Redbuds are peaking on the Merced River. Just above Briceburg for several miles (where the river turns right off the highway as you are going downhill) they are in full bloom and starting to leaf out; higher up the canyon they are in earlier stages of bloom.
Whirlwind trip last weekend checking out the usual suspects around here. Cliff notes version - there are flowers to be had but overall a disappointing year so far. Definitely not as good as the last few years.
Antelope Valley/Poppy Reserve - Didn't go into the Poppy Reserve itself but checked out all the surrounding areas. There were some areas with a nice carpet of flowers but they were very small and generally not as dense as a good year. It was cold and windy so the poppies were closed up.
Gorman - nothing much happening yet. A few patches of yellow but not much.
Grapevine - last year was a sea of pupple. No lupine this year, only green.
Carrizo Plain - Tremblor range has a few patches of yellow but nothing like the amazing display of last year. Some nice carpets of corepsis and tidy tips near soda lake and Selby Rd.
Figueroa Mtn - Lots of poppies and lots of people.
Posted by Robert Dayton on April 13, 2011 at 6:08 PM
Thanks for the info, Jason. At $4.00 per gallon for gas, I think I'll stay home this spirng.
Skyline Serpentine Prairie
Skyline Serpentine Prairie is in Redwood Regional Park in Oakland, CA It is a restoration and protected area. Most of the area is protected by fence, but there are some flowers outside the fences, which allow for close-up photography. The most dominant flowers were Goldfields and California Poppy. Also in bloom were Blue-eyed Grass, Cream Cups, Hayfield Tarweed, Purple Sanicle, Yellow Lomatium, Yarrow, a purple pea or vetch (possibly alien),a Plectritis, Owl’s Clover, and Buttercups. Also seen were the small Presidio Clarkia (Clarkia franciscana) and a tiny whitish Lewisia. Both of these were on the downhill side just inside the fenced area. For photos and more information go to:http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/04/23/skyline-serpentine-prairie-wildflower-report-42311/
Anza Borrego Desert State Park. If you want flowers, fugetaboutit. For some reason, the bloom was gone and hardly ever there. I was surprised since they got good rains this winter/spring. Not one flower along Henderson Canyon Road! But, plenty of beautiful blooms on the cholla and other succulents.
I can see from the lack of posts here that the wildflower season has yet to start in many areas or has suffered from an extremely cold extension of winter into spring. However there is some hope if you get off the beaten path. I think the Southern Deserts and Joshua Tree might be a good bet. If you want the technicolor vistas that last year provided around the AV Poppy preserve don't bother, but if you want to commune with flowers and do some close up images there's still color to be found. My recent excursion into the Owens Valley did not find the lush flowers of last year, but did drive through an amazing carpet of gold on the Trona cutoff from 395, so it can be found with some searching.
Yeah, it's been pretty slow this year. Here in the foothills north of Yosemite a few lupine and some brodiaea are blooming, and the redbud have been pretty nice.
It's raining and pretty darn cool here for the 25th of April.
It's going to be interesting to see when the flowers pop up near pass levels in the Sierra this summer.
Today I drove Mines Road, part of San Antonio Road and Del Puerto Canyon. I started outside of Livermore, CA and took Mines Road to the junction (site of the Junction Bar and Grill) and continued for about eight miles along San Antonio Road then doubled back to the junction and took Del Puerto Canyon out to I-80 . The fields that normally have the large displays were disappointing. There were some displays of Goldfields and Tidy Tips but nothing like in the good years in the past. The grasses are coming in fast and are competing with the flowers.
Species that were plentiful included California Poppy, White-thorn Ceanothus, Goldfields, Paintbrush, Sticky Monkey Flower, and Tidytips. To see the Tufted Poppies and Blazing Stars continue south past the junction for about seven and half miles and look at the rocky hillsides starting around 6 miles. The bright sun and strong winds made the day less than ideal for flower photography. If you want to see flowers it's worth the trip, but if you are expecting the great blooms and displays of the good years in the past you will not be happy. If you are interested in visiting Mines Road go this week as the sun, heat and wind will probably dry things out quickly. Although the road area is public, the land behind the fences is private. Please respect all fence lines and private property postings along the road.
