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No salesman will call, at least not from us. Maybe from someone else.
Despite our weather concerns, it turned out to be a perfect day for a hike. We almost canceled twice – once because there had been no rain – then because there had suddenly been a lot of rain.
Golden Current closeup (J.Kenney 4/15/12)
As usual, some flowers were blooming, some weren’t. The Yearling Trail through “Ronald Reagan Meadow” had a few muddy spots, but nothing not easily avoidable.
Rabbit licking his muddy feet (J. Waterman 4/15/12)
We tried a new route this year. Rather than hiking to Malibu Creek State Park parking lot and car-shuttling back to Paramount Ranch, we hiked a loop which was more of a “lasso”: Yearling Trail to Lookout Trail down to Century Lake on Crags Rd., then back up the hill via Cage Creek Trail to Yearling Trail and back to Paramount Ranch. I thought this would be a shorter route, but now I’m not so sure. It was definitely tougher, with an all-uphill trek on the way back rather than a gentle amble alongside Malibu Creek.
As always, the hike was led by Peggy Burhenn, Calif. State Parks docent specializing in native plants and wildflowers. This year, Jim Kenney was with us, taking many of the photographs that grace this posting. Jim took most or all (not sure which) of the photographs in the very thick wildflower book** that Peggy always has in hand.
Indian Paintbrush (J.Kenney 4/15/12)
We saw a lot of great flowers and birds, the air was filled with birdsong, and no one got hit by a bicycle. No rain and cool temperatures topping out around 70°.
Male House Finch is almost same shade of red as Indian Paintbrush (J. Waterman 4/15/12)
Dew-damp funnel spider webs were in the meadow, and best of all, we started off with a family of three coyotes crossing the trail about 100 ft. ahead. Birding and “wildflowering” are tough, tough tasks, but someone has to do this filthy, grinding work.
Waiting Coyote (J.Kenney 4/15/12)
All the participants, although tired at the end, thoroughly enjoyed themselves. If you didn’t make it, think about it for next year.
Red-shouldered Hawk at Reagan Ranch (J.Kenney 4/15/12)
The lists below give a four-year comparison of flowers and birds seen on this hike. Because we changed the route this year, some plants and birds, found in particular locations, didn’t make the list this year. We always find Chia, for example, on a hillside near the Malibu Creek S.P. parking lot. The waterfowl and shorebirds are found mostly in the open sections of Malibu Creek. [Chuck Almdale]
** Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains by Milt McAuley (1985 & 1996)
| PLANTS |
4/15 |
4/9 |
4/10 |
3/29 |
| WHITE |
2012 |
2011 |
2010 |
2009 |
| Ashy-leafed Buckwheat | X | X | ||
| Big Pod Ceanothus | X | X | ||
| California Buckwheat | X | X | ||
| California Everlasting | X | X | ||
| Cliff Aster | X | |||
| Coyote Brush | X | |||
| Dodder | X | X | ||
| Elderberry | X | X | X | |
| Horehound* | X | X | X | X |
| Miner’s Lettuce | X | X | X | |
| Morning Glory | X | X | ||
| Mulefat | X | X | X | |
| Narrow-leafed Bedstraw | X | |||
| Poison Hemlock | X | |||
| Poison Oak | X | |||
| Popcorn Flower | X | X | X | |
| White Nightshade | X | X | ||
| White Sage | X | X | X | X |
| Wild Cucumber | X | X | X | X |
| Yucca | X | X | X | |
