive for Pappa Quail to bother photographing them. 

We reached the main part of the preserve. Since we couldn't loop back to the parking area by the closed trail we turned onto a connector path to get to the trail we came up on originally. The connector path was cut right through the chick vegetation, crowding us from both sides. 

I was surprised to find an old wreck lying there on the trail. I have no idea what was the story of this car and there wasn't any sign about it. 

We continued past the wreck and through tall walls of desert willow, a plant that was very useful to the local native Californians, and isn't related to true willows at all. 

Back on the trail we went out on, we turned north again to get back to the parking area. Ahead of us were the fall-colored canopies of the cottonwood mixed with the lovely stands of California fan palms. 

Pappa Quail wanted to stop again at the education center. As we approached the building I noticed the figure of a mountain lion on the roof, looking real enough to take its photo. 

At the bird feeders near the education center were all the usual suspects, but Pappa Quail had another opportunity to take their photos. 

Anna's Hummingbird

He did see another species of sparrow, one that we didn't see when we came by the education center earlier on the hike. It is otherwise, a pretty common species of sparrow.  

Song Sparrow

The chika and me didn't want to wait so we left Pappa Quail at the feeders and continued quickly back to the parking lot. 

I passed the time until Pappa Quail rejoined us to study the information sign at the preserve's parking area. I think it was the first time I realized that the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve was managed jointly by the Bureau of Land Managements and the Forest Service. 

The Big Morongo Canyon Preserve was the last place we visited and hiked at on our 2025 Thanksgiving vacation. I suppose that birding might have been better at a different place but neither of us was disappointed - we had a lovely trip, hiked new trails and saw many interesting things. By the time of writing this post, the young chika had completely recovered from her close encounter with the Joshua tree. 

Carnivorous Plants, Birding, and Rain, Packaged Together: Walking the Sundew Trail at Big Thicket National Preserve

Pink Sundew, Drosera capillaris

 

Date: May 2 2025

Place: Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas

Coordinates: 30.547828, -94.410177

Length: 1.5 miles

Level: easy

On the morning of May 2, the last full day we had of our trip to southeast Texas last spring, Pappa Quail and I set out to Big Thicket National Preserve for the third time. Ever since his first visit at the Big Thicket National Preserve two years ago (with the elder chika) Pappa Quail had insisted that I should see the place. The baldcedar bogs were one reason. The other was the carnivorous plants. The pitcher plants are large and have a unique shape, and we identified them easily on the first day of our trip when we walked the Carnivorous Plants Loop Trail with our Texan friends. Our original plan was to hike the Sundew Trail on April 29th after we'd hiked the Kirby Nature Loop but a wrong turn had sent us down a much longer hike than planned, at the end of which we had no time nor the energy to go on another walk, as short as it may be. So here we were, three days later, to finally hike the Sundew Trail.  

We were welcomed by a family of Carolina wrens at the doorstep of the trailhead's facilities structure. 

Carolina Wren

At the trailhead we met the resident green anole, like we've seen on many other hike trailheads on this trip. By now these pretty lizards were a familiar and welcomed sight. 

Green Anole

The Sundew Trail is composed of a very short, mostly boardwalk loop, and a longer one that goes deeper into the forest. We started on the short loop, going directly to where the carnivorous plants were. 

Our hike as captured by my GPS

Right at the beginning Pappa Quail saw a bird - an eastern wood pewee, which is a type of a flycatcher. The bird was eating a bug but after swallowing it stood erect and posed nicely to the camera.  

Eastern Wood Pewee

A boardwalk part of the trail usually indicates an area flooded or prone to flooding. It was quite muddy below the boardwalk, the remnants of recent rains. The cloud cover suggested that it might get flooded again before too long. 

Sundew Trail, shorter loop

Once again I was seeing the mud tubes all around the wet ground. At the time I didn't know what they were but now I know these are ventilation tubes for crayfish tunnels. 

Crayfish Chimney

We quickly came upon the patch of pitcher plants. There were many of them, very close together. I was admiring the lovely and very functional structure of these vegetable bug traps. 

Pale Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia alata

Right away I started looking for the sundew plants. Pappa Quail remembered the rangers  at the visitor center telling him that they were to be found near the end of the first boardwalk segment. He then saw a flower and pointed it out to me. It was a violet flower, of a species that was new to me. 