Point Reyes: The Yellow Bush Lupine bloom was outstanding in places. Cow Parsnip and California Poppies were often seen along the road. The all yellow Point Reyes Meadowfoam (Limnanthes douglassi ssp.sulpurea) twas blooming and more profuse than on previous trips. The curvy hillsides past Historic Ranch B were loaded with wildflowers. lants in bloom included Pussy Ears ( Calochortus tolmeii), California Poppies, Mule’s Ear, Douglas Iris, Buttercups, Checker Mallow, Yarrow, Hedge Nettle, Lupine, Foot-steps-of-Spring, Strawberry, Chickweed, Morning Glory, Yellow Monkey Flower, Suncups, Fiddlenecks. All of the above was next to or just off the road.
Big Rock Ridge is a huge rock on the northern side and highest point of Lucas Valley road in Marin County. The southern side was very flowery and it is the beginning of the Big Rock Ridge Fire Road, which we followed for maybe a quarter of a mile. There were large areas of Goldfields. Also seen were Tidytips, California Poppies, Golden Monkey Flowers, Hog Fennel (lomatium), Red Maids, a yellow Triphysaria (?), Phlox, Cream Cups, Yarrow, Owl’s Clover, Plectritis and a pink clover. Lucas Valley Road also had a lot of the whitish Del Norte Iris in bloom.
Many species are in bloom at Abbott's Lagoon and there are more to come, especially the Yellow Bush Lupine. Today we hiked the trail from the parking lot to the bridge, went over to the dunes, and up to the headland south of the bridge. Best displays were the Poppies in the parking area, Marsh Buttercups by the boardwalk, and Cow Parsnips along the trail. The season seems a little behind to me. Although focused on flowers, I also identified fifteen species of birds.
We also did a quick hike down the half mile trial to Kehoe Beach. It is best described as half a mile of alien mustard followed by a very flowery headland. The headland just north of the trail right before the beach had a large display of Tidytips, California Poppies, a lavender lupine, Yellow Bush Lupine and Goldfields. Some of the goldfields are past but the other flowers were very nice so get there soon.
I'm sitting in my room in Oakhurst, totally burnt to a frazzle been goin since 4:00 a.m. I did want to report that the dogwoods in Yosemite and the surrounding areas are in full bloom. Spectacular displays West of Bridaviel falls up into the Talus piles. Also along the Merced and around Pohono bridge. Of course they are blooming outside the valley as well. However the waterfalls are also in full spring melt glory too. It's a zoo but if you get there at the crack of dawn you have about two hours before it starts to crowd up. Weekdays I wouldn't know, lord that I were close enough to be able to go on weekdays. Anyway if anyone has been waiting for the dogs to show. They are and then some, I'd work up an image and post but this laptop has no editing software yet. It was my wife's she got a new one, and hubby gets the castoffs.
I'll second Paul's dogwood report in Yosemite Valley, and also second the circus that is Yosemite after about 9am. Tuolumne Grove still had a little snow, and the dogs there were just barely starting to bud out. Great wildflowers coming in on 120 from Foresta on into the park. Also, nice carpets of lupine around Foresta. Snow this morning in the park, so don't know how or if that will have any effect on things. Not much all the way home through Merced Canyon and home to PG. But, here in PG, the yellow lupine has bloomed around Asilomar and is looking good if you can deal with the wind...
This past Sunday (May 15), we did a wildflower blitz of Point Reyes. Even with periodic spurts of rain we kept going. Our goal was to scout a number of easily accessible wildflower areas and identify as many plants as possible for a freind's workshop. Plant ID is mainly from the Plant Checklist for Pt. Reyes, the CNPS plant lists for Abbott's Lagoon and Chimney Rock/Lighthouse areas, and Marin Flora. I even managed to ID a few common birds and animals. I didn't take a lot of photos and didn't use a tripod as photography was not a high priority today. I still managed to take a few photos that were not just for identification. My plant lists which are more detailed than ususal and photos are at: http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/05/17/point-reyes-wildflower-blitz/
5/23/11 It is about one mile walking down hill to get to the beach. It was windy and sunny so not the best weather for flower photography. There were whitecaps in the ocean from when we first arrived at the Beach. On the way home there were even whitecaps inland at Nicasio Reservoir. Native Wildflowers seen included Yellow Bush Lupine, Yarrow, California Blackberry, California Poppy, California Figwort, Cow Parsnip, Hedge Nettle, Bush Monkeyflower, Seep Spring Monkeyflower, Seaside Daisy, Clarkia, Morning Glory, Cream Cups, Fernleaf Phacelia, Sea Rocket, Lizard Tail, Pearly Everlasting and two interesting plantains at the beach, Coastal Largeleaf Plantain, and Pacific Seaside Plantain. Alien flowers included Mustard, Radish, Scarlet Pimpernel and a pinkish pea or vetch. Birds included Scrub Jay, Song Sparrow, Turkey Vulture, Raven, California Quail, Brown Pelican and Western Gull.
