I had a lovely morning at the estuary with the Channel Islands Nature Journalers. The fish noticed the osprey before I did!
Ventura River estuary
Tag: nature journaling
Asclepias eriocarpa
Asclepias eriocarpa is native to California and adjacent parts of Nevada and Baja California. It grows in many habitat types such as rocky hillsides, woods, deserts, and especially dry areas. Along with other milkweeds, woollypod is vital to the survival of the monarch butterfly, as well as being a great nectar source for a range of beneficial insects.
Milkweeds contain cardiac glycosides, naturally occurring drugs that increase the force of heart contraction and have been used to treat heart conditions. The cardiac glycosides are potentially poisonous to humans, and are definitely toxic to dogs, cats, and grazing animals. So maybe don’t plant it in your horse paddock.
Ammopelmatus fuscus
It’s been a while since I drew an insect with Trisha from Insectopia. I learned a new term: SULCUS (singular) / SULCI (plural) for folds in an insect’s exoskeleton. It also refers to the depressions or grooves in the brain.
chard roots
Tipuloidea
Mosquito hawk. Skeeter-eater. Gallinipper. Gollywhopper. Jenny longlegs. Daddy longlegs. Crane flies are found all over the world and go by many different names. There are several common misconceptions about these insects:
- That they are the most venomous insects in the world (in fact, they have neither venom nor the ability to bite).
- That they prey on mosquito populations (also untrue; the adult crane fly is anatomically incapable of killing or consuming other insects).
Crane fly larvae can be important in the soil ecosystem, because they process organic material and increase microbial activity. Larvae and adults are also valuable prey items for many animals, including insects, spiders, fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals. However, the larvae of some crane fly species are agricultural pests, as they feed on the roots, root hairs, crown, and sometimes the leaves of crops. But mostly, these giant, delicate creatures are completely harmless.
Phrynosoma blainvillii
Malosma laurina
Finally got around to the Day 7 prompt from International Nature Journaling Week: renewal and regeneration.
buzzfeed
I’d seen a tuning fork used to trigger pollen ejection from nightshade flowers, but an electric toothbrush is cheaper and more accessible for demonstration purposes. I might add one to my school walks kit.
imaginal discs
Why had I never heard of imaginal discs before? Such a cool name, and structure!
passiflora
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