We are in the winter range of the white-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys. At various times of the year it is found over nearly all of the North American continent. This deep-bellied, deep-chested, broad-necked sparrow is a very rare vagrant to western Europe. In 2008, one was spotted in Cley next the Sea in Norfolk, England. To commemorate the event, an image of the bird was included in a window at St Margaret’s Church.
Toyons are fruiting abundantly all over our mountains (and in our yard), providing food for many birds and mammals. The tree depends on animals for seed dispersal, and our first winter rains are forecast this week. The seeds that are eaten and “planted” earliest in the wet season will have the longest time to establish themselves before the long hot dry season arrives. Eat up and poop, critters!
Only two pages left in the Perpetual Journal before I flip back to the beginning and start adding to the spreads. I’m pleased that I’ve managed to keep up the practice for (nearly) a full year, and am excited to see the pages fill out in the coming years.
This week in the PerpJo. Rhus ovata, commonly known as sugar bush or sugar sumac, is a shrub or small tree found growing in the canyons and slopes of the chaparral and related ecosystems in Southern California, Arizona, Baja California and Baja California Sur. It is a long lived-plant, up to 100 years, and has dense evergreen foliage. It is closely related to and hybridizes with lemonadeberry, which grows at our place. It’s in the cashew family!
We recently saw the return of Yellow-rumped warblers to our yard. They breed in the northern parts of the continent and come south in the non-breeding season.
Males have conspicuous yellow patches on the crown, flank, and rump (the latter giving rise to the nickname “butter butt” among birdwatchers). Their Latin name means “crowned moth-eater”, though they eat plenty of other insect species, as well as spiders.
Happy to see them back!
This handsome, clever, bossy corvid has been absent from our garden for a few months, but is back this week. California (formerly “Western”) Scrub-Jays are not migratory, so I’m not sure where ours have been hanging out of late. I’m guessing they were raising a brood on a neighbouring property.
Studies show that scrub-jays are among the most intelligent of animals. The brain-to-body mass ratio of adult scrub-jays rivals that of chimpanzees and cetaceans, and is dwarfed only by that of humans. Welcome back, smartypants!
I’ve really enjoyed seeing, and smelling, the vinegarweed that‘s now running riot at the State Park. This annual herb, a member of the mint family, is native to California, though it occurs in other parts of the western U.S. Its preferred habitats are coastal sage scrub, oak woodland, foothill woodland, and chaparral.
The volatile oils in its foliage have a strong vinegar odour, which grazing animals find unpalatable but I quite enjoy sniffing.
Vinegarweed is an important late summer pollen source for native bees and other insects. When a pollinating insect lands on the lower lobes of the corolla, and inserts its mouth parts into the nectar-containing section, the narrow corolla portion above is straightened and snaps rapidly downward brushing pollen onto the insect’s back. Nature never ceases to amaze.
This week in the PerpJo: Epilobium canum, also known as California fuchsia, hummingbird trumpet and firechalice, is a species of willowherb in the evening primrose family (Onagraceae). It’s a low-growing, spreading, perennial sub-shrub with grey-green leaves that are velvety to the touch. and a profusion of bright scarlet flowers in late summer and autumn. It is native to dry slopes and chaparral of western North America, especially California. It’s doing well at our place, and I’m happy to see that it‘s now flowering.
Ashyleaf buckwheat is one of my favourite chaparral plants, and I love that it grows natively here on our block. Also known as coastal buckwheat, it is endemic to the coastline of Southern California, primarily within Los Angeles County and Ventura County.
Eriogonum cinereum can reach from 0.6–1.25 m in height and width. Its foliage is a lovely pale turquoise/silvery grey colour. The leaves are wavy-edged and one to three centimeters long. The inflorescences stick out from the plant, each with several flower cluster heads of tiny tightly-packed frilly flowers which are usually pale pink in colour. It is the food plant for Euphilotes bernardino, the Bernardino dotted blue butterfly.
Catching up in the PerpJo. Not much is flowering now, but the sumac is!
Malosma laurina is a large, rounded evergreen shrub or small tree growing 3 to 5 meters tall. The fragrant leaves and stems, being full of volatile compounds, contribute to the characteristic fragrance of chaparral. The flowers give off a “woodsy-herbal” smell, reminiscent of green apples and turpentine.
The fruit is a whitish drupe 3 mm in diameter with a smooth, flattish stone inside. The Chumash crushed and ate the dried fruits of Malosma laurina and also used the root bark to make a tea for treating dysentery.
Laurel sumac grows natively along the Southern California coastline in frost-free areas. It’s a very tough plant, hard to eradicate — if a fire burns its above ground parts, a large burl underground will re-sprout. It grows new leaves and stems all year long, even during hot dry summers, when most native plants stop growing.
This week in the perpetual journal … I’ve been seeing a lot of swallowtails recently — big and beautiful!
hashiworks 