Big Rock Ridge on Lucas Valley Road
5/23/11 Flowers found in pullouts on Lucas Valley Road from Big Rock Ridge to about one mile west of Big Rock: Red Delphinium, Stonecrop, Hedge Nettle, Paintbrush, Alum Root, California Figwort, Cow Parsnip, Clarkia, Thimbleberry, Lupine, Bush Monkeyflower, Chinese house, California Poppy, Yarrow, Linanthus, White Iris, and Ithuriel’s Spear.
Flowers seen on the south side of the road at Big Rock Ridge (we did not go up the fire trail) included Tarweed, Ithuriel’s Spear, Tidytips, Mule’s Ear and Yarrow. The Tidytips had some good-sized displays.
Tiburon Mariposa Lily (Calochortus tiburonensis) is in bloom and more flowers are still in bud so it will be blooming for a while. There were also many other plants in bloom as well. There were good views of the city of San Francisco and the prison of San Quentin. To see photos and plant list go to: http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/05/29/ring-mountain-wildflower-report-52911/
Just returned from a very quick trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon NPs. Many Dogwoods are blooming in the lower elevations in Giant Forest around the turnoff to Crystal Cave. Some flowers were still in the "yellow" stages, so should be even better in the next week. Upper elevations (Grant Grove) were not even close yet...
June 9 to 12 I did a Birding Class in the Sierra Nevada that was
sponsored by Golden Gate Audubon and the Albany Adult School. It
included the Northern Sierra around Yuba Pass and Sierra Valley. Snow
was still covering much of the area above 6000 feet. The best flowers I
saw were at Sagehen Creek about (7 miles north of Truckee) and in Carmen
Valley. The best birds were in Sierra Valley. To see a detailed trip
report, plant and bird lists, and photos go to: http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/06/16/northern-sierra-nevada-bi\
rding-and-wildflower-report/
Skyline Serpentine Prairie at Redwood Regional Park - Oakland, CA
I went to the Skyline Serpentine Prairie in Redwood Regional Park. Not
only were the Yellow Mariposas (Calochortus luteus) in bloom but also
the rare Presidio Clarkia (Clarkia franciscana), which seemed much more
plentiful than when I saw it last year. There were also many California
Poppies still in bloom. I found more species in bloom than a visit last
year at this time. To see photos and a flower list for today go to: http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/06/17/mariposa-tulips-at-the-serpentine-prairie/
Just returned from Yosemite this weekend. The best dogwoods are outside the park in the high elevations. All of the drainage's from a rivulet to a river are full to bursting. And wildflowers are bursting still all over. from about 3,000 ft. and above. Lupine white lower and purple higher, ceanothous ( California lilac ) , Yellow flowers several types and along 41 a couple of those bright red snowplants. Even with the wildflowers it was all about the water this weekend. Down 140 from the entrance of the valley to the cascades the Merced resembles a class 5 rapids. The cascade just above the bridge is now actually a water fall shooting out from the wall in a massive plume and crashing down to boil up in misty clouds. I would guess this is not how it usually flows. For the wildflower enthusiast too there is still much in bloom in and around the park. There were carpets of purple lupine around Wawona.
Paul
Posted by Robert Dayton on June 20, 2011 at 12:18 PM
There are many flowers in bloom both along the path and in the dunes and beach. It is also worth going up to the headland south of the bridge. The trail is lined with many Yellow Bush Lupines, California Poppies (Yellow coastal form) and Poison Hemlock. Along the boardwalk the large Hedge-nettle are just starting to bloom. The sand around the lagoon has lots of Cinquefoil, Monkeyflowers, and small Heliotrope. The dunes and open sandy areas have plenty of Sea Rocket, Yellow Sand-verbena, Beach Suncups, Fragrant Dune Lupine, Curly-leaved Monardella, Deer-weed and colorful Beach Strawberry foliage. Gumplant and Sea Lettuce are just starting to bloom. To see a detailed plant list and photos go to http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/07/11/abbotts-lagoon-summer-wildflower-bloom-update-71111/
Sandy
Berkeley, CA Natural History Wanderings http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandysteinman/ http://picasaweb.google.com/sandysteinman
Abbott's Lagoon, Pt. Reyes 7/7/11
It may be approaching the middle of July but the Bay Area wildflower
season is not over. Many flowers are in bloom at Abbott's Lagoon at
Pt. Reyes.