| YELLOW | ||||
| Burr Clover* | X | |||
| Canyon Sunflower | X | |||
| Collarless California Poppy | X | |||
| Common Fiddleneck | X | X | X | X |
| Common Goldfields | X | |||
| Deerweed | X | X | ||
| Golden Currant | X | X | X | X |
| Golden Yarrow | X | X | ||
| Johnny Jump-up | X | X | X | X |
| Lomatium | X | |||
| Microseris | X | |||
| Mountain Dandelion | X | X | ||
| Mustard* | X | X | X | X |
| Pineapple Weed* | X | X | X | X |
| Stringose Lotus | X | X | ||
| Western Wallflower | X | X | ||
| ORANGE | ||||
| Bush/sticky Monkeyflower | X | X | ||
| California Poppy | X | X | X | |
| Scarlet Pimpernel* | X | X | ||
| RED | ||||
| Crimson Pitcher Sage | X | X | X | |
| Indian Paintbrush | X | X | ||
| PINK | ||||
| Bush Mallow | X | |||
| Milk Thistle* | X | X | ||
| Prickly Phlox | X | X | ||
| Purple Clarkia | X | |||
| Purple Owl’s Clover | X | X | ||
| Purple Sage | X | X | X | X |
| Red-stem Filaree* | X | X | X | X |
| Spring Vetch* | X | X | X | |
| Tom Cat Clover | X | |||
| Wild Radish* | X | X | X | X |
| Wild Sweet Pea | X | X | ||
| Wooly Aster | X | |||
| PURPLE / BLUE | ||||
| Baby Blue Eyes | X | X | ||
| Bajada Lupine | X | |||
| Black Sage | X | X | X | |
| Blue Dicks | X | X | X | X |
| Blue Larkspur | X | |||
| Bush Lupine | X | X | X | X |
| California Peony | X | |||
| Caterpillar Phacelia | X | X | X | X |
| Chia | X | X | X | |
| Chinese Houses | X | X | X | X |
| Common Vervain | X | X | ||
| Danny’s Skullcap | X | X | ||
| Dove Lupine | X | X | X | |
| Fern-leaf Phacelia | X | X | ||
| Fiesta Flower | X | X | X | X |
| Green Bark Ceanothus | X | X | X | |
| Henbit* | X | |||
| Italian Thistle* | X | |||
| Parry’s Phacelia | X | X | X | |
| Purple Nightshade | X | X | X | X |
| Winter Vetch* | X | X | ||
| BROWN | ||||
| Curly Dock | X | X | ||
| English Plantain* | X | |||
| Lace Pod (green) | X | X | ||
| TREES, SHRUBS, OR | ||||
| NOT IN BLOOM | ||||
| Arroyo Willow | X | X | X | X |
| Ashy-leafed Buckwheat | X | |||
| Big Pod Ceanothus | X | |||
| Bush/Sticky Monkeyflower | X | |||
| California Bay Laural | X | X | ||
| California Bickelbush | X | |||
| California Buckwheat | X | |||
| California Sagebrush | X | X | X | |
| Chamise | X | X | X | |
| Coast Live Oak | X | X | X | X |
| Coffee Berry | X | |||
| Coyote Brush | X | X | X | |
| Crimson Pitcher Sage | X | |||
| Dudleaya | X | |||
| Elderberry | X | |||
| English Plantain* | X | |||
| Green Bark Ceanothus | X | |||
| Hog Fennel | X | X | ||
| Indian Paintbrush | X | |||
| Laural Sumac | X | X | X | X |
| Milk Thistle* | X | X | ||
| Mistletoe | X | X | X | X |
| Mugwort | X | X | X | X |
| Poison Hemlock* | X | X | ||
| Poison Oak | X | X | X | |
| Scrub Oak | X | X | ||
| Soap Plant | X | X | ||
| Squaw Bush | X | |||
| Stinging Nettle | X | |||
| Sugarbush | X | X | X | |
| Toyon | X | X | X | X |
| Valley Oak | X | X | X | X |
| Western Sycamore | X | X | X | X |
| Whitethorn | X | |||
| Wild Rose | X | X | X | X |
| Yucca | X | |||
| Total Species – 97 |
74 |
61 |
71 |
56 |
|
* – Introduced species |
*****
| BIRD LIST |
4/15 |
4/9 |
4/10 |
3/29 |
| Name |
2012 |
2011 |
2010 |
2009 |
| Canada Goose | 4 | 2 | ||
| Gadwall | X | |||
| American Wigeon | X | |||
| Mallard | 8 | 7 | 10 | X |
| Bufflehead | X | |||
| Ruddy Duck | X | |||
| California Quail | 20 | 6 | 4H | |
| Pied-billed Grebe | X | |||
