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marah macrocarpa

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Here, the first wildflower of the season is always the wild cucumber, Marah macrocarpa. This voracious vine starts its strangling growth with the first winter rains, sending forth long, fast-growing shoots with clusters of white blooms. Later it will produce bright green, round, prickly (inedible) fruit 5–6 cm in diameter and 8–12 cm long, before dying back completely in summer.

Here on our block, we are already seeing wild cucumbers scrambling over the lemonadeberry and bougainvillea, sign that the seasons are turning once again.

oecanthus

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Tree crickets, though quite small, have a loud call that is sometimes mistaken for a cicada or tree frog. They cleverly amplify their trill by positioning themselves in a hole chewed in a leaf, with their tegmina aligned with the surface of the leaf. The leaf then acts as a speaker by significantly increasing the area from which the sound radiates. This is the same principle used by the speaker in your stereo.

Nature is amazing 🤩.

fulica americana

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American coots have the craziest feet! Each of the forward-facing toes has wide, scaly, flexible lobes that seem reptilian or even alien.

When under water, the lobes help the foot to push through the water. But on land, the lobes fold back when the foot is lifted, making it easier (than if the feet were webbed) for the bird to walk on grass, mud or even ice.

Coots aren’t the only birds with lobed feet; some grebes and phalaropes also have similar structures, though not quite as long or broad. 

kitchen window solution

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The anti-bird-strike solution is in place, and working well. We rebuilt the rickety shelf outside the kitchen window so it could support more, and larger, plants. This morning a sparrow landed on the wire fuchsia frame and hopped about for a bit, rather than crashing into the glass. I think we’re all happy!

phalacrocorax

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I did a bird walk at Malibu Lagoon with the Audubon Society yesterday morning, and learned so much! With friendly help, I spotted 37 different species.

My camera and binoculars are not of birding quality, but several people generously shared time on their scopes. I plan to nature journal my learnings over the coming weeks so as to help the new knowledge stick.

And I for sure want to attend their future monthly Lagoon visits. Some people travel long distances for these events; I’m so lucky to live close by this birding hotspot.

Ocimum basilicum

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Coming up: a big batch of pesto.

Like yesterday’s lavender, basil is in the Lamiaceae family—along with mint, rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, hyssop, and thyme, and other medicinal herbs such as catnip, salvia, bee balm, wild dagga, and oriental motherwort.

Lamiaceae stems are frequently square in cross section, but this is not found in all members of the family, and is sometimes found in other plant families. It’s a good indicator, but not dispositive. It’s the flower shape that really indicates belonging. Hmm, that’s a good topic for a future nature journal page.

lavandula

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The lavender’s fading, but the bees are still enjoying it.

The English word lavender came into use in the 13th century, and is thought to derive from Old French lavandre, ultimately from Latin lavare from lavo (to wash), most likely because crushed lavender flowers would be added to water for bathing, and washing hair and garments. It belongs to the Lamiaceae (mint) family.