January 15

It’s a chilly morning with temperatures in the mid 40’s as Caroline, Riley and I begin our hike on an earthen trail in the George F. Canyon Nature Preserve, one of several properties owned by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. A sign at the trailhead reminds us we are not in Gratiot County, Michigan. Soon, the loud meowing sound of a Peacock, also reminds us we are not back home. Years ago, some of these large, colorful birds, contained as pets by residents, escaped into the wild and formed their own feral colonies. Along the trail, I spot orange blossoms of the invasive, Nasturtium and the yellow blossoms of Spine Flower. Further along, I notice Prickly Pear Cacti with their red pears and an earthen bank with holes made by Ground Squirrels. Other blossoms that catch my eye, include Pearly Everlasting and Green spot Nightshade. Like most nightshades, the leaves are poisonous, but the small, spherical berries are edible (stock photo). Up ahead, I spot a V-shaped web made by a Funnel Weaver Spider. These spiders build their webs between two braces, such as branches or grass blades. These medium-size arachnids are usually grey or brown, with spots on their backs and banded legs (stock photo). Like most species of spiders, funnel weavers are nocturnal. Males spend most of their time searching for a mate, though they usually die after they mate a few times. Females rarely leave their webs. They typically lay several egg sacs and cover them in webbing for protection. Continuing down the path, shared by horses, I come upon some Coyote scat containing berries. Coyotes are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Though they have a wide-ranging diet, they do prefer meat and hunt for small mammals, birds, mice, and snakes. Other sightings, include the ornate leaves of Milk Thistle and a Lemonade Berry Bush, displaying flower buds. In the distance, my hiking partners wait for me to catch up. Turning around and retracing my steps, I notice sounds of both a Raven and a Wild Turkey. It wasn’t until the California started to populate areas of state with wild turkeys from Texas in 1959 that the introduced species started to gain a foothold. This subspecies, the Rio Grande turkey, is now found throughout the western United States and makes up most of the population of wild turkeys in California. Nearing the car, I pause to observe a 1/3-inch, late instar of a Harlequin Bug. This bug is an insect pest of vegetable crops, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, radish and turnips. This pest injures host plants by sucking the fluids from plant tissue. Heavy infestations can cause plants to turn brown and die.

Eyes are open to see

Glimpses of nature here for me

Maybe a flower, maybe a tree

Maybe a raptor flying free

Look around on land and sea

Beauty surrounds, I do agree

Search again on bended knee

Behold a bug! Behold a bee!

Earth’s treasures, found a key

More of this, hope to be

 

D. DeGraaf