Natural History Wanderings

Today we were at Mt. Burdell Open Space Preserve which is in Novato in Marin County CA. We were in the southern part of the park, which consists of Grasslands, Oak woodlands and Serpentine rocky outcrops. It was a bright sunny day and the wildflowers were in bloom.  There were nice displays of California Poppies and Tidy-tips. I also found one Bitterroot plant in bloom in one of the Serpentine areas. There was also some bird activity and Buckeye butterflies were flying.

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Flowers seen included:

Tidy-tips/Layia platyglossa
Blue-eyed Grass/Sisyrinchium bellum
Blue Dicks/Dichelostemma capitatum
Sun-cups/ Camissonia ovata
California Poppy/Eschscholzia californica
Cream Cups/Playstemon californicus
California Buttercups/Ranunculus californicus
Owl’s Clover/ Castilleja densiflora
Goldfields/Lasthenia californica
Owls Clover/Castilleja densiflora
Larkspur/Delphium sp.
Celery-leafed Hog-fennel/Lomatium californicum
Phacelia sp.
Globe Gilia/Gilia capitata
Linanthus sp.
Bitterroot/Lewesia rediviva

Birds seen or heard included:

Turkey Vulture
Mourning Dove
House Swallow
Northern Mockingbird
Cedar Waxwing
House Finch
California Quail
Scrub Jay
Wrentit
House Sparrow

I didn’t get up into the Oak wooded area which is usually rich with birds.

Also Buckeye Butterflies