The dark-eyed junco, a small New World sparrow, is found through most of the US, Canada, and northern Mexico. There are a bunch of sub-species classified into different groups; we have the Oregon or brown-backed group here in Southern California. They mainly eat seeds, and the occasional insect. This one flitted away through the branches then turned back to look at me. I see you, Mr Junco!
We rarely get spectacular cloud formations here, but I am fond of the fluffy rolls that sit on the ocean’s surface some mornings. According to Wikipedia, roll clouds are a type of arcus cloud, usually associated with thunderstorms. However they can also arise along the shallow cold air currents of sea breeze boundaries, which I assume is what we are seeing here.
It’s that time of year!
‘Twas a grand day to hike Hondo. I spotted a new caterpillar, and learned more about it when I got home. The genista broom moth, Uresiphita reversalis, is light to medium brown with a dark spot on each top wing. The hindwings are yellow or orange with some brownish-gray shading toward the edges. Genista caterpillars feed on acacias, brooms (Genista spp., thus the common name) and lupines, among other species. They ingest and store alkaloids from their host plants, which make the worms bitter or even toxic to mammals, birds and some insect predators. So don’t try eating them!
From a class with Jean Mackay.
After all these years of living nearby, I finally paid a visit to Santa Cruz Island (limuw) with the Channel Islands Nature Journalers. I was keen to spot the extremely cute, iconic Island Fox, and was not disappointed. Urocyon littoralis is a small fox species that is endemic to six of the eight Channel Islands of California, with a unique sub-species occupying each island. They are generally docile, show little fear of humans, and have figured out how to open backpacks to get at your sandwiches.
It was a lovely day spent with like-minded, happy folks. Thanks to Karen and Jeyla for organising the trip.
I’d never noticed that a tomato’s seeds were arranged radially inside the fruit.
Tomato seeds are remarkably resilient, surviving the heat of the compost bin and the acids of the mammalian digestive tract. Every time I spread compost on my garden, tomato seedlings pop up, and I’m happy to let these volunteers grow*. Given the competition from other hungry critters, I usually pick the fruit at first blush and ripen it indoors.
*Squash/pumpkin seedlings, on the other hand, are plucked at first sight. I don’t have room for their sprawl.
Oenothera elata (Tall/Hooker’s/Hairy/Western/Marsh Evening Primrose) is a tall biennial native to much of western and central North America, with one or more upright stems bearing a profusion of large bright yellow flowers, 3 in (7 cm) across. I was intrigued to see a bee burrowing deep into the flower’s throat, rather than gathering pollen from the prominent stamens and pistil.
After leaving the Field Campus, I spent the night with friends in Sacramento, before making the long drive back home. I’d never seen a yellow-billed magpie before. What a gorgeous bird!
