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I went to the Regional Parks Botanic Garden (Berkeley, CA)  yesterday as I heard there were Trillium, and Fritillaries, in bloom. Flowers in bloom included two species of Fritillary, including the rare Adobe Lily, normally seen at Bear Valley, a Fawn Lily,  Trillium,  Shooting Stars, Star Zigadene, Wall Flower, California Poppy, Pipevine, a few species of Ribes,  Ceanothus, Canyon Live-forever, Manzanitas and the rare all yellow Meadowfoam seen at Pt. Reyes.  It was especially a treat to photograph an Adobe Lily up close as they were in bloom at the edge of raised bed as opposed to behind a fence a Bear Valley. Although my emphasis was flower photography today birds were active in the garden. I saw and/or heard Stellar’s Jay, Common Raven, Black Phoebe, Spotted Towhee, Anna’s Hummingbird, Bushtit, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and Dark-eyed Junco.

I had a brief photographic meltdown when my camera seemed possessed and had decided to take photos on its own and was not respon.ding to my attempts to control it.  I finally realized the cause was somehow the remote had gotten locked in an “on” position. (I wonder who did that?) Another tip I can share when my camera has not responded correctly has been to make sure the lens is attached properly. I have experienced my readings being all screwy or non-existent only to discover the lens was not fully locked in the correct position. (a dangerous situation as well; at least for the lens)

If the dry weather continues, which is what the current forecasts say, some of this year’s best flower viewing may well be in the Botanic Gardens.  Here are some photos from today.

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February 21, 2012 – Spotted blooms in Peach and Plum orchards this weekend, sunshine projected for this week should bring more blossoms into view.

Wildflower Bloom Status: 2/23/12
It’s been a dry winter so far, and very few poppy plants have germinated. The recent rains might surprise us with more plants but it’s still to early to tell at this point. The hills are currently tinged green with the beginnings of grasses, and a handfull of fiddleneck, slender-keeled fruit, silver puffs, goldfields, filaree, and grape soda are starting to bloom here and there. See Current Photos.  Not a lot else going on at the moment. Check in weekly for bloom updates, and hopefully better predictions.

The quality and extent of flower displays are governed by a variety of environmental factors that are not only beyond our control but hard to predict. Rainfall this season has been much lower than average, so we do not expect to see eye-popping displays of carpets of annual wildflowers. But many shrubs have already started to bloom, and limited numbers of annual wildflowers can be found growing in western canyons. Desert cactus species are generally dependable performers in late March.

Even without carpets of wildflowers along the road sides, blossoms can be found if you are willing to leave your car to walk, especially in western canyons and washes.

Wildflower Update for February 23rd:

1. Visitor Center area: brittlebush, chuparosa, and desert lavender are blooming.Tiny cryptantha is just about the only annual so far.
2. Borrego Palm Canyon: chuparosa, brittlebush, viguiera, desert lavender; scattered (and few) annuals such as monkeyflowers, poppies, rock daisy and phacelia
3. Scattered annuals can be found blooming along roadsides in the south
4. Try Plum Canyon off of Highway 78 for Desert Apricot in bloom

Related articles

• Anza-Borrego Wildflowers Report 2/21/12 (naturalhistorywanderings.com)
• Anza-Borrego Wildflowers Winter 2/18/12 (naturalhistorywanderings.com)
• Anza Borrego Wildflower Update 2/13/12 (naturalhistorywanderings.com)

• Milagra Ridge Trail, Milagra Ridge
• Notch Trail, Sweeney Ridge
• West side of Lands End
• Ecology Trail, between Inspiration Point and El Polin Spring, The Presidio
• Batteries to Bluffs Trail, Presidio Coastal Bluffs
• Coastal Trail up Slacker Hill, Marin Headlands
• Wolf Ridge Trail, Marin Headlands

To learn more about wildflowers in the parks and highlights of each trail go to: March Park E-ventures :: Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
To get a color brochure of some of the common wildflowers of the parks go to: http://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/upload/sb-wildflowers.pdf 

“….AZ Highways 177 and 77 today. We did the loop from Superior to Winkleman and back up to Globe.
The desert wildflowers are still in their early stages. We saw penstemon, poppy, lupine, blue bonnet, fiddleneck, globe mallow, and desert chicory.”

