After my hike in Solstice Canyon, I had a little sit down on a rock by the creek. This fella saw me before I saw it, and froze while I took photos and did a rough sketch (completed at home). Then we both went on our merry ways.
rattlesnake
Images
the meadow
The scene is sketched from the same spot as yesterday’s, but now facing northwest instead of southeast. The Meadow at Malibu Creek State Park won’t be green for much longer; it was lovely to enjoy its verdure for a whole weekend.
field ecology
Just back from a fabulous Field Ecology Weekend, camping with the Malibu Creek and Topanga State Park docents, and learning from a wide range of teachers. I have many pages of notes to review and digest, and new areas of interest to pursue. Obsidian knapping and animal tracking were highlights!
kestrel 3500
As I’m going camping this weekend, K gave me my birthday present early. It’s exactly what I hoped for, and I’m tickled pink.
stumped
So many trees and wildflowers to sketch, but this stump is what caught my attention.
overcast
Behind me, a flock of Elegant Terns kept rising, wheeling and calling before settling down again. A Great Blue Heron swallowed an enormous fish after slapping it about for a while. We each did our thing, and I came home sated and peaceful. I never regret visiting this place.
agave americana
Agave americana (maguey) is a huge, sharp, blue-green succulent that blooms once, then dies. The flower spike ranges from 12-25 feet (3.5-7.5m) in height — this one by our driveway is just getting started. The bloom trigger mechanism is not well understood, but it generally flowers at about 10 years of age. The fruit are edible — I’ll be collecting and sautéing them when the time comes.
white-lined sphinx moth
I found this big fatty in the bathroom this morning. It’s a White-lined Sphinx Moth, also known as a hummingbird moth, so called because, in poor light, it can be mistaken for a hummingbird as it hovers at tubular flowers, sipping nectar with a long proboscis. Adult moths have a wingspan of up to 90mm/3.5 inches.
Here’s hoping no eggs get laid in the veggie garden. According to this article, “Larvae can occasionally occur in tremendous numbers and can move in hordes in search of food, consuming entire plants and covering roadways in slick masses.” Fun times!
red-winged blackbird
Red-winged Blackbirds are apparently “one of the most abundant birds across North America” but Saturday was the first time I’ve observed any. They hang out in wet places, and we don’t have very many of them around here! The males are so handsome and showy, with their bright orange epaulettes which they puff up as they call.
Sketched from a photo by Ashok Khosla.
nicholas flat
While painting this, I could hear a group of young kids delightedly catching lizards. I was torn between ‘free range parent’ and ‘state park docent’ as I wondered if I should fondly recall the joys of childhood or admonish them not to hurt or take the animals. I said nothing, but I had all the feels.
hashiworks 