Who Lives in the Oasis

This green ribbon of an oasis, cutting through the barren desert, is a magnet for wildlife — it's shade and water and food in a hard land — so keep your eyes and ears open as you walk. Up on the high, rocky canyon walls above you lives one of the desert's most magnificent and endangered animals: the Peninsular bighorn sheep, tan and sure-footed, picking its way along ledges that look impossible. Scan the crags; you might just spot one, or a whole band, watching you from above.

And watch the palms themselves. Remember those shaggy petticoat skirts of dead fronds? Look and listen there, because they're full of life. A brilliant orange-and-black bird called the hooded oriole actually sews its hanging nest to the underside of the palm fronds, stitching it on with fibers — so this oasis is one of its favorite homes. And roosting up in those same skirts, unseen by day, is the western yellow bat, which loves the palms so much its whole range follows them. Down along the creek, listen for the clear cascading song of the canyon wren, watch for hummingbirds, and know that even the coyotes play a part — they eat the palm fruit and carry the seeds off to sprout new palms elsewhere. So this isn't just a stand of pretty trees; it's a whole busy desert community, all of it depending on this rare water. Move quietly, and let the oasis show you who's home. Walk on.