Natural History Wanderings

Submitted by Spencer Westbrook  author of A Guide to Wildflower Locations of Central and Southern California

I travelled to the Antelope Valley/ Gorman area yesterday, about a 90 minute drive from my Ventura home, here is what I found.
Gorman. at 3800-4000+ elevation, is showing a bit of color , a few poppies on the hillsides with lots of inmature plants growing among the bloomers. Perhaps in a week-10 days there may be a bit more of a bloom but don’t expect much in the way of an OMG bloom.
Antelope Valley: There are poppies around, especially in the west end off 300th/290th Ave areas. It appears there may be a large field developing along the 290th Ave toward the top of the road near the gate to Tejon property. Also along the base of the Quail lake hills off 300th ave there appears to be a thicjk bloom of flowers.
The west end of the Poppy Reserve on Lancaster Rd had a nice display of poppies
Perhaps the best displays I found were on the corner of Munz Ranch Rd/Elizabeth Lake Rd, west of the Poppy Reserve. A very nice display of many type of flowers mixed together including poppies and chia, lupine, goldfields, blazing star, primrose.
About a 1/4 mile before the interesction of Munz Ranch Rd/ Elizabeth Lake Rd at mile marker 4.03 (on Munz Ranch Rd) there are very nice displays of baby blue eyes, chia, forget-me-nots, pincushion, and lots of jewel flower, (among the most I have ever seen in one location) among the hills.
This area made the days drive well worth the time.
Pics attached are of this area from yesterday

Antelope Valley by Spencer Westbrook