A little late in the day for butterflying but some may still be out.
It's a great start when I find a Desert Checkerspot nectaring on the landscape flowers surrounding the parking lot. (This is a subspecies of the Sagebrush Checkerspot.)
Perhaps that's a good omen for seeing that Desert Orangetip.
I start up the trail.
I was here last year looking but I really didn't know where to look (and I was a couple of weeks early). At least this year I have the GPS coordinates of where someone has historically found them - fingers crossed.
Unfortunately, no Orangetips today.
But I see more lizards
and more red-budded cactus.
And the views were good.
Well, I'll be back tomorrow closer to mid-day so that would be my optimal chance if they are flying this year.
Time to call it a day - a very good day it is!
