Jan 30

Monday, I hiked at the 30-acre, White Point Beach near San Pedro, California to explore the tide pools. The mid-afternoon weather was sunny with a temperature of 80 degrees and a light ocean breeze. Leaving the parking lot, I made my way down a steep, rocky berm and onto the beach where I observed a Willet Sandpiper feeding near shore. As I began to investigate the tide pools, I spotted several Sunburst Anemones with their blue-green tentacles. However, out of the water, these colorful creatures fold in their tentacles and expose their adhesive sides that are covered with bits of shell, rock and seaweed. Continuing south, I couldn’t help but notice the parallel layers in the rocks, realizing this was the eroded end of a sedimentary formation that had been laid down millions of years ago, uplifted and folded by tremendous geological forces and now lay exposed at my feet. On some of the rocky surfaces, I noticed a coral-like pattern of tightly packed tubes of hardened sand, made by Honeycomb Polychaete Worms. Also, I spotted several Chitons. These intertidal mollusks feed by scraping microalgae off of rocks with a toothed tongue. In several pools, I saw floating mats of Kelp with their distinctive air bladders as well as bluish-red Corraline Algae. Glancing seaward, I observed some California Gulls perched on an exposed rock formation. Near the end of my hike, I came upon a small tide pool with lots of action. First, while looking closely at a two-centimeter snail shell, it started to move in a way that indicated it was inhabited by a foraging hermit crab. In the same pool, I watched with fascination as one, centimeter-long Blue Banded Hermit Crab housed in a reddish-orange snail shell was dragging another one out of the pool. Being curious about this behavior, I found out later these crabs have cannibalistic tendencies. Finally, I climbed back up the berm to the car and headed home to Redondo Beach.

Rocky shore

Ebb the tide

Living puddles

Creatures hide

Colorful snails

Wonders to see

Floating Kelp

Green Anemone

Chitons, crabs

Nature’s jewels

Teeming life

In tidal pools

D. DeGraaf

January 23

Tuesday, my wife and I once again hiked the Bluff Cove trail on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, south of Los Angles. The early morning weather was sunny with a temperature of 60 degrees and a gentle breeze off the ocean. Leaving the car parked on top of the bluff, we hiked a few hundred feet and paused to admire the rugged beauty of this coastline. Next, we began a diagonal descent south along a steep cliff where I enjoyed hearing and seeing the waves pounding the shore below. Along the bumpy trail, I spotted a perching White-crowned Sparrow to my right and a bee pollinating a Bladderpod Spider flower, to my left. Further down the trail, I noticed the results of a rockslide referred to as a Talus Cone. Soon, we made it down to the rocky beach where I saw several clumps of seaweed, called Kelp, drying in the sun. Walking over to one of the clumps, I turned it over and was amazed to see dozens of tiny Kelp flies heading for cover. These insects, including both larva and adult, play an important role in decomposing the Kelp that washes to shore. Further down the beach, I spotted a group of Egrets walking on a large bed of Kelp feeding on these flies. While exploring the beach, I came across some rocks with large holes. These holes are burrows created by bivalve mollusks or boring clams called Piddocks. These clams use a set of ridges or "teeth" on the outer surfaces of their shells to grind into rock creating these holes. Turning north, we began our ascent toward the car where I noticed six California Sea Lions resting on a rock outcrop about 100 yards off the coast. Also, I took one last look as wave after wave washed into Bluff Cove. Finally, we made it to the car and headed back to our winter rental, 7 miles north.

Sights below

Waves of white

Indigo

Smells below

Briny soup

Guano

Sounds below

Gulls and terns

Stereo

Nature’s show

Ocean bluff

Afterglow

D. DeGraaf

January 15

Sunday, my wife, Caroline & I hiked in the 399-acre, Portuguese Bend Reserve, located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, south of Los Angeles. The early morning weather was sunny with a temperature of 60 degrees and a gentle sea breeze. Leaving the car parked on a nearby residential street, we entered the preserve and followed an earthen trail south as it descended past a wall of exposed bedrock with well-defined layering. These sedimentary layers were formed millions of years ago as marine deposits before being uplifted and eroded. Next, we paused and faced west to gaze afar at the vast Pacific Ocean along with the islands of San Clemente and Catalina. Continuing our descent, I spotted a familiar Chipping Sparrow and an unfamiliar Sage Sparrow. Despite the barren winter landscape, I managed to find a few wildflowers including the tube-like yellow blossoms of Tree Tobacco. This invasive plant is native to South America while its leaves are still smoked and used for medicine by some Native American tribes. Also, I found a few small white blossoms of Hayfield Tarweed whose name comes from its foliage which has an odor reminiscent of tar. Moving off the main trail, we followed a narrow, rugged, hilly trail through what is described as Coastal Sage Scrub terrain where we came upon a Black Sage bush and paused to crush a few leaves to enjoy the herbal aroma. After turning around to retrace our steps, I noticed some pine branches covered with a strange lichen call Usnea or Old Man’s Beard. Continuing our ascent, the red berries of a Toyon bush caught my eye. While the berries are toxic to humans they can be a food source for birds. Nearing the trailhead, I spotted a fruiting Prickly Pear Cactus. This red fruit can be made into juice that tastes like a cross between bubble gum and watermelon. Finally, we reached the top, found the car and headed back to Redondo Beach.