“…Peridot Mesa on the San Carlos Apache Reservation (20-minutes drive due east of Globe) Wednesday and will both verify the color’s great – and likely to improve over the next week. Mexican Goldpoppy blooms have spread farther across lower flanking hillsides…”

“…Bear Canyon northeast of Tucson, up to 7 Falls, and the wildflowers are just popping out everywhere. We saw and photographed maybe thirty different kinds,and have only been able to identify less than half so far. There were Desert Anemone, Miner’s Lettuce, Brittlebush, Desert Marigold, White Popcorn, Yellow Fiddlehead, Purple Phacelia, Desert Evening Primrose, Blue Dicks, Desert Chicory, Gila Manroot vine, Sandmat, Fairy Duster, Lupines, and many others. Deep in the canyon near the falls, the Mexican Poppies were in patches everywhere and in small carpets on the hillsides.”

To see photos and more reports go to:
http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/az.html

http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/tucson.html

You might also follow the Boyce Thompson Arboretum reports: http://arboretum.ag.arizona.edu/events/wildflowers.html
and Wild in the West blog: http://wildinarizona.com/wordpress/

“A walk into Canyon sin Nombre, covering no more than a mile from the Sweeney Pass Road (County Road S-2), had remarkable results. We saw in flower some 40-50 Barrel Cacti, six to eight Desert Lilies, and one clump of Beavertail Cactus. A number of Desert Lilies and Beavertail were in bud. These plants were not visible from the jeep road. We hiked off the jeep road cross country to the base of the long ridge that faces those who start down the jeep trail from S-2. We made out way in a southerly direction along the base of the ridge from there.

NOTE: The Canyon sin Nombre jeep road, and the roads beyond, are for high-clearance 4WD vehicles. The safest way to enter this area is on foot. Park off the pavement along S-2 and walk.”

To see  photos and other reports go to:  Anza Borrego Desert Natural History Association Wildflowers

” …February 19, 2012, poppies and a dozen more flowers were beginning their rare blooming along the Sutherland Trail in Tucson’s Catalina State Park. Admission is $7 per vehicle.

http://azstateparks.com/Parks/CATA/index.html

Rain has been abundant since last summer, and winter temperatures are warm. The result will be a strong season of desert color. A casual recording (non-scientific) of plants in flower along the first half mile of Sutherland Trail, and the short unmarked spur trail to Dripping Springs, resulted in this list, with yellow and gold poppies being most profuse and evident:

fiddle neck, lupine,poppy, owl clover, fairy duster, chicory, phacelia, brittle bush, nama, oenothera (calylophis), desert lavender (hyptis), sundrop?, penstemon parryi, wild mustard, popcorn flower, blue dicks”

Read all of the DesertUSA wildflower updates at: Desert Wildflower Reports

Joshua Tree National Park just posted a new wildflower report:

“Early flowers are blooming in the southern area of the park, between the Bajada Nature Trail and Cottonwood Visitor Center, and beginning to spread into the Pinto Basin. Red chuparosa and yellow bladderpod flowers are visible along the road in this area, and many other species may be seen in the washes. The translucent white flowers of desert blazing star are especially abundant.
Recommended trail for flower-watchers is Mastodon Peak, a three-mile moderate loop, starting from Cottonwood Spring.”

To see the full report which includes detailed location and abundance of each species that is in bloom go to: http://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/upload/bloom_report.pdf

Wildflower Report For Tuesday February 21
Flowers have begun to appear here at the Arboretum – but remain few and scattered as of mid-February. We have good opportunities for flower macro-photography — and if you are looking for big landscapes of poppy-covered hillsides, those can be found about four miles due north of the Arboretum, in the National Forest on Peachville Mountain.