I hiked out to the lagoon, then went up to the bluff just before the
bridge and continued a short distance along the fence at the top, and
then down and over to the dunes. Except for the Gentian which was still
in bud and very close, most of the summer flowers were out and blooming.
There are many species to be found and I I put together a detailed plant
list of all the flowers I could ID (with help). Many birds were active
today as well but my bird list is rather small as my attention was
mainly on the flowers. There were also mule deer and brush rabbits. It
was a foggy day creating good light for wildflower photography when the
winds slowed down. To see photos and plant list go to http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/07/11/abbotts-lagoon-summer-wildflower-bloom-update-71111/
Discussion
22 repliesIt should be really nice this year. Have fun out there!
--P
Antelope Valley/Poppy Reserve - Didn't go into the Poppy Reserve itself but checked out all the surrounding areas. There were some areas with a nice carpet of flowers but they were very small and generally not as dense as a good year. It was cold and windy so the poppies were closed up.
Gorman - nothing much happening yet. A few patches of yellow but not much.
Grapevine - last year was a sea of pupple. No lupine this year, only green.
Carrizo Plain - Tremblor range has a few patches of yellow but nothing like the amazing display of last year. Some nice carpets of corepsis and tidy tips near soda lake and Selby Rd.
Figueroa Mtn - Lots of poppies and lots of people.
Skyline Serpentine Prairie is in Redwood Regional Park in Oakland, CA It is a restoration and protected area. Most of the area is protected by fence, but there are some flowers outside the fences, which allow for close-up photography. The most dominant flowers were Goldfields and California Poppy. Also in bloom were Blue-eyed Grass, Cream Cups, Hayfield Tarweed, Purple Sanicle, Yellow Lomatium, Yarrow, a purple pea or vetch (possibly alien),a Plectritis, Owl’s Clover, and Buttercups. Also seen were the small Presidio Clarkia (Clarkia franciscana) and a tiny whitish Lewisia. Both of these were on the downhill side just inside the fenced area. For photos and more information go to:http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/04/23/skyline-serpentine-prairie-wildflower-report-42311/
Sandy
Berkeley, CA
Natural History Wanderings
http://picasaweb.google.com/sandysteinman
Anza Borrego Desert State Park. If you want flowers, fugetaboutit. For some reason, the bloom was gone and hardly ever there. I was surprised since they got good rains this winter/spring. Not one flower along Henderson Canyon Road! But, plenty of beautiful blooms on the cholla and other succulents.
Paul
It's raining and pretty darn cool here for the 25th of April.
It's going to be interesting to see when the flowers pop up near pass levels in the Sierra this summer.
--P
Today I drove Mines Road, part of San Antonio Road and Del Puerto Canyon. I started outside of Livermore, CA and took Mines Road to the junction (site of the Junction Bar and Grill) and continued for about eight miles along San Antonio Road then doubled back to the junction and took Del Puerto Canyon out to I-80 . The fields that normally have the large displays were disappointing. There were some displays of Goldfields and Tidy Tips but nothing like in the good years in the past. The grasses are coming in fast and are competing with the flowers.
Species that were plentiful included California Poppy, White-thorn Ceanothus, Goldfields, Paintbrush, Sticky Monkey Flower, and Tidytips. To see the Tufted Poppies and Blazing Stars continue south past the junction for about seven and half miles and look at the rocky hillsides starting around 6 miles. The bright sun and strong winds made the day less than ideal for flower photography. If you want to see flowers it's worth the trip, but if you are expecting the great blooms and displays of the good years in the past you will not be happy. If you are interested in visiting Mines Road go this week as the sun, heat and wind will probably dry things out quickly. Although the road area is public, the land behind the fences is private. Please respect all fence lines and private property postings along the road.
