"B" is for bighorn, my entry for ABC Wednesday this week. This one was at the Living Desert Reserve, at the bottom of Deep Canyon. She was out eating her morning alfalfa. If you enlarge it, you can see alfalfa dangling from her mouth! She looked right at me, then turned her BUTT to me and went up into the rocks for more alfalfa. I didn't see any other ones there, and they usually have a herd of them, so I don't know where they were. I'm glad I had the opportunity to see this one up close. I saw a couple of them grazing by the road a few weeks ago, but they weren't very close and I didn't get good photos of them. I've only seen them on Highway 74 twice and both times were within a year. They do, however, come down from the mountains to munch on plants and shrubs on nearly developments and golf courses! ABC Wednesday for January 26, 2011.
...sigh...no, these photos were taken at the Living Desert Reserve in Palm Desert, at the end of Deep Canyon. They have a captive herd of bighorn there and this young female was out eating her alfalfa one morning when we were there. The keeper had just put alfalfa out at various spots up on their hill. I didn't see the rest of the herd, so I'm not sure where they were! I drove up Highway 74 yesterday and stopped at the Paradise Corner Cafe for some breakfast. I was eating at the counter when a gal stopped in and sat down next to me. Turns out, she was from Missouri and had just driven up about 10 minutes behind me, on 74. SHE saw a bighorn sheep. It crossed the road right in front of her and then started grazing right off the road! ACK! I'm so envious! I did spot two of them grazing off the road last fall and I stopped to take photos of them while cars zipped around me and never even slowed down! They are very difficult to see among the rocks unless you look for the white on their rumps! So, she was indeed lucky! Maybe I'll see one this morning? SOOC Sunday for January 29, 2011. To visit SOOC, please stop by: http://www.murrieta365.com/
