Inch-worm and Christmas frost

Here's a little inch-worm that was hanging out on a newly emerged giant coreopsis flower. Lunch time!

The day after Christmas was the coldest I've felt in a while. The ground was frosty from Los Osos to Harmony. This is a coastal grassland on the central coast of California. It was actually a really good day for surfing too, just brrrrrr cold.

Ho Ho Ho, Rainbows and Snow

Here's a cool picture of Morro Rock with a rainbow from December 16th 2008. Kimi May-Paradis gets credit for this picture.

This one is over at Morro Strand where it hailed today and almost looks like snow. Jacob Long took this picture and the next one.

Here's another Morro Strand picture showing more of the Christmas spirit.

Fire, Fire!

Okay, it wasn't that exiting, but we had a controlled or prescribed burn at Estero Bluffs State Park a couple of weeks ago. It is an attempt to control the weedy species and to help out the native bunch grasses. We burned off a total of 180 acres with no problems in about an hour and a half. We actually started the day clearing the site of people and posting signs around 7:30 am and mop up finished at around 4:30 pm.

Apologies for the lapse in posting.

I've been really lax about inputing new pics lately, and so I apologize. Been really busy with work and the new baby. Anyways, here is a cute picture of some Phoebes in their mud nest alongside some cliff swallows. Ain't they cute!

Some Rarities

This first picture is of a nice view along Islay Creek near the old dam. It is apparently part of the cultural and vernacular landscape of the area. Besides having some debris stuck in the diversion flap, both above and below still provide nice habitat for steelhead, one of our most threatened species.

We've also been doing some rare plant surveys in Montana de Oro recently. Here are three of our rarest plants that occur in different areas of the park. They range in habitat from the higher mountains mixed with Manzanita and Chamise to the lowest ares of the park where the salt and fresh water meet in the estuary. Here are;

Cordylanthus maritimus (Salt Marsh Bird's Beak)

Dithryea maritima (Beach Spectacle Pod)
Eriodictyon altissimum (Indian Knob Mountain Balm)
This last one with the penny shows how the IKMB emerges from the middle of disturbed sites. It will grow up to six feet tall and more, but always has little slender leaves and tiny purple flowers. This one is at risk of being trampled if we do not keep this section of trail closed.

Some Interesting Birds

We have a MAPS program here locally that I go and work with every now and again. The acronym stands for Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship. It is a nationwide effort started in 1989 by the Institute for Bird Populations to study and come up with statistics for mostly passerines . Here are a few of the more unusual bird we have caught and banded. The first is a common bird, but not common in the mist nests, it's an Oak Titmouse. The second is also a common bird in the area, but we have never before caught one, it's an Ash-throated Flycatcher. The last bird is a bit more unusual for us this close to the coast. It was probably passing through on it's way to higher elevations locally, it's a MacGillivray's Warbler. It's a really fun program to be a part of and a great place to learn more about birds. You learn so much more when the bird is in hand. Just look at that partial eye-ring on the warbler. That kind of detail is so hard to see when looking through a hundred yards of willow branches.

Spring Time!

I drove to Tahoe this past weekend and it was snowing. Returning to the central coast I realized that Spring has definitely sprung. Here are a couple of pictures of what is out there for all of us to enjoy. The first picture is out in the valley near where James Dean was killed on Hwy 41. The second is of Most Beautiful Jewel Flower in Cayucos. Get out there and enjoy the weather and the flowers.

Magic Bird

Here's a male kestrel that apparently has a trick or two up it's sleeve (or wing). It got inside a locked ranch house and then got stuck. When I arrived at the site, it was sitting on the window sill looking longingly outside. Just outside was a female kestrel perched on a power pole. I walked right up to it and without much fuss picked it up and carried it outside. I placed it on my sleeve and it sat there vocalizing and staring at me. So I moved it to my finger and encouraged it to fly.  It sat on my hand for a good 30 seconds before taking flight. It flew right up to the female on the pole, they vocalized at each other and then flew off together over some trees. They both circled back and stayed in the area, perching on the powerlines over the grassy fields. I hope it got to eat something soon, because it looked as if it had been trapped for at least a couple of days. I still can't figure out how it got into a house with all the doors and windows locked.  I hear that they are cavity nesters and will sometimes search out new holes during mating season for potential nest sites.  Well, maybe it found a small hole into the house and couldn't find its way out again. 

Western Snowy Plover

It's almost that time of year again. When the snowy plovers begin their breeding season all along the west coast. This one was maybe a day or two old and already down by the waters edge at low tide. Laying completely still waiting for all danger to pass, it will stay until its parent (usually the male) gives the all clear. Cryptic coloration and the ability to lie completely still are their only form of protection at this stage. Dangers include predators (which are numerous), inclement weather, lack of food and loss of habitat. Please respect the fences and share the beach with these threatened birds.

Who Needs Eucs?

This one is for all those people that love the eucalyptus trees and think they should stay simply because the Monarchs need them. Without getting too political, what do you think the butterflies did before the eucalyptus trees arrived here? Monarchs in pine and oak.