March 28

With temperatures in the low 60’s, a gentle sea breeze and sunny skies, we climb a paved trail at Deane Dana Friendship Park, a 120-acre, hill-top nature preserve overlooking the city of San Pedro, on the south end of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Soon, we come upon a field, colored by yellow blossoms of Black Mustard. This tough plant germinates early in winter before native plants have taken hold, shoots up more than 6 feet tall, hogs the sunlight with its thick stalks and lays down a deep system of roots that beats out native plants for water. Coming closer, I hear sounds of West Coast Spring Field Crickets. Glancing down the hill, I notice a large stand of gray mustard stalks from previous years that have dried up and now serve as kindling for a potential wildfire that could occur anytime considering this winter’s severe drought. To make matters worse, these plants lay down thousands of seeds and are one of the first to germinate after a fire. Further up the hill, I notice blossoms of Wild Radish as well as Garland daisy plants, some displaying both yellow and white blossoms. Up ahead, I spot some colorful groundcover consisting of tiny pink blossoms of Stork’s bill and a California Towhee taking a bath. Nearby, I pause to pick a Lavender blossom and enjoy its lovely aroma. Turning around and heading downhill, I see a Rattlepod plant. The name refers to the rounded, inflated seedpod that contains several pea-like seeds. When dry and hard, the seeds rattle around when the pods are shaken. Other common names include Santa Barbara milkvetch and Ocean locoweed. All parts of the plant are toxic if eaten, which explains the common name ‘Locoweed’ as domesticated horses, cows and sheep can become quite ill if they eat too much. Further down the hill, I come upon a noisy Raven and a Ponderosa Pine with its 5-inch needles, textured trunk and colorful, male pollen cones. Even though these cones will soon fill the surrounding air with clouds of powdery pollen gains, they are not a source of inhalant allergies. After viewing a residential area of San Pedro below, I stop to watch a honeybee feeding on a Hairy Rockrose blossom. Just before reaching the car, I look on the ground to see the nickel-size shell of a White Garden Snail. These invasive gastropods can cause severe defoliation of several plants, including vegetables, citrus and ornamentals. 

 

Away from winter

Away from the din

Wetlands await

Nature awakes

Tones of revival set

Peepers and redwings declare

Dames and ganders gather

Muskrats and mallards move

Herons and cattails stand still

Duckweeds line the shore

With lively shades of green

Spring finds the marsh and me

 

D. DeGraaf

March 21

The midday sky is sunny with temperatures in the low 60’s and a steady westerly breeze as we hike in the 13-acre, Willow Wetlands Preserve in Gardena, California, 15 miles south of Los Angeles. In the mid-1970s, the City of Gardena planned to fill in this land and build a convention center. However, residents fought to stop destruction of the wetlands and preserve its value as a green oasis, a migratory stop for ducks, a home for resident birds, a haven for reptiles and amphibians and a natural mechanism for cleaning street runoff water before making its way to the Pacific Ocean. Immediately, colorful spring blossoms of Wood-sorrel and Poppy are a welcome sight. Just ahead, I watch a Monarch flutter around before landing on a Coastal Sunflower head. Scanning a pile of fallen branches, I catch a glimpse of a 4-inch, well-camouflaged Western Fence Lizard. These reptiles can “throw” their tail to get away from an enemy. Eventually, the tail will grow back; however, the female is very picky about courtship and won´t even look at a male who has lost its tail. Also, their powerful hind legs allow them to run fast and quickly change directions to escape predators. Other methods of escape include their ability to jump and rapidly climb trees. Following the path next to a busy street, I notice a blossoming cherry tree and a patch of blossoming Nasturtium while from a shallow pool, hidden my dense underbrush, I hear the familiar call of a Mallard. Up ahead, I watch a fast-moving, orange butterfly finally land so I can identify it as a Gulf Fritillary. This is one of several species being mass-reared commercially for release at outdoor events like weddings and garden parties. If done properly, it is a harmless and esthetically pleasing addition to the environment that may even help revive declining populations. Continuing down the trail, I pause to watch several honeybees feeding on blossoms of Black Sage and then spot blossoms of California Lilac. Rich in saponins, these flowers can be crushed and mixed with water to produce an excellent lather which is an effective and gentle soap. They were used by the North American Indians as a body wash, especially by the women in preparation for marriage, since they left their skin smelling fragrantly. Also known as ‘New Jersey tea’ , lilac leaves were used as a tea substitute during the American Revolution. Before leaving the preserve, on this first full day of astronomical spring, I pause to recognize the shining sun that reached its vernal equinox yesterday.