For photos and a plant list of what I saw in bloom today: http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/04/30/mines-road-wildflowers-43011/
Sandy
Berkeley, CA
Natural History Wanderings
http://picasaweb.google.com/sandysteinman
Point Reyes: The Yellow Bush Lupine bloom was outstanding in places. Cow Parsnip and California Poppies were often seen along the road. The all yellow Point Reyes Meadowfoam (Limnanthes douglassi ssp.sulpurea) twas blooming and more profuse than on previous trips. The curvy hillsides past Historic Ranch B were loaded with wildflowers. lants in bloom included Pussy Ears ( Calochortus tolmeii), California Poppies, Mule’s Ear, Douglas Iris, Buttercups, Checker Mallow, Yarrow, Hedge Nettle, Lupine, Foot-steps-of-Spring, Strawberry, Chickweed, Morning Glory, Yellow Monkey Flower, Suncups, Fiddlenecks. All of the above was next to or just off the road.
Big Rock Ridge is a huge rock on the northern side and highest point of Lucas Valley road in Marin County. The southern side was very flowery and it is the beginning of the Big Rock Ridge Fire Road, which we followed for maybe a quarter of a mile. There were large areas of Goldfields. Also seen were Tidytips, California Poppies, Golden Monkey Flowers, Hog Fennel (lomatium), Red Maids, a yellow Triphysaria (?), Phlox, Cream Cups, Yarrow, Owl’s Clover, Plectritis and a pink clover. Lucas Valley Road also had a lot of the whitish Del Norte Iris in bloom.
To see photos and more information go to: http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/05/02/point-reyes-and-big-rock-ridge/
Sandy
Berkeley, CA
Natural History Wanderings
http://picasaweb.google.com/sandysteinman
Many species are in bloom at Abbott's Lagoon and there are more to come, especially the Yellow Bush Lupine. Today we hiked the trail from the parking lot to the bridge, went over to the dunes, and up to the headland south of the bridge. Best displays were the Poppies in the parking area, Marsh Buttercups by the boardwalk, and Cow Parsnips along the trail. The season seems a little behind to me. Although focused on flowers, I also identified fifteen species of birds.
We also did a quick hike down the half mile trial to Kehoe Beach. It is best described as half a mile of alien mustard followed by a very flowery headland. The headland just north of the trail right before the beach had a large display of Tidytips, California Poppies, a lavender lupine, Yellow Bush Lupine and Goldfields. Some of the goldfields are past but the other flowers were very nice so get there soon.
To see photos and plant lists go to: http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/05/09/point-reyes-wildflower-report-abbotts-lagoon-and-kehoe-beach-5911/
Sandy
Berkeley, CA
Natural History Wanderings
http://picasaweb.google.com/sandysteinman
Paul
This past Sunday (May 15), we did a wildflower blitz of Point Reyes. Even with periodic spurts of rain we kept going. Our goal was to scout a number of easily accessible wildflower areas and identify as many plants as possible for a freind's workshop. Plant ID is mainly from the Plant Checklist for Pt. Reyes, the CNPS plant lists for Abbott's Lagoon and Chimney Rock/Lighthouse areas, and Marin Flora. I even managed to ID a few common birds and animals. I didn't take a lot of photos and didn't use a tripod as photography was not a high priority today. I still managed to take a few photos that were not just for identification. My plant lists which are more detailed than ususal and photos are at:
http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/05/17/point-reyes-wildflower-blitz/
Regional Botanic Park Garden ]
I also went to the Tilden Park Regional Botanic Park Garden of Native Plants and did some close-up photography there. It has much in bloom and it is a good time to visit. To see photos: http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/05/16/up-close-with-the-flowers-in-tilden-park/
Sandy
Berkeley, CA
Natural History Wanderings
http://picasaweb.google.com/sandysteinman
5/23/11 It is about one mile walking down hill to get to the beach. It was windy and sunny so not the best weather for flower photography. There were whitecaps in the ocean from when we first arrived at the Beach. On the way home there were even whitecaps inland at Nicasio Reservoir. Native Wildflowers seen included Yellow Bush Lupine, Yarrow, California Blackberry, California Poppy, California Figwort, Cow Parsnip, Hedge Nettle, Bush Monkeyflower, Seep Spring Monkeyflower, Seaside Daisy, Clarkia, Morning Glory, Cream Cups, Fernleaf Phacelia, Sea Rocket, Lizard Tail, Pearly Everlasting and two interesting plantains at the beach, Coastal Largeleaf Plantain, and Pacific Seaside Plantain. Alien flowers included Mustard, Radish, Scarlet Pimpernel and a pinkish pea or vetch. Birds included Scrub Jay, Song Sparrow, Turkey Vulture, Raven, California Quail, Brown Pelican and Western Gull.
