The Great Pismo Lagoon

After our visit to Tuba City we drove across the Mohave Desert to Barstow.  It was 108 ˚F in the desert, but only in the high nineties in Barstow when we arrived there in the evening.  I doubt we'll experience triple digits again for awhile.

After Barstow we went to the Pismo Beach/Arroyo Grande area on the California coast.  Very nice, with temperatures in the 70s.

We went birding at the Pismo Beach State Park Lagoon.  It was quite windy that day, but we were sheltered from the wind at the lagoon.  Still, we could hear the roar of the ocean waves the whole time.  Here's what the lagoon looks like:

We had a good time here, and saw many "California" species, including the California Gull, California Towhee, and California Darner.  Here are a few more sights from the lagoon:

A young Pied-billed Grebe.

A male California Darner perched low in the grass.  Notice simple appendages, and lack of frontal stripes on thorax.

A male Blue-eyed Darner.

Bullfrog meditating on the lagoon's edge.

A young frog, still retaining its tail.