March 26

Over the past few months, while wintering in the densely populated landscape of Southern California, I have seen several examples of how urbanites set aside space for wildlife habitat. On a pleasant day in the neighboring town of Manhattan Beach, I’m enjoying a leisurely midday hike in 18-acre, Polliwog Park. Entering a section of the park, called Botanical Gardens, I pause and face the sun as it shines through the branches of a Sycamore tree that is beginning to sprout new leaves. In a few hours, this vital source of light and heat, we humans take for granted, will cross the celestial equator to officially begin the spring season in the northern hemisphere. Proceeding along the meandering brick path, the orange blossoms of California poppies catch my eye. In addition, the sweet smell of Purple Sage fills the air as large patches of blossoms attract a Monarch and hovering Honey Bees. In a nearby tree, a Yellow-rumped Warbler perches on a branch. Other blossoming herbs seen include: Mexican Sage, Hummingbird Sage and Rosemary. Glancing skyward, I spot the yellowish male cones hanging from an Aleppo Pine tree, a drought tolerant conifer common in this region. Just ahead, I watch a young family enjoying a noontime stroll. After scanning the garden for the last time, I head across a mowed area down to the edge of a 3-acre pond where I notice a few resting Widgeons while out on the water, a Coot and a gathering of gulls. Walking along the edge, I pause as a single 8-inch, Red-eared Slider swims in the murky water while near the far shore, a row of them bask in the sun. Making my way back to the car, I think about the hikes I’ve taken in Michigan over the years on the Vernal Equinox and the limited number of seasonal signs that I recall. Perhaps, the shrill of a Redwing Blackbird or a single green sprout of Skunk Cabbage breaking through the snow-covered river flats.

Orb of the heavens 

Sun of the sky

Giver of life

None can deny

Orb of the heavens

Ascending star

Half way there

Your journey so far

Orb of the heavens

Warming sphere

Welcome to spring

Glad you’re here

D. DeGraaf

March 18

A couple of flatlanders from Gratiot County, Michigan, Caroline and I trudge up a steep hill on a narrow, rocky trail, lined with yellow blossoms of Brittlebush. The morning sky is clear with a cool breeze off the Pacific Ocean as we explore the Forrestal Nature Preserve on Southern California’s Palos Verdes Peninsula. Adjacent to the trail, I notice a patch of dainty Stork’s-bill blossoms while up ahead a ground- foraging White-crowned sparrow pauses before running for cover. While looping back, we rest briefly, observe the rugged terrain and then watch a Wren greeting the morning. Following the meandering trail around toward the ocean, I spot a perching Painted Lady Butterfly. Prompted by plentiful rainfall, hoards of these butterflies are invading Southern California as they fly north from the deserts of Mexico to breeding grounds in Oregon. Yesterday, from our backyard patio, we watched in amazement as hundreds of them flew overhead. Lesson learned: Monarchs are not the only North American butterfly that migrates. Continuing on the undulating path, I pass through a fragrant field of yellow Mustard flowers. Upon closer inspection, I see some purple Succulent Lupine blossoms mixing with the Mustard. Climbing up the trail once again, I notice a stationary, 3-inch Fence Lizard as well as a perching Cabbage White butterfly, After turning around to begin my descent, I am pleased to see a colorful Northern Flicker fly up and perch on a Lemonade berry shrub against a stunning azure blue sky. As my descent continues, I notice some Prickly Pear cactus, a cluster of Blue dick blossoms as well as a perching California Towhee. After pausing to enjoy a refreshing sea breeze, we head back to the car while I reflect on another successful encounter with west coast wildlife.