Spring color is off to a great start – drivers eastbound through Gold Canyon and towards Superior and Globe are already photographing the season’s first brittlebush, shown in the photo at right, and can see the first lupines and globemallow coloring the roadsides gold, blue and orange; respectively. Watch for these and fairy duster as you drive east of Queen Valley and up through Gonzales Pass this week.

PEACHVILLE MOUNTAIN POPPIES
Superior residents report massive hillsides of goldpoppies blooming on Peachville Mountain north of BTA. Hillside swaths of Mexican Goldpoppies, hundreds of acres worth, cover Peachville Mountain — which can be accessed by either of two well-maintained Forest Service dirt roads: Happy Camp Road (off Hewitt Station road), and also the Silver King Mine road closer to Superior. Roads accessing Peachville Mountain are accessible by light truck, SUV or high-clearance 2WD vehicles.

Arizona Native Plants Society Phoenix Chapter co-president Cass Blodgett made a scouting trip to Peachville Mountain February 11 and advises that while the Silver King Mine road which accesses this area is navigable – you’ll definitely want to have a reliable spare tire and a working jack: a truck with three flower photographer was pulled over and the driver removing a flat tire when Cass crossed their path. Silver King Mine road is graded dirt. No 4WD required, but you sure do want a vehicle with clearance… a Jeep, SUV or light truck, minimum.

Poppy blooms on the hills are so widespread that Highway 60 commuters passing by at 60 MPH will enjoy the flower show over the next two weeks simply by looking north as you drive between Boyce Thompson Arboretum and Superior. Watch for peak color in 7-14 days. And on your drive up the Silver King Mine road watch for Desert Lupine (L. sparsiflorus), Red Maids, Chia, Blue Dicks, Wild Heliotrope, Yellow Spine Aster and Desert Chichory. One more reminder for photographers: please be careful and walk lightly – don’t trample small seedlings that are emerging. The second and third week of February are still unusually early in the season, with many flowers yet to bloom – so please treadlightly over all our lupines-to-be, future phacelia, mini-mallows and others that aren’t showy yet, but soon will be.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Cass Blodgett leads weekly “learn your Sonoran Desert wildflowers” walks at Boyce Thompson Arboretum starting March 3. Also on March 3 Arizona author Colleen Miniuk-Sperry will also lead two duplicate morning and afternoon “where to find & how to shoot wildflowers” workshops.

QUEEN CREEK CANYON
Stachys Coccinea (Red Mint, shown in the photo at left); Tufted Evening primrose, Firecracker Penstemon, Deer Vetch, Rhyolite Bush, fragrant Berberis — and an unusual green-yellow flowered euphorbia can be seen and photographed flowering in Queen Creek Canyon about five miles drive due east of Boyce Thompson Arboretum on Highway 60.

HERE AT BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM
To repeat the introduction above – flowers have begun to appear, but are still fairly few and scattered as of February 21. Watch for photogenic and camera-ready wildflowers in the gardens starting around March 1; until then bring your close-up lens for flower macros. A few native flowers are already at their peak, including Wild Cucumber (Marah gilensis), with lengthy vines crawling through, up and over native shrubs such as jojoba. Another flower that reached peaked color early this year is rhyolite bush (Crossosoma bigelovii), which visitors can see and photograph this week along the riparian corridor in Queen Creek Canyon as well as on the ‘switchbacks’ section of trail below Picket Post Mansion. And while Aloe plants are not native to the Sonoran Desert, you’ll find extensive collections here – with vivid flower spikes and clusters that are favored by hummingbirds. Preview Spring flowers with a relaxing three-minute video clip of highlights filmed around the trails a couple years back: http://ag.arizona.edu/bta/wildflowers_2005_384.wmv

To see photos go to: http://arboretum.ag.arizona.edu/events/wildflowers.html

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Trips and lectures led by such experts as Rich Stallcup, Alvaro Jaramillo, Peter Pyle, David Wimpfheimer, Lisa Hug, Joe Morlan, Sarah Allen and Keith Hansen.