Southern Water Violet, Viola vittata

A wasp flew by and landed on the lip of one of the pitchers. I forgot my search for the sundew and focused my attention on the wasp - it was tasting the moisture from the plant. Little by little I saw the insect sliding more and more over the lip towards the deep well of digestion fluid. Each time however, it was able to pull back and not fall over the precipice. A stood there for a good ten minutes, waching the wasp getting more and more intoxicated. I wanted to witness the moment in which the wasp becomes the plant's breakfast. Pappa Quail however, lost his patience. He took a close up photo of the wasp for me, then he continued down the trail. I waited for a couple minutes more and then gave up and followed him. 

Pale Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia alata

When I caught up with Pappa Quail he was watching a white-eyed vireo hopping to and fro in the branches of a nearby tree. 

White-eyed Vireo

Now it was my time to wait patiently while Pappa Quail was taking photos of the bird. I used this time well though - I had found the sundew plants. They were very small but they looked lovely. I called Pappa Quail over and he took some close up photos of this tiny and delicate carnivorous plant. 

Pink Sundew, Drosera capillaris

For a brief moment the sun broke through the cloud cover and the morning brightened. It didn't last very long though, As we were making our way along the board walk the clouds closed in again and a few droplets started coming down. 

Sundew Trail, shorter loop

One wildflower that I've been seeing consistently in the Big Thicket National Preserve was the ladies' tresses orchid. The local species there is very slender and tall and I was glad to see some of them blooming also along the Sundew Trail. 

Grass-leaved Ladies' Tresses, Spiranthes praecox

I also paid attention to other wildflowers that were blooming along the trail. The zigzag bladderwort I was seeing many of, but they were very difficult to photograph. 

Zigzag Bladderwort, Utricularia subulata

For some of the other wildflowers I had to call Pappa Quail over to take a photo with his powerful birding lens. 

Wood-candle, Schoenolirion croceum

The boardwalk ended and we continued on a muddy and partially flooded trail. I was glad that I chose to wear my high hiking shoes rather than my sneakers. 

The local plants didn't mind at all having wet 'feet'. Here again I saw the arrowhead flowers that I've seen first at the Cattail Marsh on the first day of our trip. 

Nipplebract Arrowhead, Sagittaria papillosa

There were also wildflowers there that I've been seeing for the first time, however. The pale lobelia was one of them. It reminded me a lot of the downingia flowers that grow in flooded areas in California. When I check I found that the similarity was no mistake - they belong to the same family, and even the same subfamily. 

Pale Lobelia, Lobelia appendiculata

We returned quickly to the parking lot. The weather was nice now and the sun shone once again through the clouds. We decided to go on the larger loop and see what we could find there. We started once again on the boardwalk. 

Sundew Trail

Going on the boardwalk a second time gave me a chance to see wildflowers that I've missed before, when I was focused on finding the sundew plants. 

Fringed Sneezeweed, Helenium drummondii 

We didn't walk very far before the clouds closed in again and the air became wet with thin droplets. Pappa Quail looked at me but I claimed that a few drops are not rain and continued on. 

Those few drops were enough to wet everything. I loved the sheen it gave to the ferns and the green leaves of other plants. Of the ferns I loved seeing the new leaves, still wrapped in a tight ball before unfurling to maturity. 

The light drizzle eased up and w continued past the first boardwalk into the larger loop. There I found more sundew plants, this time with blossom. The sundew is a carnivorous plant. It hunts bugs with its sticky leaves. It also uses bugs for pollination though, and it wouldn't do any good for the pollinators to get caught in the plant's lethal leaves, so the sundew flowers bloom on top of a tall stalk, a good distance away from the sticky hairs o the ground floor. 

Pink Sundew, Drosera capillaris

We were about one third of the larger loop when the clouds burst and a real rain came pouring down. We didn't have our plastic ponchos with us. Concerned about our cameras Pappa Quail and crowded close to the trunk of a large pine tree, and we pulled our shirts over the cameras. 

Fire Lane

Pappa Quail wasn't happy. He wanted to go back to the car as soon as the rain eased up, which was about five minutes later. I was okay with him turning back but when Pappa Quail saw that I was fine completing the loop on my own he decided to stay on the trail. 

Rain ripples

 

We came upon another boardwalk. The boardwalk was very wet and very, very sleek. We had to be really careful to not slip and fall down. 

Little by little the rain eased up and then ceased altogether. Everything was wet and shiny and glistened in the sunshine that came down once more through a hole in the clouds. 

