March 9

With sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 70’s, Caroline and I begin a midday hike in Hopkins Wilderness Park, an 11-acre natural oasis near our rental in the heart of densely populated Redondo Beach, California. This elevated landscape was used as a radar site during the early years of the cold war with Russia to detect incoming missiles. Subsequently, the federal government donated it to the city that developed it into a nature park. After passing a man-made pond, stocked with turtles and Koi, we follow a stone-covered trail along the perimeter where the vegetation reveals a solitary Poppy blossom as well as a 3-inch grasshopper of unknown species. Just ahead, a newly established restoration area displays blossoms of California Lilac, Mallow as well as a perching Cabbage White butterfly. As the trail slopes downward, we pass a Mountain Ash tree with clusters of orange berries. Turning southward, I come upon a Mourning Cloak butterfly perching on a tree branch. Since these butterflies feed primarily on sap and ripen fruit, they are rarely seen pollinating flowers. Looking more closely at this Lepidopteron, I note its wings are frayed from age. Not surprisingly, their life cycle, that includes a brief caterpillar phase (stock photo), also includes an adult phase that spans 10-11 months, the longest of any butterfly species. As I continue to watch, it repeatedly flies around and returns to the same tree branch. This male behavior, called “territoriality” is found as well in other butterfly species. Continuing southward, I pass a Hawthorn bush loaded with pink blossoms. Often seen in residential lawns, this one is likely an offspring of a parent shrub from the local neighborhood. A little further up the trail. I pause to gaze through the haze at the snow-capped peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains, 30 miles to the northeast. Looping back toward the trailhead, I notice the leaves of a young Sycamore tree with their unusual leaf-like stipules. Near the finish, I catch a glimpse of a Bushtit perching high in a leafless tree. Throughout the hike, I’ve watched several of these small birds flutter through the canopy making their short “chipping” calls. Finally, we reach the car for a short drive home.

Azure skies 

Miles from drear

March memories

There and here

Barren earth

Blossoms all year

March memories

There and here

Frozen lakes

Ocean near

March memories

There and here

D. DeGraaf