Two of the most successful weeds here at our place are mustard and mallow, which are quick to germinate after the first winter rains. There’s already a thick crop emerging on the sward, though unfortunately that area is used by the dog for relieving herself, so we won’t be harvesting any of those leaves for the soup pot.
From a session by Jean Mackay on different approaches to nature journalling, offered at Wild Wonder 2022. I really love her work and aspire to make pages as beautiful as hers.
If you see a coin in a fountain, it might be a penny. If you see a coin in a stream, it might be a water-penny beetle larva.
I spotted my first Say’s Phoebe yesterday morning. Such a pretty belly!
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 🤩.
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.
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.
These handsome flycatchers have been evident in the garden lately. So dapper!
Ugh. Another one down. I don’t know why there’s a sudden spate of collision deaths, but we need to do something about it right away.
hashiworks 