Outer edge of winter 

Mother Earth prepares

Rousing the creatures

Opening their lairs

Prompting the trees

Catkins are seen

Waking the ground

Sprouting the green

Welcoming back

Birds on the wing

Nature announcing

Harbingers of spring

D. DeGraaf

March 11

With the noontime sun shining bright and a west wind blowing strong, Caroline and I hike a trail along the edge of Ballona Freshwater Marsh, a couple of miles from LAX, one of the busiest airports in the world. This land is part of 600 acres of protected wetlands that also include brackish and estuarine marshes. Because of abundant winter rainfall, we see that the marsh is flooded and burgeoning with waterfowl including: Ruddy Ducks, Shovelers and Coots. Along the shore, vegetation is lush as Brittlebush and Pennycress are blooming. Continuing to circle the marsh, the tall white Egrets are easy to spot in the mix of waterfowl nestled in the reeds. As I stand here looking and listening, I’m amazed how these birds have adapted to the noise and commotion of the dense urban landscape surrounding their habitat. However, I think it must have some detrimental effect on the songs and calls they use for courtship and territoriality. Looking more closely, I spot a Blue Heron and a Red-eared Slider laying her eggs in the mud. Female turtles can lay up to 30 eggs that take from 2-3 months to incubate before hatching. Moving along the trail covered with wood chips, I notice the colorful fruit of Lemonade berry and wispy white seeds of Goodding’s black willow. Gazing back to the water, I observe a pair of Mallards, Widgeons and Canada geese. On shore, blossoms of Mustard, Rose and Coreopsis catch my eye. As wind blows through the grasses and sunbeams bounce off the water, we turn around and retrace our steps back to the car. Reflecting on the hike, first, I think about how this place contrasts to the secluded, peaceful wetlands I’ve explored back home. Secondly, I’m impressed with how this city has preserved it, not only for flood control but also for wildlife habitat.

Winter wanes

Here in the west

Connecting to nature

Remains my quest

Snow-capped summits

Rocky beaches

A pelican dives

A whale breaches

An osprey soars

Higher than most

Pounding surf

Carves the coast

D. DeGraaf

March 4

With midday cool temperatures and hazy, misty skies, I walk gingerly over slimy, wet rocks approaching the tide pools of White Point Park on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Since the tide is near its lowest, I am excited to explore these contained marine ecosystems. Looking closely at some submerged snail shells that begin to move about, I notice the foraging behavior of a tiny hermit crab that occupies one of these shells. Turning my attention to the crashing surf, I get a quick glimpse of a couple of Black Turnstone shorebirds. Back to the tide pools, I recognize some two-inch, green oval blobs covered with shell fragments, as Anemones. Out of the water, these colorful creatures fold in their tentacles and expose their adhesive sides, covered with these fragments. Glancing back to the surf zone, I watch a Spotted Sandpiper standing on a rock. The pattern of parallel rock layers on which I walk, reveal a geologic history of sedimentation followed by metamorphic folding followed by weathering and erosion. Nestled among the colorful stones, I spot a dark-colored California Mussel. Gazing seaward to a nearby rocky islet, I make out the silhouettes of pelicans and cormorants. Continuing to another tide pool, I spot a sixteenth-inch, shrimp-like crustacean swimming on its side. These tiny amphipods are an essential link near the bottom of the coastal food chain. In another pool, I notice some patches of Corraline algae and a submerged piece of Kelp. Turning around, I look overhead to see the haze is burning off to reveal windows of blue sky. While climbing up some large boulders toward the car, I watch a one-inch, Shore Crab duck into a rock crevice. With the car in view, the lovely blossoms of a Succulent Lupine catch my eye. With gratitude for another opportunity to witness one of nature’s unique realms, I take one last look before hopping in the car and heading back to our winter abode.

Surf near shore

Ebb the tide

Rocky realm

Creatures hide

Briny pools

Filled with awe

Tentacles wave

Shells that crawl

Spiny stars

Clams of gray

Floating kelp

Nature’s array

D. DeGraaf

February 25

After an intense week of entertaining relatives and traveling congested highways, Caroline and I find respite in Hopkins Wilderness Park, a natural oasis in the heart of Redondo Beach. On a sunny, cool afternoon we follow an earthen trail to the edge of a small pond where we spot some basking Red-eared Sliders and swimming Koi. These hybrid carp are a symbol of luck, prosperity and good fortune in Japanese culture. Proceeding on a perimeter path around this 11-acre preserve, patches of Wood Sorrel brighten the winter landscape. Other colorful blossoms of note include: Wild Radish and Sow Thistle. As the trail turns and leads me along a steep bluff, I pause to look beyond the sprawling urban landscape to the snowcapped peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains, 30 miles to the east. Also, I think about how for thousands of years this land was used as a lookout by Native Americans, then as a Minuteman missile site during the 50’s and 60’s, before the city secured it as a nature park in 1977. Further ahead, while glancing up at one of several Ponderosa Pine trees, I not only observe several egg-shaped cones but also a fist-size gall caused by a rust fungus. Continuing on the trail, a sudden movement on the ground draws my eyes to a 3-inch, Western Fence Lizard barely visible on the leaf litter. These native reptiles can change color from light grey or tan to nearly jet-black, but probably use this ability for thermoregulation while basking and not to camouflage themselves. As the trail turns toward the bright sun, long shadows of leafless tree branches decorate the ground in front of me. Looping back toward the trailhead, we are pleased to see an elementary school group using the park for an outdoor education activity. Nearby, the wispy red blossoms of a Powder Puff tree and the white blossoms of a Wild Plum tree catch my eye. Coming to the end of the trail, I could not ask for a better conclusion than a close up view of the ornate wings of a resting Western Tiger Swallowtail.