Eyes on the coast

End of the land

Forces of nature

Bedrock to sand

Eyes on the coast

Gray windy sky

Marine layer

Pelicans soar by

Eyes on the coast

Turbulent sea

Beyond the surf

Cetaceans swim free

D. DeGraaf

January 11

Wednesday, my wife, Caroline & I hiked in the 45-acre, Madrona Marsh Preserve, located in the city of Torrance, California. The property, surrounded by busy streets is thought to contain one of the last remaining vernal freshwater marshes in Los Angeles County. The mid-morning temperature was sunny with a temperature of 60 degrees and no wind. We left the car and began following an earthen trail west around the perimeter where I came upon a plant called Santa Barbara Milk Vetch. This perennial herb is also referred to as Locoweed or Crazyweed which is a common name in North America for any plant that produces swainsonine, a phytotoxin harmful to livestock. Following the trail as it turned south, I began to notice the wetlands that had been replenished by heavy overnight rain. Upon closer examination, I spotted several Mallards feeding in the shallows. Mallards are classified as dabbling ducks which are a type of shallow water duck that feeds primarily by tipping headfirst into the water to graze on aquatic vegetation and insects. Nearby, I noticed another dabbling duck, called an American Widgeon. This duck is a temporary winter resident and will migrate north in the spring to breed in Canada or Alaska. Looking around, I also spotted some dabbling Canada Geese. Continuing on the perimeter trail as it turned east, we were pleased to observe a small group of monarch butterflies, including some paired together in their mating ritual. Further ahead as the trail turned north, it was easy to spot a perching male Goldfinch nearby but not so easy to see a Mourning Dove sitting on a large tree branch deep in the underbrush. As the trail looped back to the west, Caroline alerted me to a quick-moving, 3-inch Western Fence Lizard, barely visible in the leaf litter. Finally, we completed the circuit and found the car for a short trip back to our rental house.

Nature in winter

No vista of snow

California

For me to know

No leafless forest

Frozen pond

Coastal strolls

The sea beyond

No tracks or scat

Of Whitetail deer

Snakes that rattle

Lurking near

D. DeGraaf

January 4

Wednesday, my wife, Caroline & I hiked in the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve. In the heart of the Los Angeles coast, between a busy international airport, dense commercial corridors, tourist-packed beaches, marinas and residential communities, this 600-acre natural area is nestled in the middle of a concrete landscape. The early morning weather was mostly cloudy with a temperature of 60 degrees and no wind. From the parking lot, we followed an earthen trail west into the Freshwater Marsh area where I spotted some American Coots swimming in a large pond. Further ahead, I paused to observe a perching Wren of unknown species as well as to listen to a singing House Finch. Continuing west, I noticed the shrubbery lining the trail included Lemonade Berry and Brazilian Pepper. Also, a few wildflower blossoms caught my eye including: Coreopsis and Sunflower. Still heading west, we paused to observe and admire a Great Egret standing in the shallows. On the other hand, it was not easy to spot an immature Great Blue Heron nearby. Turning around, we began to retrace our steps when I caught a glimpse of a few male Northern Shovelers swimming in the marsh. Continuing east, some large fluffy plumes of Pampas Grass caught my eye. Native to South America, this invasive plant grows in large clumps called tussocks with stems that can reach a height of 10 feet. The plumes are panicle-like flowers that bloom in late fall and winter. The leaves are razor sharp and could cut you just by rubbing against them. Near the end of the trail, I spotted a plant common to this area called Castor Bean. Finally, we found the car and prepared to join the ever-heavy traffic back to our rental in Redondo Beach.

Surface of white

Reflecting snow

Blanket of blue

Ripples show

Shrouded by ice

Muskrats sleep

Fluid and clean

Ducks dive deep

Waters of earth

Nature’s flair

Wetlands of winter

Here and there

D. DeGraaf