Observe birds of the ocean, coast, forest and wetlands, and see spring wildflowers, whales, and seals. Offerings also include outings for kids, butterfly and dragonfly walks, a pelagic trip to Cordell Bank, a birding by boat cruise on Tomales Bay, a Friday night wine and dessert reception on Tomales Bay at the Inverness Yacht Club, a Saturday night banquet with keynote address by John Muir Laws and much more!

For more information and registration go to: http://www.pointreyesbirdingfestival.org/site/

“February 21, 2012 – Spotted blooms in Peach and Plum orchards this weekend, sunshine projected for this week should bring more blossoms into view.”

“Feb 16, 2012 – Showers off & on this week, some blooms but still best estimate for good blossom viewing to begin around last weekend in February”.

For more information on fruit tree blossom bloom and map of routes  go to Fresno Blossom Trail.

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“Last December, when we noticed a Desert Sand-Verbena growing in the sand near Coyote Creek, little did we realize it might be the last plant of that species we would see in this locality all season. But sure enough, that is how things have worked out in this strange year. On a walk from Desert Gardens to the creeks First Crossing, we found only three Desert Dandelions, two Desert Pincushions, and one Arizona Lupine. Plants with the most flowers and buds were Cheesebush and California Croton. Luckily, there was water and plenty of greenery in Coyote Creek. Emory Rock-Daisy and Spanish Needles were abundant in the creek bed, and we noticed just one Brown-Eyed Evening Primrose.”

To see the full report and  photos go to:  Anza-Borrego Wildflowers Winter 2011-12.

“Went out to the Bartlett Lake area north east of Phoenix and found wildflowers. Poppies, Lupines and some Owl clover. Not as heavy as in years past but somewhat earlier this year.”

“..vicinity of (but not in) the McDowell Mountain State Park just north of Fountain Hills. Lupines were the most abundant along with Owl’s Clover, Fiddleneck, Globemallow, and the ever so popular Poppy. Things are definitely in the early stage yet but moving right along.”

• California Wildflower Bloom Reports (Recent wildflower bloom reports and updates on Natural History Wanderings)
• Links to California Wildflower Websites  (Locations and bloom reports)
• Northern California Wildflower Hotspots (A series of postings on wildflower hotspots on Natural History Wanderings)
• Wildflower Hikes (Articles on California hikes and wildflower areas on Natural History Wanderings)
• California Plant Floras and Wildflower Field Guides (List of mostly print California plant floras and field guides to help in your plant exploration and identification
• California Plant Lists (Detailed  plant lists for many California Parks and Wildflower sites)
• How To Read A  Wildflower Report (Article on Natural History Wanderings)
• Wildflower Photography Tips (Articles on wildflower photography)
• Western Native Plant Societies, Scientific Societies, and Botanical Institutions
• Arizona Wildflower Websites and Books
• Colorado Wildflower Websites and Books
• Nevada Wildflower Websites and Books
• New Mexico Wildflower Websites and Books
• Oregon and Washington Wildflower Websites and Books 
• Texas Wildflower Sites

If you haven’t wandered over to this section recently you might want to check it out: Wildflower Reports What’s Blooming Where

Suggestions, additions and corrections welcomed.

Birding Checklist for  Berkeley, Alameda County, CA 94702
February 19,2012
Number of Species: 17

Cooper’s Hawk – 1
Buteo sp. – 1
Glaucous-winged Gull – 1
gull sp. – 1
Mourning Dove – 4
Anna’s Hummingbird – 2
Western Scrub-Jay – 1
American Crow – 9
Chestnut-backed Chickadee – 2
Oak Titmouse – 1
Bushtit – 5
Bewick’s Wren – 1
Townsend’s Warbler – 1
California Towhee – 2
Dark-eyed Junco – 1
House Finch – 2
House Sparrow – 4

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• Staff wildlife viewing station
• Explain current activities of breeding birds
• Tend spotting scope and binoculars for lending
• Respond to visitor queries

Alcatraz National Park is a very large  and important breeding colony for several different egret, heron and seabirds including Western gulls. Also the island is home to San Francisco Bay’s only Brandt’s Cormorant colony and of its most important Black-crowned Night-heron colonies. Alcatraz’s rookeries are among the most accessible, offering visitors abundant opportunities to observe avian natural history up close.

