January 25

Wednesday, we hiked in the 30-acre, White Point Beach near San Pedro, California on the south end of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The mid afternoon weather was sunny with a temperature of 58 degrees and a steady breeze off the Pacific Ocean. While my wife and Remi remained near the car, I ventured down to the shore where the ebbing tide had exposed massive rock formations as well as created small pools for exploring marine life. Walking gingerly south in the intertidal zone, I spotted one of many Sunburst Anemones clinging to the rocks. These colorful creatures feed by firing harpoon-like filaments into their prey when they touch their tentacles, injecting a paralyzing neurotoxin and guiding them into their mouths. Continuing south, I couldn’t help but notice the parallel layers in the rock below my feet and be awestruck by realizing this was the eroded end of a sedimentary formation that had been laid down millions of years ago, been uplifted and folded by tremendous geological forces and now lay exposed on this beach. Also, I could see that lots of this rock surface was covered with reddish Coralline Algae. Just off shore, a pair of perching Gulls caught my eye. Continuing to explore this unique habitat, I spotted some coral-like masses made by Honeycomb Worms. This reef-forming polychaete has a head crowned by spines and numerous feathery tentacles that are used to trap plankton. Further along, I observed a few 1-inch, encrusted Abalone shells as well as many Kelp stems with their characteristic gas bladders clinging to rocks and floating in pools. Finally, I turned around, retraced my steps to the car and paused one more time to take in this scenic landscape before heading back to Redondo Beach.

Ocean recedes

Ebb the tide

Shallow pools

Creatures reside

Anemones

Tiny crabs

Clinging algae

Rocky slabs

Water returns

Tidal flow

Another cycle

Nature’s show

D. DeGraaf

January 17

Tuesday, Remi, my wife and I returned to the Palos Verdes Peninsula, south of Los Angles to hike in the 399-acre, Portuguese Bend Reserve. The early morning weather was sunny with a temperature of 52 degrees and still air. Leaving the car, we briefly followed a muddy trail north before it turned slightly west where I spotted a small poisonous Castor bean plant. Ascending a steep grade, I noticed a few small Australian Blackwood trees with their clusters of twisted, brown seedpods. Given the name, its not surprising that this tree is considered invasive. Reaching the top of a hill, I spotted a Pepper tree with its fern-like leaves. Approaching the tree, I could see a Wild Cucumber vine with its distinctive leaves and white blossoms clinging to its branches. This vine, also called California Manroot or “Old man in the ground” is native to this area. These names derive from the massive root-like tubers from which the vines emerge. A tuber dug up during construction at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden was several feet in diameter and weighed 467 pounds. Nearby in a grassy area, I spotted the yellow blossoms of Wild Mustard, another invasive species to this area. As the trail turned east, I paused to gaze afar south at the scenic Pacific coastline. On our descent, I stopped to observe a Honeybee feeding on the blossoms of Lemonade Berry. Also, I noticed the trail had a newly-formed 2-foot trench dug out from recent heavy rain runoff down the steep grade. Finally, we got back to the car and headed to our winter rental house.

Nature in winter

No vista of snow

Another climate

For me to know

No leafless forest

Ponds with ice

Shoreline strolls

Paradise

No white trail

Tracks of deer

Snakes that rattle

Lurking near

D. DeGraaf

January 10

Tuesday, Remi, my wife and I returned to the Palos Verdes Peninsula, south of Los Angles to hike the Bluff Cove trail. The early morning weather was overcast with a temperature of 54 degrees and a moderate breeze from the Pacific Ocean. Shortly after leaving the car, we followed a muddy trail north as it descended gradually along the bluff where I gazed down on the rocky shore and spotted some perching, adult Double-crested Cormorants along with a few lighter-colored juveniles. The population of this fish-eating species has grown rapidly in the past 20 years, invading the Great Lakes and consuming lots of their game fish. Also, I noticed a solitary California Gull on nearby rocks. Continuing our descent, I spotted the yellow blossoms of a Bladderpod Bush with its pungent smelling leaves. After flowering, this bush will produce bladder-like fruit resembling paper lanterns. As the path continued down toward Bluff Cove, I looked up at the eroded bluff wall that revealed a distinct interface between two different rock formations. Approaching sea level, I paused to look at and listen to waves crashing onto the rocky shore. Turning around, we began our ascent where I could barely make out a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk perched on a rock ledge high above us. Continuing our ascent, I took notice of a small-scale rockslide on the path facilitated by heavy winter rains. Next, we returned to the top of the bluff and paused to scan the scenic shoreline to the north. Finally, we returned to the car and headed back to Redondo Beach.

Filling the senses

More than enough

Shorebirds and surf

Sounds from the bluff

Rocks are resistant

Waves are rough

Battle wages

Scenes from the bluff

Land versus sea

Competition tough

Forces of nature

Thoughts from the bluff

D. DeGraaf

January 3

Tuesday, for our first “wandering” of the new year, Remi, my wife and I hiked on the Blufftop Trail in the Palos Verdes Shoreline Preserve, 30 miles southwest of Los Angeles, CA. The early morning weather was party cloudy with a temperature of 52 degrees and no wind. We left the parking lot and followed a muddy trail north on a steep bluff above the Pacific Ocean where seaward, I noticed a Lodgepole pine tree near the precipice while inland, a Raven stood in a grassy field, greened up by winter rains. Far below offshore, I watched a few Pelicans and Cormorants searching the water for food. After stopping to watch a well-camouflaged Western Gray Squirrel, I continued north where I was surprised to participate in a stare down with a magnificent, perching Red-tailed Hawk. Other than a few pine trees, most of the woody vegetation along the trail consisted of a hardy shrub called Lemonade Berry while most of the groundcover was Pennywort. Near the terminus, I paused to observe a perching Say's Phoebe. Turning around, I retraced my steps south where I took notice of the beige colored outcrop that turned out to be a sedimentary rock called Valmonte Diatomite. This rock is composed mainly of silicate skeletons of a very common type of marine plankton called diatoms which are tiny plants that float near the ocean surface. The Palos Verdes Peninsula is part of an extensive submarine terrace of the inner California Continental Borderland where Middle Miocene and younger strata rest uncomfortably on a tectonically disrupted basement of Mesozoic Catalina Schist. Finally, I paused once more to scan the western vista before finding the car and heading back to our winter rental in Redondo Beach.

Out over the ocean, and it’s waves it lay,
A magnificent orange sphere, as it drops to the sea,
With spears descending from within the fire,
The magnificent beauty of the sunset each day,
An immanent display, for the world to share,
As it seeps below horizons, to end the day,
Only to share light, so that others may see,
The beauty of the sunset for all who care,
Up above the clouds, that shadow the light,
The rain, the snow, and the elements that blind,
That magnificent glow, that Brightens our world,
Another sunset awaits, just to share its light. 

B.J. Ayers