Mother Earth

Nature the host

Winter wonderland

California coast

Flowers to flaunt

Birds to boast

Winter wonderland

California coast

Azure skies

I admire most

Winter wonderland

California coast

D. DeGraaf

February 18

In sharp contrast to the frigid, snowy conditions back home, Caroline and I are enjoying mild afternoon weather as we hike in southeastern California’s Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Guided by longtime friends, Bruce and Flossie Bode, we make our way through this sublime landscape, that greened up from recent rains, and come across several piles of coyote scat containing bones and hair. Without any trails to follow, Bruce leads me through this unfamiliar habitat where I admire blossoming flora including: Brittlebrush, Poppy, Barrel cactus, Ocotillo, Agave and Bigelow’s Monkeyflower. Pausing next to a Creosote bush, I not only observe its showy flowers but also smell the musky, earthy aroma of its leaves. Just ahead, I watch a male and female California quail scurry along the sandy ground while a Black-throated sparrow gets ready to take off. Continuing to scan this desert terrain, I note the abundance of Cholla cacti. Upon a closer look at a remnant of this plant, I’m intrigued to see a skeleton-like layer exposed beneath the thorny skin. In the distance, a perching male Purple Finch catches my eye. Near my feet, I watch a foraging 1-inch Darkling or Stink Beetle. When threatened, it will raise its rear end and spray a foul smelling compound to ward off predators. Stopping briefly, Bruce points out and explains “dry wash” terrain. This wide sandy passage is formed during flash flooding as torrents of water move down slope. Next, my attention is drawn to a dozen Painted Lady Butterflies fluttering around a Lavender bush where one stops to rest. On the desert floor nearby, I stoop to watch a colony of Harvester Ants. Although benign if left alone, this insect will produce a painful bite and sting if disturbed. With gratitude for my opportunity to witness this unique ecosystem, I turn around and head for cover as rain clouds approach.

Searing heat

Miles of sand

Life displays

In barren land

Finch and quail

Colorful plumes

Succulent flowers

Cactus blooms

Drive to survive

With little rain

Nature’s wonders

Desert domain

D. DeGraaf

February 11

With bright sunlight at our backs and a rare chill in the morning air, Caroline and I find ourselves walking behind a surfer down a paved path to Malaga Cove, a coastal landscape near our rental house in southern California. As the trail levels off and hugs the shore, I see how vegetation such as Sagebrush and Buckwheat stabilizes the slope to prevent landslides, especially for that palatial home on the precipice. Turning my attention to the rocky beach, I spot both an adult and juvenile California Gull, side by side, noting the contrast in their plumage. After watching a foraging Willet, I come across the carcass of a Cormorant. Also, I observe one of several piles of Kelp with its characteristic air bladders. Speaking of Kelp, I move a pile to reveal hoards of Kelp flies that spend most of their life in this habitat. These insects are ecologically important as decomposers as well as a food source for beach-dwelling fauna. Scanning the rocks, those with a honeycomb pattern catch my eye. This phenomenon, called Tafoni, is due to both physical and chemical weathering. Another object to catch my eye is this plastic milk jug, one of many plastic items littering the beach. Needless to say, this material, an invention of modern man, has become a major environmental scourge to our planet, both on land and sea. Proceeding from a rocky to a sandy beach, I watch a Sanderling scampering near the surf and a Willet probing the sand for crabs and worms. Further ahead, I see a small flock of foraging Sanderlings. After foraging, these birds often regurgitate sand pellets studded with fragments of mollusk and crustacean shells. After glancing far up the coast to see our town of Redondo Beach, we turn around and retrace our steps where we meet a dog walker as well as a couple of surfers. Meanwhile, I stop by the mouth of a tiny freshwater stream where I spot some unusual cattails, displaying 2 flower heads per stalk. Finally, it’s back up the slope to the car for our trip home.

February focus

Coastal bluff

Trail that slopes

Terrain’s rough

February flora

Take the stage

Colorful cacti 

Fragrant sage

February fauna

Butterflies

On the path

A lizard lies

D. DeGraaf