 

Star of earth

Sun of sky

We celebrate

Your place on high

Star of earth

Path ascends

Your energy

All life depends

Star of earth

Light of days

Glowing orb 

You I praise

 

D. DeGraaf

March 14

Sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 50’s accompany us on an early morning hike at Palos Verdes Peninsula’s Abalone Cove Reserve, named after the edible, but endangered mollusk with a colorful calcareous shell (stock photo). Abalone once were to California what lobster is to Maine and blue crab to Maryland, so plentiful they were harvested by the thousands (stock photo). Californians held abalone bakes, spun abalone folk tales and sang abalone songs. Abalone were integral to coastal Californian culture, until suddenly they weren’t. In the later part of the 20th century, these once-abundant animals were nearly wiped out by overfishing, disease, and climate change. Of California’s seven abalone species, two are federally listed as endangered and none are currently open to fishing. On a steep descent to beach, we pass yellow blossoms of Wild Mustard as well as a trail sign not likely seen back home. Approaching the shoreline, I get a closeup view of a Rock Wren. Their nest is often marked by "paving" of small stones, sometimes with bones and other debris, laid out on ground in front of the entrance (stock photo). Nearby, I spot a California Ground squirrel. These rodents reside on the ground and in burrow systems. The burrows can house many generations, forming a small colony, while each squirrel has a unique entrance. They use a variety of sounds, tail signals and scent production as means of communication. When threatened, they can belt out a high-pitched alarm call that can last for several minutes. Moving down to the beach. I notice clusters of Mussels sticking to a large rock as well as a Spotted Sandpiper hunting for food. Approaching a pile of washed-up Kelp, I’m not surprised to see tiny flies swarming over it. Upon closer look, I spot one of these tiny 5mm Kelp flies. Adult flies and their larvae play an important role in the beach food web by decomposing piles of Kelp while also being a food source for shorebirds and passerines. Thus, I’m not surprised to see a Song Sparrow foraging on a nearby pile. Moving down the beach, I first look down at Seagull tracks in the sand and then look skyward as a pair of Brown Pelicans fly by. Nearby, uplifted layers of sedimentary rock catch my eye. Heading back up the steep slope, I pass by blossoms of Coastal Bush Lupine and pause to look out at Catalina Island, 20 miles to the west. Nearing the car, my last observation includes pink blossoms of a Wishbone bush.

Winter winds

Prevailing east

Nature surrounds

Greatest to least

Steep cliffs

Rocky beaches

Pelican dives

Whale breaches

Falcon soars

Higher than most

Pounding surf

Carves the coast

 

D. DeGraaf

March 7

The morning sky is sunny with temperatures in the low 60’s as our daughter, Allison joins us for a hike on Fern Dell nature trail in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park. Covering more than 4,000 acres of natural terrain, this is the largest municipal park and urban wilderness area in the United States. We begin by following an earthen path along the edge of a narrow stream shaded by huge Sycamores, Live Oaks and Redwoods. Lush vegetation line the stream bed including, 2-ft long leaves of Elephant Ear and Philodendron. Up the trail, I pause to watch Koi fish swimming in a shallow pond. These fish are an ornamental species that descended from the carp family. In the 1600’s, Chinese farmed carp in rice paddies, a practice that traveled to Japan where the Japanese noticed color variations and bred them, creating the Koi species. Japanese bred them for perfection, prized them in collections of royal families and immortalized them in royal artworks. Chinese farmers originally bred Koi for eating, however, later they were bred as pets for their unique and striking colors and not for consumption. It wasn’t until the 1900’s that Koi were bred in the United States. Moving along, since the trail name includes the word “fern”, it’s not surprising to spot some, including, Button, Lady and Sword. Nearby, colorful blossoms of Fuchsia and Elephant Ear catch my eye while high up a snag, I get a quick glimpse of an Acorn Woodpecker. These birds are best known for their habit of hoarding acorns: they drill small holes in a dead snag, then harvest acorns in fall and store them in these holes, to be eaten during winter. Such a "granary tree" (stock photo) may be used for generations and may be riddled with up to 50,000 holes. Nesting is a group activity, with several adults (up to 12 or more) taking part in incubating the eggs and feeding the young in a single nest. They also spend considerable time catching insects on the wing. Turning around, I pass a stand of Bamboo stalks and a Fox Squirrel digging for nuts. Near the car, I stop to notice the colorful blossoms of a “yesterday-today-and-tomorrow” plant. Its long name fits for more than one reason. The flowers change their color from one day to the next, starting out purple, then turning lavender and finally becoming white as they mature. Plus, this tropical evergreen shrub is a long, persistent bloomer. After the first, heavy bloom in the spring, it will produce more of its showy, fragrant flowers in the fall, or anytime during the year.

 

Waning winter

Wandering west

Treading trails

No time to rest

Waterfalls

Mountain crest

Verdant valley

Osprey’s nest

Still my cause

Still my quest

Exploring nature

Her most and best

 

D. DeGraaf