Borrego Sun - Since 1949

The Anza-Borrego Foundation is playing a unique checkers game where every move hopefully eliminates a square on the checkerboard. The organization's checkerboard is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the jewel of California's state... — Updated 9/21/2021

He's a handsome critter with a funny name, but one of the more distinctive birds that call Anza-Borrego home. I'm talking about the phainopepla, a resident bird easily identified by a distinctive crest and bright red eyes. Males... — Updated 9/21/2021

Visitors and residents alike were treated to a spectacular sky show recently when tropical storms from Mexico brought an intense display of lightning to the night sky of Borrego Springs. As one of nature's most dramatic events,... — Updated 9/7/2021

You don't see a lot of birds in the summer heat of Anza-Borrego, but one of the more common spring and summer species is the white-winged dove. On a recent afternoon walk around the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park visitor center,... — Updated 8/25/2021

Visitors and residents of Borrego Springs will not have to travel far in early August to enjoy a spectacular celestial show as the annual Perseid Meteor Shower appears in the midnight sky. The Perseids, so named because they seem... — Updated 8/11/2021

You always knew "there's gonna be a gunfight" when a tumbleweed rolled down the dusty main street of Tombstone, Dodge City, or Deadwood. That thought crossed my mind as I turned onto S-22 and what seemed like a giant bowling ball... — Updated 8/4/2021

The heat was oppressive as I headed into the house, but movement in the garden caught my eye. I stopped and watched as a beautiful California kingsnake slowly emerged, moving toward our garden fountain. To my surprise, it lifted... — Updated 7/26/2021

Many Borrego residents leave the heat of the desert in the hottest months, but for those who don't there are still nearby places to enjoy the great outdoors and bask in far more comfortable temperatures. A group of locals did just... — Updated 7/16/2021

Any day now, summer skies in Borrego will fill with billowing thunderheads as monsoon storms push up from the Gulf of California. It's a dramatic change for the blank, blue sky of summer. The rolling thunder, nighttime light shows,... — Updated 7/13/2021

You don't have to spend much time wandering around the desert to know that it has become a dumping ground for mylar balloons dropping from the sky. It's one of those things that everyone knows is a problem, but until now, no one... — Updated 7/13/2021

There's a remote desert wash named for this tree, a couple of them provide shade at the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center, and there's even plans for a local festival featuring this tree. We are talking about the blue... — Updated 6/29/2021

Borrego is moving into that time of the year when fewer tourists are spotted wandering about. But there is one character more frequently seen as seasonal temperatures climb into triple digits. That character is the common... — Updated 6/11/2021

When you think of buckwheat, pancakes might be something that comes to mind for most people. But California buckwheat is a common local shrub that was more important to Native Americans for its medicinal qualities rather than as a... — Updated 6/2/2021

As life continues to emerge from the cloud of COVID-19, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park has announced that a full summer bighorn sheep count will return this year. Last year's count was abbreviated because of COVID, with fewer... — Updated 6/2/2021

After a five-year effort by a coalition of amateur astronomers, local merchants, environmentalists, neighboring communities and the County of San Diego, Julian has been certified as an International Dark Sky Community. Leaders of... — Updated 5/27/2021

San Diego Humane Society is closely monitoring a highly contagious and deadly disease in wild and domestic rabbits called Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Type 2. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture in April,... — Updated 5/24/2021

They are energetic, colorful and add excitement to any garden when they arrive each spring. It's hard to miss the arrival of hooded orioles when these neon-yellow and jet-black birds show up after migrating from their winter homes... — Updated 5/19/2021

Let's call him the Batman of Borrego. While Don Endicott is not a caped crusader, he is a self-taught naturalist who is fiercely dedicated to studying and protecting nature and wildlife. You could also call him the bighorn census t... — Updated 5/6/2021

Most visitors who first look out upon the Carrizo Badlands often describe the area as a wasteland. In reality this area south of Fish Creek is a rich earth laboratory of marine fossils, petrified wood and fascinating geological... — Updated 4/29/2021

The many wonders that attract both residents and visitors to the wilds of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park are on full display. You may just have to look a bit harder to find them. Spring is a big time in the desert. Temperatures... — Updated 4/23/2021

Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not there. It's an old lesson, but as night viewing wildlife cameras become more popular, it's something we are reminded of often. I have met few people who have ever seen a... — Updated 4/16/2021

Borrego Hawkwatch 2021 may be heading for a near record number of migrating Swainson's Hawks passing through here, and no one predicted it. The annual citizen-science project launched its 19th season on Feb. 21 amid predictions... — Updated 4/7/2021