Also known as cardinal catchfly, Mexican campion, Mexican-pink, and campion. I know these flowers are a favourite of hummingbirds, but do they catch flies, as one of the common names suggests?
Silene laciniata
Tag: hiking
thumbnails
I had a short but indefinite amount of time to fill. Rather than starting a full illustration, I practiced sketching value thumbnails.
tapia spur trail
I was intrigued by the differences in the plant communities on the north and south sides of the ridge, so decided to record the obvious species. I ended up hiking about twice as far as I planned, because I inadvertently left my art supply bag near the turnaround point and didn’t discover the fact till I was nearly all the way back to the start. Lucky it was lovely weather and I didn’t have to be anywhere else.
Ricinus communis
So attractive. So invasive. 😩
dog’s eye view
Bodie visited the pig again today. I imagine that this is what she sees as her friend approaches the fence.
Ardea alba
Things I learned on this hike—the Sepulveda Dam wall is 3 miles (5 km) long, and you can climb onto it. When the basin floods, fish are stranded on the trails. Egrets eat other birds!
meadows
Zuma Canyon trail
Thanks to blogging, I know that the last time I hiked this trail was in March 2024, as part of the whole Backbone Trail. I saw a striped racer that day; it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a snake, now I come to think about it. But it’s sure nice to witness the return of the wildflowers.
dog’s head
Apis mellifera
There was a lot to notice on today’s muddy hike—fungi, spikemosses, roaring creeks, first flowers, gorgeous views. Lots to wonder about too, including why the pollen on the bee’s legs was a darker shade of yellow than the pollen it was collecting.
hashiworks 