Natural History Wanderings

The Bishop BLM office just posted this wildflower update for 5/6/11 for the area east of the Sierra (Tungsten Hills,  Fish Slough, Crowley Lake, Owens Valley, Poleta Area, lower elevations of the Inyo Mountain, Highway 395):

“Although the wildflower displays this year are not as good overall as last year, there is still a lot to see out there. Some if it will take a little more exploring but there are also some good pockets of colors.

 It is reported that there are some good carpets of yellow around the Tungsten Hills northwest of Bishop as well as out the Fish Slough road (past the slough itself). I haven’t seen them yet myself but I would guess the yellow flowers are Venus blazing star or one of the showy yellow composite flowers (desert dandelion, yellow tack-stem or scale bud). The lower slopes around the Poleta area (east of Bishop out East Line St.) have a nice carpet of yellow tack-stem. Desert pincushion is also abundant throughout Owens Valley. Apricot mallow is also common.

I haven’t had chance to stop and confirm its identity but I believe I have been seeing chocolate drops on the east edge of Hwy. 395 around 6,000’ heading north from Bishop. I have also seen patches of it elsewhere throughout the Owens Valley. The matted pink plant you may see along the Hwy. 395 around the Crowley Lake exit is most likely the wooly-pod locoweed.

The lower elevations of the Inyo Mountains are good places to check out.  Things in bloom include cactus, desert chicory, white tack-stem, Mojave aster, smooth threadlead ragwort several species of Phacelia, gilia, prince’s plume, sand blossoms, Easter bonnets .

Some of the shrubs that are currently blooming include bitterbrush (lots along south-bound Hwy 395 north of Bishop), desert peach, spiny hop-sage, indigo bush, cotton thorn and bush sunflower.

Unfortunately some of the reddish tint to the landscape may be due to the non-native annual grasses cheat grass and red brome which are abundant in areas.”