So as noted the other day I have now returned from Bayan Mandahu for the second of three expeditions this year into the field (Henan being completed and Xinjiang still to come). This was a three week expedition to the deserts of Inner Mongolia and was largely a repeat of last year’s expedition with a few new sites, and of course some new fossils, thrown in.
As before this was a mixture of prospecting for new sites and localities as well as searching well known sites. Obviously being separated from most of your colleagues for most of the day it’s hard to know exactly what other people have found and how much of it and in what condition, but there are certainly a few mostly complete dinosaurs being hauled out, more eggs and some other associated material.
As with last year sadly I can neither tell you much of excitement or show you anything especially good as a) the really good fossils will be described sooner or later, and probably not be me, sop showing the photos is inappropriate, and b) most of them were excavated while largely still buried so we don’t know if they are great or merely good at the moment.
I can however provide some nice photos of the scenery as I do so here, and I have posts coming on making unusual jackets, the local wildlife (of which there was an absolute ton this year compared to 2008) and more info on general excavations as well as more things that look like bone but aren’t. In short, have some pretty photos and expect more archosaurs and general palaeo stuff soon.
Dave Hone's Archosaur Musings 
It looks like a fabulously beautiful place, with those wide horizons and those gorgeous skies. A treat for us town-dwellers who spend our time in cold dark museums!
The following snarky comment is not directed at you or, really, Scott Sampson, but this blog post just reminded me of something Scott said last year:
“We found a new ceratopsian! We can’t tell you anything about until the end of the year, though. So I’m not even sure why I’m talking about it right now. *evil laugh*”
I may have paraphrased. BTW, still no info on that Mexican ceratopsian. Lovely.
I know that feeling all too well even within my own institue. I know it’s frustrating to read, but if I *didn’t* mention it, I know I’d get at least a few comments asking what we found so thought I should short-circuit iot a bit in advance.