Natural History Wanderings

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve SNR. has posted a new wildflower bloom report:

It’s been a dry winter so far, and not a lot of poppy plants have germinated.The hills are currently tinged green with the beginnings of grasses, and a handfull of fiddleneck, slender-keeled fruit, silver puffs, goldfields, filaree, Mojave suncups, forget-me-nots, and grape soda lupine are starting to bloom here and there. Small patches of poppies are starting to bloom.

Click read more to see: Latest Poppy Reserve Research Field Notes and Observations

 Latest Poppy Reserve Research Field Notes and Observations

3-10-12: Mary Wilson

As you are driving the road into the park, look to the west just as you approach the kiosk and there is a small field of poppies in bloom.

Perennial Poppies are marked with survey flags (pink & orange) on the north and south side of the sidewalk going up to the Visitor Center. These plants have quite a few flower buds and they are starting to bloom.

Antelope Butte Trail to Antelope Butte Vista Point

• This trail was damaged in the 2011 Fire. Vegetation around the burn in this section has filaree and grasses coming up. There are some poppy plants. Other vegetation includes rubber rabbitbrush, Turkey mullein, Desert straw, California aster, cheat grass, bunch grasses, red-stemmed buckwheat, coyote melon, California buckwheat, beavertail cactus. I observed some of the rubber rabbitbrush and California aster getting new growth at the base of the burned plants.

Antelope Trail North Loop

• Tumbleweeds have been cleared from the trail. Grasses (cheat, Mediterranean and bunch grasses), filaree, fiddleneck and a sparse amount of poppies in bloom. As you get close to the junction of the Lightning Bolt Trail there are a few poppies.

Antelope Trail South Loop

• Grasses, filaree, fiddleneck, and a sparse amount of poppies in bloom.

Lightning Bolt Trail

• A few poppies in bloom, lupine in bloom mostly on the west and north side of the trail, and bunch grasses have new blades coming up from previous years growth. When you reach the final bend of the trail before Kitanemuk Vista Point there is a nice showing of lacy phacelia, fiddleneck and a few poppies in bloom.

Poppy Trail North Loop

• Found sun cups blooming in the middle of the trail. Filaree is in bloom and starting to form their stark bill seedpods. Goldfields, fiddleneck, silver puffs, a sparse amount of poppies, slender keel fruit, and wild parsley are in bloom.

Poppy Trail South Loop

• Plants in bloom are filaree, goldfields, slender keel fruit, silver puffs and some poppies.

Tehachapi Vista Point Trail

• Filaree is in bloom and starting to produce seedpods. Fiddleneck has small plants with blooms on them. The cheat grasses are producing seeds. Found goldfields blooming along with slender keel fruit and silver puffs. The Grape Soda Lupine is in bloom. There are poppies that are starting to flower.

Valley Vista Point

• Mustard, grasses (cheat and small Mediterranean), California Asters are getting new leaf growth at the base of the plant and filaree, fiddleneck and a sparse amount of poppies are in bloom.

OBSERVATIONS:

• There are still a lot of immature poppy plants that do not have their first buds as yet. There are also poppy plants that are just starting their first buds. Rain would certainly help this years flower display.

• Darkling beetles are out and spotted a couple of painted lady butterflies.

• Meadow Larks, Horned Larks, sparrows and ravens.

OTHER AREAS TO LOOK FOR WILDFLOWERS:

Munz Ranch Road (from Lancaster Road to Lake Elizabeth Lake Road).

Some poppies are in bloom and there are quite a few young poppy plants coming up with first buds. There are coreopsis, pygmy-leaf lupine, fiddleneck and globe gilia in bloom.

Gorman Post Road. There are a few coreopsis in bloom going up the hills along with pygmy-leaf lupine, fiddleneck and filaree. Bladder pod is starting to produce its yellow flowers.

Intersection of Ave. D (Hwy 138) and 245th St West there are some poppies in bloom. One the west side of 245th there were several poppies in bloom along the side of the road and a few in the field beyond. On the east side of 245th in the same area there are goldfields with flowers. Most of the plants are still in the bud stage but when they open (will be soon) there might be a nice carpet of them.