Turkeytail Fungus

As one might expect in a place that gets a lot of rain, there were plenty of mushrooms blooming there as well. 

East North America Destroying Angel mushroom

The clouds separated more and we enjoyed bright sunlight for a while. I was glad when we were off the slippery boardwalk and on an earth trail once more. 

Sundew Trail, longer loop

With the sunlight came out the birds. They weren't giving Pappa Quail and easy time photographing them though. 

Blue Jay

Between the glistening bushes I spotted many other wildflowers and I took the time to look at them and take photos. 

Catclaw Briar, Mimosa nuttallii

We passed another fire lane, and in the sky line that parted the canopies  I could see the mass of clouds moving away. I didn't know if that was the last of the rain for the day (it wasn't) but at least for a while the air was dry. 

Fire Lane

Now that the rain was gone, at least for the time being, we could enjoy the freshness of the air and the greenery around us, spotted by the colorful wildflowers. 

Maryland Milkwort, Senega mariana

There were plenty of birds around us - we could hear them. Seeing them was another matter, though. The birds were high in the canopies and hidden in the trees. 

Sundew Trail, longer loop

We did get to see some birds though, and some of them posed for a photograph as well. A pair of cardinals were not shy about showing themselves. The male was sporting off his colors. 

Northern Cardinal, male

 

The female cardinal was more drab, but she too wasn't shy of showing herself. Cardinals however, are very common east of the mountains and Pappa Quail quickly lost interest and moved on. 

Northern Cardinal, female

I was right at Pappa Quail's heels when I noticed a wildflower that I haven't seen before. I had to take a close look at the inflorescence to even identify the family - it didn't look like a typical member of the aster family, of which it was. 

Old Plainsman, Hymenopappus artemisiifolius

The helmet skullcap I was already familiar with, having seen it on numerous hikes already on this trip. I've seen its relatives in California before as well. 

Helmet Skullcap, Scutellaria integrifolia

One of the things I loved seeing in that forest is the beautiful contrast between the grayish evergreen pines and the bright green of the new spring leaves of the deciduous trees near them. 

As I was admiring the sight of the deciduous trees I noticed two of them that were growing very close to one another like a loving couple. In fact, they even looked like they were kissing mid way along their trunks. 

Pappa Quail spotted a rabbit and motioned me over to see it. The rabbit soon vanished in the vegetation but not before Pappa Quail got a nice photo of him. 

Swamp Rabbit

 Low brambles rubbed at my legs, and I was glad I was wearing long pants. I searched the vines for some time but couldn't see any ripe berries. It wasn't time there yet. 

Pennsylvania Blackberry, Rubus pensilvanicus

 

 A wild onion caught my attention. I haven't seen many onions on this trip. Orchids were more numerous, and certainly the carnivorous plants. 

Canadian Meadow Garlic, Allium canadense 

 

Another thing that I liked about this forest was the clear separation of the forest layers, especially the shoulder-high bushes from the towering canopies of the pines. There was very little in between. 

Sundew Trail, longer loop

The space between the pine canopies  and the bushes below made it easier to spot the forest birds. There were a few woodpeckers about - we could hear their knocks on the tree trunks. Eventually we saw them too. 

Red-bellied Woodpecker

We were nearing the end of the loop when we were finally seeing more and more birds. At the same time the clouds were closing on the sunshine again. 

Red-headed Woodpecker

A quick flash of red in the trees - a male summer tanager was sporting strutting his stuff in the lower branches of a nearby pine tree. 

Summer Tanager, male

The female was across the trail. She didn't seem all that impressed but she remained near. perhaps our presence there had something to do with her shyness. 

Summer Tanager, female

We finished the hike passing a squirrel that watched us from his safe place on the tree. It was a lovely little hike and we got to see many interesting things and also got rained on. As far as Pappa Quail was concerned, we checked off all of the 'must sees' on his Big Thicket list. 

Eastern Gray Squirrel

We decided to go on another short hike in the area. The trailhead was near a town park - the best place to have a lunch picnic. When we arrived at the park the clouds burst again and the rain was so hard that we decided to drop the hike plan. Instead we drove back to the Jocelyn Nungaray NWR for the third time on our trip, a visit that was a successful conclusion of our time in the Beaumont area.  

On the following day we spend some time birding in a small sanctuary in Houston before flying back to California. We had a very nice trip in southeast Texas last spring. Even without a fallout event we've seen many birds including many lifer species, and many other interesting places, plants and animals. I'd love to visit there again.