February 28

Mostly sunny skies, temperatures in the upper 50’s and a stiff west wind surround us as we begin hiking a perimeter trail around the 26-acre, Ballona Freshwater Marsh as many planes takeoff and land at LAX, only a few miles to the east.  After being filled and farmed for decades, this wetland was restored to not only provide refuge for wildlife but also collect and naturally clean stormwater runoff from nearby streets. At first, my attention is drawn to colorful blossoms of Coastal Sunflowers and Wild Rose. From distance, I watch the open water teeming with fowl while up close, I observe Geese, Shovelers and bright white Egrets, buffeted by wind gusts. A common question about Egrets is, without plumage colors to camouflage them, like blue herons, how do they escape predation? First, they often choose urbanized locations like this over isolated locations because isolated locations have more predators. Also, they use flight to escape from terrestrial animals and are known to have innate recognition and avoidance of poisonous snakes. After passing a stormwater drain, I’m surprised by the sight of deciduous Sycamore trees beginning to leaf out already after dropping their leaves in late autumn. Turning back to the water, I spot a Cormorant diving for fish and a never-before-seen Cinnamon Teal swimming among some Shovelers. Further ahead, I come upon the male flowers of a Coyote bush and the now-familiar call of a Tree frog from the dense underbrush. From afar, I can see feathery tops of Pampas Grass sticking up above sedges and willows.  Overhead, against a blue sky, I see a noisy flock of Geese, a soaring Egret and a lurking Osprey. An Osprey is often seen hovering and then plunging feet-first to catch fish in its talons. After a successful strike, the bird rises heavily from the water and flies away, carrying the fish head-forward with its feet. Bald Eagles sometimes chase Ospreys and force them to drop their catch. On my way back, red galls on an Arroyo willow leaf catches my eye. The cause of this gall is a Redgall Sawfly, a type of primitive wasp (stock photo). As the tree’s leaves are expanding the adult sawfly insert the eggs into the expanding tissues in early June. A single female lays up to 50 eggs. This causes the leaf to swell into a lump or chamber, which nourishes and protects the developing grubs. Most of them emerge by fall and over-winter in a cocoon in the surrounding leaf litter.

Once there were acres

For creatures to roam

For trees of the forest

To make their home

Once there were acres 

Of water and sky

For fish to swim

For flocks to fly

Now there are acres

Where humans thrive

What is the future?

Who will survive?

 

D. DeGraaf