| Great Blue Heron | 1 | 2 | ||
| Turkey Vulture | 3 | 4 | 2 | X |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 1 | ||
| Cooper’s Hawk | 1 | 1 | X | |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 1 | 6 | 2 | X |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 3 | 3 | 5 | X |
| American Kestrel | X | |||
| American Coot | 4 | 4 | X | |
| Spotted Sandpiper | 1 | |||
| Band-tailed Pigeon | 3 | 9 | ||
| Mourning Dove | 4 | 8 | 12 | |
| Black-hooded Parakeet | 3 | 1 | ||
| Vaux’s Swift | 20 | |||
| White-throated Swift | 2 | 4 | 12 | X |
| Black-chinned Hummingbird | 1 | 1 | ||
| Anna’s Hummingbird | 1 | 2 | 4 | X |
| Allen’s Hummingbird | 1 | 1 | X | |
| Belted Kingfisher | 1 | X | ||
| Acorn Woodpecker | 9 | 8 | 11 | X |
| Nuttall’s Woodpecker | 5 | 2 | 2H | X |
| Downy Woodpecker | X | |||
| Northern Flicker | 3 | 2 | X | |
| Hammond’s Flycatcher | 1 | |||
| Pacific-slope Flycatcher | 1 | 2 | X | |
| Black Phoebe | 4 | 8 | 8 | X |
| Say’s Phoebe | 1 | 3 | 1 | |
| Cassin’s Kingbird | 3 | 4 | 2 | X |
| Western Kingbird | 1 | 4 | 3 | X |
| Hutton’s Vireo | 1 | |||
| Warbling Vireo | 2 | X | ||
| Western Scrub-Jay | 10+20H | 12 | 14 | X |
| American Crow | 15 | 20 | 6 | X |
| Common Raven | 2 | 4 | 5 | X |
| Tree Swallow | 6 | 4 | ||
| Violet-green Swallow | 20 | 20 | 12 | |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | 25 | 35 | 24 | X |
| Cliff Swallow | 3 | 1 | 20 | X |
| Barn Swallow | 2 | X | ||
| Oak Titmouse | 2+20H | 9 | 4 | X |
| Bushtit | 8 | 8 | 4 | X |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 2 | 2 | 2 | X |
| Canyon Wren | 1 | 1H | 1H | |
| Bewick’s Wren | 4 | 12 | 2 | X |
| House Wren | 4+40H | 25 | 32 | X |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 3H | 1 | ||
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 1 | 2 | 2 | X |
| Wrentit | 20H | 7H | H | X |
| Western Bluebird | 10 | 13 | 10 | X |
| Hermit Thrush | 1 | X | ||
| American Robin | 1 | |||
| Northern Mockingbird | 2 | X | ||
| California Thrasher | 1+3H | 4H | H | |
| European Starling | 1 | 6 | 12 | X |
| Orange-crowned Warbler | 1H | 5 | 6 | X |
| Common Yellowthroat | 1H | 6 | 2 | X |
| Yellow Warbler | 1+6H | H | ||
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | 6 | 6 | 10 | X |
| Black-throated Gray Warbler | X | |||
| Townsend’s Warbler | X | |||
| Spotted Towhee | 5+15H | 8 | 5 | x |
| California Towhee | 10 | 20 | 6 | x |
| Savannah Sparrow | 1 | |||
| Song Sparrow | 7+6H | 13 | 7 | X |
| Lincoln’s Sparrow | x | |||
| White-crowned Sparrow | 10 | 1 | X | |
| Golden-crowned Sparrow | 2 | |||
| Dark-eyed Junco | 10 | X | ||
| Black-headed Grosbeak | 8 | 3 | 4 | |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 12 | 20 | X | |
| Western Meadowlark | X | |||
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 2 | 1 | ||
| Hooded Oriole | 4 | 6 | ||
| Bullock’s Oriole | 6 | 3 | 6 | |
| Purple Finch | H | |||
| House Finch | 90 | 60 | 20 | X |
| Lesser Goldfinch | 8 | 12 | 16 | X |
| American Goldfinch | 30 | |||
| House Sparrow | X | |||
| Total Species – 86 |
62 |
52 |
60 |
58 |
| H = Heard X = Present |
|
|
|
|
Magnetic Birds? Or not? Birds & Other Science in the News
Here’s a good article with lots of pictures of fossil birds. Because birds have such thin bones (pneumaticized and all that), there really aren’t many good fossils of them.