To learn about this opportunity click Read More

Job Title:                        Waterbird Docent

Location:                        Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate   San Francisco

Hours per Month:           8 hours (4 biweekly) minimum

Benefits:                         Training in seabird biology and ecology

Description of   Duties
         During active seabird nesting season, from April 1 through August 31, you will assist visitors to Alcatraz in understanding the behavior, feeding, breeding and ecology of nesting seabird species.  The docent will staff an outdoor station within view of a seabird colony and explain the activities of the breeding populations, answering additional questions as needed.  You will set up and tend a spotting scope and/or lend binoculars to help visitors get a closer look as the seabirds and gain a better appreciation of the colonies’ dynamics.

Responsibilities

• Staff wildlife viewing station
• Explain current activities of breeding birds
• Tend spotting scope and binoculars for lending
• Respond to visitor queries

Knowledge and  Skills Desired

• Interest in wildlife and especially birds
• Good people skills
• Willingness to work in harsh (cold, windy, foggy, sometimes hot!) environment

Information Session  To learn more about this volunteer opportunity:

March 7, 2012    7pm – 8pm

March 10, 2012  10am – 11am

GGNRA Headquarters, Fort Mason, Bldg 201, San Francisco

Mandatory Training            March 24   8:30am – 3:30pm   Alcatraz Island

Contact:   Ed Ryken, Docent Coordinator, edwbear@earthlink.net (primary contact)

Updated with Photos

The last field trip of the birding by ear class was to Pt. Reyes National Seashore.   It was a very windy day. We birded around the Visitor’s Center area, the Earthquake trail, and Kule Loklo trail. Highlights included a Merlin, Pacific Wren, Allen’s Hummingbird, Hermit Warbler, and many Varied Thrush. After lunch about 20 of us went to Limantour Beach for about an hour and braved even stronger winds.

Wildflowers were scarce. Most noteworthy were some roadside Douglas Iris.

Click Read More for today’s bird lists.

Pt. Reyes–Visitor Center, Marin, CA

(Visitor’s Center, Earthquake Trail and Kule Loklo Trail)
Feb 18, 2012 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Birding by Ear Class with Denise Wight
46 species
California Quail  X
Great Blue Heron  X
Turkey Vulture  X
Osprey  X
White-tailed Kite  X
Red-shouldered Hawk  X
Red-tailed Hawk  X
Merlin  X
Band-tailed Pigeon  X
Mourning Dove  X
Anna’s Hummingbird  X
Allen’s Hummingbird  X
Acorn Woodpecker  X
Nuttall’s Woodpecker  X
Hairy Woodpecker  X
Northern Flicker  X
Black Phoebe  X
Hutton’s Vireo  X
Steller’s Jay  X
Western Scrub-Jay  X
American Crow  X
Common Raven  X
Chestnut-backed Chickadee  X
Oak Titmouse  X
Bushtit  X
Pygmy Nuthatch  X
Pacific Wren  X
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  X
Western Bluebird  X
Hermit Thrush  X
American Robin  X
Varied Thrush  X
European Starling  X
Townsend’s Warbler  X
Hermit Warbler  X (seen during lunch)
Spotted Towhee  X
California Towhee  X
Fox Sparrow  X
Song Sparrow  X
Lincoln’s Sparrow  X
Golden-crowned Sparrow  X
Dark-eyed Junco  X
Red-winged Blackbird  X
Brewer’s Blackbird  X
House Finch  X
Pine Siskin  X

Pt. Reyes–Limantour Beach, Marin, CA

Feb 18, 2012 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Birding by Ear Class with Denise Wight
13 species

Mallard  X
Green-winged Teal  X
Surf Scoter  X
Red-throated Loon  X
Common Loon  X
Horned Grebe  X
Great Egret  X
Northern Harrier  X     (Just before getting to parking lot)
Ring-billed Gull  X
Western Gull  X
Glaucous-winged Gull  X
Common Raven  X
White-crowned Sparrow  X

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