Big Rock Ridge on Lucas Valley Road
5/23/11 Flowers found in pullouts on Lucas Valley Road from Big Rock Ridge to about one mile west of Big Rock: Red Delphinium, Stonecrop, Hedge Nettle, Paintbrush, Alum Root, California Figwort, Cow Parsnip, Clarkia, Thimbleberry, Lupine, Bush Monkeyflower, Chinese house, California Poppy, Yarrow, Linanthus, White Iris, and Ithuriel’s Spear.
Flowers seen on the south side of the road at Big Rock Ridge (we did not go up the fire trail) included Tarweed, Ithuriel’s Spear, Tidytips, Mule’s Ear and Yarrow. The Tidytips had some good-sized displays.
To see photos for both sites go to: http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/05/24/pt-reyes-mcclure-beach-and-big-rock-ridge-52311/
Sandy
Berkeley, CA
Natural History Wanderings
http://picasaweb.google.com/sandysteinman
Tiburon Mariposa Lily (Calochortus tiburonensis) is in bloom and more flowers are still in bud so it will be blooming for a while. There were also many other plants in bloom as well. There were good views of the city of San Francisco and the prison of San Quentin. To see photos and plant list go to: http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/05/29/ring-mountain-wildflower-report-52911/
Sandy
Berkeley, CA
Natural History Wanderings
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandysteinman/
http://picasaweb.google.com/sandysteinman
June 9 to 12 I did a Birding Class in the Sierra Nevada that was
sponsored by Golden Gate Audubon and the Albany Adult School. It
included the Northern Sierra around Yuba Pass and Sierra Valley. Snow
was still covering much of the area above 6000 feet. The best flowers I
saw were at Sagehen Creek about (7 miles north of Truckee) and in Carmen
Valley. The best birds were in Sierra Valley. To see a detailed trip
report, plant and bird lists, and photos go to:
http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/06/16/northern-sierra-nevada-bi\
rding-and-wildflower-report/
Sandy
Berkeley, CA
Natural History Wanderings
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandysteinman/
http://picasaweb.google.com/sandysteinman
I went to the Skyline Serpentine Prairie in Redwood Regional Park. Not
only were the Yellow Mariposas (Calochortus luteus) in bloom but also
the rare Presidio Clarkia (Clarkia franciscana), which seemed much more
plentiful than when I saw it last year. There were also many California
Poppies still in bloom. I found more species in bloom than a visit last
year at this time. To see photos and a flower list for today go to:
http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/06/17/mariposa-tulips-at-the-serpentine-prairie/
Sandy
Berkeley, CA
Natural History Wanderings
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandysteinman/
[url] http://picasaweb.google.com/sandysteinman[/url
Paul
There are many flowers in bloom both along the path and in the dunes and beach. It is also worth going up to the headland south of the bridge. The trail is lined with many Yellow Bush Lupines, California Poppies (Yellow coastal form) and Poison Hemlock. Along the boardwalk the large Hedge-nettle are just starting to bloom. The sand around the lagoon has lots of Cinquefoil, Monkeyflowers, and small Heliotrope. The dunes and open sandy areas have plenty of Sea Rocket, Yellow Sand-verbena, Beach Suncups, Fragrant Dune Lupine, Curly-leaved Monardella, Deer-weed and colorful Beach Strawberry foliage. Gumplant and Sea Lettuce are just starting to bloom. To see a detailed plant list and photos go to http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/07/11/abbotts-lagoon-summer-wildflower-bloom-update-71111/
Sandy
Berkeley, CA
Natural History Wanderings
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandysteinman/
http://picasaweb.google.com/sandysteinman
It may be approaching the middle of July but the Bay Area wildflower
season is not over. Many flowers are in bloom at Abbott's Lagoon at
Pt. Reyes.
I hiked out to the lagoon, then went up to the bluff just before the
bridge and continued a short distance along the fence at the top, and
then down and over to the dunes. Except for the Gentian which was still
in bud and very close, most of the summer flowers were out and blooming.
There are many species to be found and I I put together a detailed plant
list of all the flowers I could ID (with help). Many birds were active
today as well but my bird list is rather small as my attention was
mainly on the flowers. There were also mule deer and brush rabbits. It
was a foggy day creating good light for wildflower photography when the
winds slowed down. To see photos and plant list go to
http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/07/11/abbotts-lagoon-summer-wildflower-bloom-update-71111/
Sandy
Berkeley, CA
Natural History Wanderings
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandysteinman/
http://picasaweb.google.com/sandysteinman