Paleobirding: What Birds Looked Like 125 Million Years ago
By Daniela Hernandez
From: Wired Science, April 9, 2012
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/04/paleo-birding/?pid=3498&viewall=true
**********************************************
New Study Overturns Prevailing Theory of How Birds Navigate
By Matt Mendenhall
From: Bird Watching Daily, April 13, 2012
Scientists have thrown cold water on the theory that iron-rich nerve cells in birds’ bills help them navigate using Earth’s magnetic field.
http://cs.birdwatchingdaily.com/BRDCS/blogs/field_of_view/archive/2012/04/11/New-study-overturns-prevailing-theory-of-how-birds-navigate.aspx
**********************************************
The Los Angeles Times reports on the same study.
Bird’s Sense of Direction Still Up In the Air
A new study undermines a long-held theory that certain cells in the beak act as magnetoreceptors to detect the Earth’s magnetic field. The findings conclude those cells just fight off infection.
By Amina Khan
From: Los Angeles Times, April 13, 2012
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-bird-navigation-beaks-20120414,0,4807202.story
**********************************************
**********************************************
If you are a regular reader of the Los Angeles Times, you may have noticed that many of the science articles are written by Amina Khan. The only biographical information I could find on her was: “Science writer at the Los Angeles Times. I geek out for a living.” She’s very good: she writes on great topics, she’s succinct and clear. I’m a fan of hers. Here’s a few of her many many articles from the LA Times.
***********************
Supernova Traced to Collision of White Dwarf Stars
Two scientists studying a Type 1a supernova may have pinned down the cause of such massive stellar explosions, they report in the journal Nature. 1/14/12
[This is one of my favorites, as it discusses the impact this discovery may have on the existence (or non-existence) of “dark energy”, the proposed driver of the presumed increasing speed of expansion of the universe.]
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-supernova-20120114,0,2324818.story
**********************************************
Dinosaur feathers: Fossils indicate T. rex cousin had shaggy coat
Yutyrannus huali fossils, found in China, show that the giants had primitive fuzzy feathers at least in patches and probably in a full coat, a scientist says. 1/4/12
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-giant-feathered-dinosaur-20120405,0,5455707.story
**********************************************
A gun in hand makes a man look taller, study says
In a study of how people assess danger, participants who looked at photos of hands holding different objects thought the gun bearers were the tallest. 4/12/12
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-weapons-height-20120412,0,809520.story
**********************************************
Study finds link between autism and obesity during pregnancy
Women with diabetes or hypertension were also more likely to have children with developmental delays. 4/8/12
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-autism-obese-mothers-20120409,0,1741964.story
**********************************************
Human ancestors used fire earlier than thought, study says
Charred bones in a South African cave suggest that Homo erectus was utilizing fire a million years ago, and may even have been cooking, researchers say. 4/3/12
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-fire-20120403,0,5516323.story
**********************************************
[Chuck Almdale]
Walker Ranch Trip Report: Sat. 7 April, 2012
Pocket Gopher, most likely Botta's - Thomomys bottae. (C.Bragg 4/7/12)
A shame we didn’t have more people out for this trip – the weather was perfect and the warblers were moving through. We started the day with a UFO (Unidentified Furry Object) that we suppose was a vole. [Later examination makes me think it is a pocket gopher. – Ed.] Down in the many many oak trees we found many many Acorn Woodpeckers, more Nuttall’s Woodpeckers heard than seen, and a few flickers.
Acorn Woodpeckers were everywhere. (C.Bragg 4/7/12)
Walker Ranch is well-known among local birders as one of the few places where you can find Western Scrub-Jay and Steller’s Jays in the same trees. The chaparral-loving ‘scrubbies’ are usually found at lower altitudes than the Steller’s, which are more commonly found in conifers. Upstream in the early morning, Mountain Quail come down to drink, and can often be heard calling.
Warblers abounded (see list below).
The Nashville Warbler was probably the most notable; although most people saw only one or two, the other Chuck saw a larger group when he wandered off through the picnic area. There were at least a dozen or so Black-throated Gray Warblers, and one of them was incautious enough to be photographed. [Check out the difficult-to-see yellow loral spot! – Ed]
Black-throated Gray Warbler dressed in his breeding best. (C.Bragg 4/7/12)
House Wren loudly singing. (C.Bragg 4/7/12)
House Wrens did most of the singing and seemed to be everywhere. All in all we didn’t walk very far because there were birds everywhere!
