Post Summer 2012 Sonoran Desert Monsoon Season Photos

The high humidity and rain from monsoon season seems to be gone from the Sonoran Desert this year.  There is always a chance that it can come back, but as far as monsoon seasons go, this year was a good one.  The vast majority of the Sonoran Desert received more than the normal amount of rain and cooler than normal temperatures over a two and a half month period.  This had a great effect on greening the desert, wildflower blooms, an explosion in bugs, and increased wildlife activity and reproductive success.  Below I have shared a number of photos I took on a recent hiking trip the day after the last rainstorm we received. 

A leafed out ocotillo. 

Not sure what this catapillar is but I found thousands of these along the trail.

Butterflies are quite abundant now as a result of the rains.

Viguiera

A green desert grassland of Tobosa located near the top of the White Tank Mountains.

Trailing four o'clock