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
No comments:
Post a Comment