[Chuck Bragg]
To give you an idea of the racket these small (4.75″) birds can make, here’s a link to a YouTube video of a House Wren in his house, and singing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8wjCGQhhRI
Read more about Pocket Gophers – beloved by gardeners everywhere – at:
http://acwm.lacounty.gov/scripts/gophers.htm
| Placerita Canyon S.P. |
Date |
| Walker Ranch section |
4/7/12 |
| California Quail | 5 |
| Turkey Vulture | 10 |
| White-tailed Kite | 2 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 2 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 2 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 |
| Rock Pigeon | 2 |
| Band-tailed Pigeon | 1 |
| Mourning Dove | 10 |
| White-throated Swift | 6 |
| Anna’s Hummingbird | 3 |
| Allen’s Hummingbird | 3 |
| Acorn Woodpecker | 30 |
| Nuttall’s Woodpecker | 4 |
| Northern Flicker | 4 |
| Hammond’s Flycatcher | 3 |
| Pacific-slope Flycatcher | 1 |
| Black Phoebe | 2 |
| Warbling Vireo | 4 |
| Steller’s Jay | 3 |
| Western Scrub-Jay | 8 |
| American Crow | 8 |
| Common Raven | 6 |
| Oak Titmouse | 10 |
| Bushtit | 15 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 5 |
| Bewick’s Wren | 3 |
| House Wren | 25 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 10 |
| Wrentit | 3 Heard |
| Western Bluebird | 8 |
| Hermit Thrush | 6 |
| Northern Mockingbird | 1 |
| Phainopepla | 2 |
| Orange-crowned Warbler | 20 |
| Nashville Warbler | 10 |
| Yellow Warbler | 4 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler-Audubon | 60 |
| Black-throated Gray Warbler | 20 |
| Wilson’s Warbler | 1 |
| Spotted Towhee | 6 |
| Rufous-crowned Sparrow | 1 |
| California Towhee | 8 |
| Fox Sparrow | 1 |
| Song Sparrow | 2 |
| Lincoln’s Sparrow | 2 |
| White-crowned Sparrow | 1 |
| Golden-crowned Sparrow | 3 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 10 |
| Black-headed Grosbeak | 12 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 2 |
| Bullock’s Oriole | 6 |
| Purple Finch | 2 |
| House Finch | 10 |
| Lesser Goldfinch | 2 |
| Total Species | 55 |
Wildflowers of Mineral King show at Theodore Paine
Wildflowers of Mineral King
Rosy Fairy Lantern - Calochortus amoenus watercolor by Joan Keesey
An exhibition of botanical watercolors by Joan Keesey,
is now on show at the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants.
When:
Friday, March 30 through Saturday, June 30, 2012
Tuesday – Saturday,
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Where:
Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild flowers and Native Plants, Inc.
10459 Tuxford Street
Sun Valley, CA 91352
818-768-1802
theodorepayne.org
Google Map
[Chuck Almdale]
Full Pink Moon 6 April, 7:21 a.m.
Here’s another update from SMBAS Blog on that large, round, shining object which has frequently appeared in our nighttime sky this year (known to many as the moon).
April 6, 7:21 a.m. PDT — Full Pink Moon. The grass pink, or wild ground phlox, is one of the earliest widespread flowers of spring. Other names for this month’s moon were the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and — among coastal tribes — the Full Fish Moon, when the shad came upstream to spawn. This is also the Paschal Full Moon; the first full moon of the spring season. The first Sunday following the Paschal Moon is Easter Sunday, which indeed will be observed two days later on Sunday, April 8. [Gallery: The Fantastic Full Moon]
The next significant full moon will occur on May 5 at 8:35 p.m. PDT. Keep an eye on this spot for additional breaking news on this unprecedented event.
This information comes to you courtesy of:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45911225/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/how-s-full-moons-got-their-strange-names/#.T16CDHlIXUx
But that’s way too long to type in, and besides, you don’t need to go there because SMBAS has done the work for you!
[Chuck Almdale]
SANTA MONICA BAY AUDUBON SOCIETY BLOG 