Blue skies and White-winged Doves in Borrego Springs

White-winged Dove. Borrego Springs, California. May 25, 2019. Blue skies!

It's been a wet spring. It's not unusual, of course, for San Diego to start the morning out with a marine layer that burns off by mid-morning. But we've had 6 months, now, of dreary, cool, drizzly, often unforecasted rainy weather. Everyone consoles themselves by saying "we need the rain." [I know, I know. I'm complaining about winter weather that often breaks 70 degrees by noon. But I need my sun!]

Even today, June 2nd, the skies are gray. "June gloom." There's a 25 % chance of precipitation in the forecast, with a high of 73F predicted. This morning the streets are wet and water drips off the plants and eaves. There's a slight mist in the air; I'm sure it's not even "measurable precipitation." But I didn't wake to my preferred sunny skies. Yes, I'm spoiled. I prefer 80, or more.

Last weekend Marlene and I got sick of it and headed over the mountains to enjoy the desert for the third time this year (4th for me). It wasn't as warm as predicted, just the low to mid-70's, but the skies were sunny. We rented our favorite inexpensive, no-frills, motel, and spent a relaxing 3-day weekend in the sun, while it poured at home on the west side of the mountains. Now, remember, the average high temperature in Borrego Springs this time of year is in the mid to high 90s, and we normally wouldn't visit again until it cooled in the fall. But that's the weather the past 6 months.

The last week of May is the tail end of spring migration and I was able to see some late migrants and take many photos of White-winged Doves, ostensibly the real reason for this post.

Some photos at the Roadrunner Club on May 25:

I found some doves in the mesquite on May 26. They weren't wary like most of the "wild" doves out in the desert (as apposed to the residential doves, above). They lack colorful eye skin and markings and may be young birds.