Spring Outings

 

Before we go back to Bretagne and (maybe) some prehistoric sites, let me invite you to some of the walks I did in late winter and spring. The first signs of spring are usually visible here in February, but even if they're not, I enjoy being out in nature in every season.

The Lakes, end of February

A fisherman and his dog were looking for a good place to fish. It was the dog who draw me into taking this picture, not the guy...

This Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) seems to have no problem with this acrobatic display while taking a nap. Can you sleep on one leg - without losing your balance?

This was the first time that I saw a Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) - quite pretty, don't you agree?

Golden-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia atricapilla - I think) were in the bushes - I usually see them in the colder months. Their song is a bit mournful I think, but I like it and it is very easily recognizable.

A Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans - I think) sat in the bushes by the lake. I'm still not very sure in bird identification, especially with these smaller ones.

And of course I'm always drawn to the light. Late winter offers some interesting contrasts.

Crane Creek, March

I came here in the hope of seeing wildflowers, but I was a bit too early. However, the California Buttercups were already in full bloom and painted the landscape with cheerful yellow dots.

A Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) seemed to enjoy that as well.

We had a very wet winter and I was glad to still see some water in the creeks that meander through the park.

A Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis - I think) - well, shit happens.

Crane Creek is full of majestic oaks, buckeyes, California bay and lots of dead and/or crooked trees. It's a paradise for Acorn Woodpecker - and for photographers like me.

Sonoma Valley, early April

In a recent post I wrote that Sonoma Valley almost completely burnt during the October fires in 2017. It is amazing to see how nature bounces back from a nature catastrophe like those devastating fires. 

A European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris - I think - David, please, correct all my "I think"s) greeted us at the start of the paved trail that meanders through the shady valley.

Everywhere we could see dead trees, either remnants of the fires or just natural death occurrence. They look interesting and were just waiting for me to take a picture.

A Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) - my new best friend after I had learned about their ability to "de-weaponize" ticks. 

This is Purple Sanicle (Sanicula bipinnatifida), another species I hadn't seen before and was glad to find here in the woods.

The shady path through the valley is perfect for walking on hotter days. 

Sky Lupine (Lupinus nanus), a native, was found everywhere! They aren't very tall and dot meadows with their bi-colored petals - blue and magenta, how wonderful is that?

Two weeks later when I was at Sonoma Valley again, the Narrowleaf Mule-ears (Wyethia angustifolia) had turned up in many spots. Another native that is found inland in grassland and meadows as well as at the coast.

The Lake again, April

When I walked the less crowded dirt trails a little bit further away from the lake, I finally saw all the wildflowers I was waiting for.

Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) and Italian Thistle (Carduus pycnocephalus)

Blue Dicks (Dipterostemon capitatus)

Common Fiddleneck (Amsinckia menziesii)

California Hedge Nettle (Stachys bullata)

This True Cranefly (Tipula luna) was happy to be in the cool shade of the forest.

The lichen on the fence was very much to my liking, however, the French Broom (Genista monspessulana) was not. This plant looks gorgeous, but it is an introduced species that is extremely invasive and can take over quickly. What is even worse, it burns easily and can spread fires rapidly. 

Do you look more closely at tree bark? I do and find this oak bark very interesting. Nature is full of wonders.

No, I wasn't drunk when I took the following picture - the trees really grow like this along this path. Isn't it a bit magical? I wouldn't be surprised if some elves would suddenly appear among the trees.

I leave you with a shot of two Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) resting in a dead tree - our natural clean-up crew. What would we do without them?

With so many bird and flower faces I link up to Nicole's Friday Face Off.

A Hike Along the Ridge

 

My friend Kris and I often walk or hike together in our regional parks. Dogs are allowed here, so she can bring Zoey who is a very well behaved older dog. This morning we decided to hike in Sonoma Valley Park, but instead of taking the popular shady paved path we opted for Cougar Trail up the ridge.

That trail starts right at the parking lot and meanders among trees up the hill. In October 2017 the park heavily burned in the Nuns Fire. It had been closed for weeks after that, but when we hiked there in April 2018, it was already far into its way to recovery. You can read about that here.

Most of the old trees were left in the park. They offer a great habitat for wildlife. Especially the once almost completely burned parts were now heavily populated by Acorn Woodpeckers.

Can you see the deer next to the trail?

Halfway up close to the "cranberry pond" we enjoyed the fantastic view over this area. This was the first time on our hike that Kris and I said to each other how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful place (we said that several more times this morning).

We stopped every now and then just to take in the trees and the green of the hill. That color will vanish soon when it will get warmer and there won't be anymore rain until the fall.

We hiked up to the ridge - it was warming up, but thankfully most of the trail is in the shade of the trees.

Up at the ridge the trail evens out - a very pleasant hike. Of course there are crooked trees - always a favorite photo subject of mine. Darling Zoey agreed to show her face after I told her about Nicole's Friday Face Off.

We found a bench where we stopped for a few minutes to give Zoey some water and we had a refreshing drink ourselves as well as some apple slices - and we enjoyed the view.

In this area there were a lot of dead and burnt trees. Fascinating!

I especially liked the Lace Lichen - isn't it very decorative? Beside the smaller holes, this tree had a big hole.

Of course I had to check whether anything was in there. You bet!

Some fungi that looked like dried up Turkey Tails were at the lower part of the stump and there were acorns in the holes as well.

Kris discovered this tree:

Interesting and fascinating bark:

And I couldn't help it, I had to take a photo through this tree. It was definitely calling out to me.

A week before when I was here with the park's birding group there were way more wildflowers to see. Most of them were already gone by now. We could still see a few Blue Dicks (Dipterostemom capitatus) and also some Sky Lupines (no picture).

But we saw this little guy, a California Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia california).

Eventually we stopped to eat our sandwiches and give Zoey a well deserved treat until we decided to go back the same trail and not hike down to the paved path in the valley. It was the right decision - the trail through the forest was so beautiful.

This tree seemd to give us a wink as a goodbye when we finally descended to the parking lot.