I’ve been struggling to finish up the next
installment of my retrospective on our trip to Washington
last month. (Not struggling because it is unenjoyable, but
because I can’t seem to decide which images to
share… I’m terrible like that when it comes to
making up my mind.) Meanwhile, ever since we returned
home, the lure to be outside for large portions of the day
grows stronger and stronger. Spring is in full swing and
the sight of deer peeking out of tall grasses and the
sounds of birds singing their best courtship arias are
hard things to resist. (Not to mention the bevy of awesome
insects that have arrived and promise a new discovery
nearly every day!!) I promised myself that I
wouldn’t share any of my recent pics until I’d
finished with the tales of our trip — BUT WHO AM I
KIDDING??? Some things just need to be shared…
especially with friends. I hope you enjoy and be sure to
click on the images for embiggened viewing!
The
Coast Range Newts (Taricha torosa torosa)
are one of my favorite annual phenomena. Though they
live in the area year-round, they are only easily
observable at the end of Winter and through Spring when
they leave their moist terrestrial hide-outs to
congregate in the seasonal creek and breed. As they are
extremely toxic, the adults have very few known
predators, but
CaliforniaHerps.com
states: “Southern California populations
have suffered population declines due to habitat loss
and alteration caused by human activity, and from
introduced predatory mosquitofish, crayfish, and
bullfrogs, which eat the non-poisonous larvae and eggs.
Breeding ponds have been destroyed for development, and
stream pools used for breeding have been destroyed by
sedimentation caused by wildfires.”
This has been a banner year for them thus far
and their numbers seem very healthy… which makes
me very happy!
Storksbill (Erodium), also known as filaree or
heron’s bill, is a non-native that grows rather
prolifically here in the canyon.
Its small flowers aren’t very showy, but as
with anything in nature, a closer look reveals all
kinds of intricate beauty.
I never tire of looking at (and photographing) clouds.
The sky on this day was doing some crazy things and I
was fascinated by the organic shapes being
created…
Does anyone else see a face on the right?
Yup! It’s gotten warm enough for the rattlesnakes
to be out basking again. This curled-up juvenile
Southern Pacific Rattlesnake
(Crotalus oreganus helleri)
was about the diameter of an English muffin when I
spotted it behind my house last week.
A few days earlier, I saw a curled-up full-grown
adult — closer to a medium-sized pizza in that case.
*grin*
The
Mule Deer
(Odocoileus hemionus) population this year seems to have grown. I have no
good way of knowing exactly how many might live in this
canyon, but I do keep track of how many I’ve seen
together at the same time. Last month, I trumped my high
count (by several!) when I saw a group of nineteen
foraging together.
I really, really, really, want to know what this deer
is saying… any guesses? *big grin*
As I mentioned, this is definitely a fantastic time of
year to be out if you enjoy studying arthropods! The
native
Convergent Ladybeetles
(Hippodamia convergens)
were some of the first insects to start gathering in the
lush grasses and new vegetation. [Whoops! I initially
mistyped that these were a non-native
species.]
As you can see, they are well on their way to
creating the next generation.
Earlier this week, I stood watching the sky long after
the sun had set. At first it was all dark blues and
purples, but then something shifted and I looked up and
saw this…
Can the sky really be that color, I thought? Yes, yes
it can…
OK, yes, I know this is a picture of a blurry
bird… but, I have a fondness for such things and I
especially like this one.
*** Super extra-credit bonus points to the
first person who can tell me which bird species this
is! ***
For those of you for whom Spring has arrived, may
you have the time to appreciate all the wonders it has to
offer. And for those who are still patiently awaiting an
end to cold and wet weather, may the anticipation make its
arrival all the sweeter.
