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