Natural History Wanderings

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve SNR reports on 3/29/15

Wildflower bloom timing and intensity varies greatly each year, and this year our season started and ended a month earlier than usual. We’ve had a lot of heat over the last few weeks, and there are only a few flowers left along some of the trails and near the spring on the North Poppy Loop.

However, the weather has been beautiful, the views are amazing, and visitors have enjoyed the beauty of the reserve despite the summer-like scenery. If it’s not windy, be prepared for the tiny black beetles that pollinate the poppies- they like white shirts and you might want to bring bug repellent (don’t worry, if they bite you, it’s barely noticeable). April is typically the time of our peak bloom, but nature is always unpredictable and we don’t expect it to improve for the rest of the season.

Latest Poppy Reserve Researcher Field Notes reports for Antelope Valley on 3/25/15

You will see Ravens, Brewers Sparrows and this year there are quite a few Horned Larks (these little birds may hop down the trail in front of you).

Throughout the Reserve many of the flowers and grasses are going to seed. Some of these plants will have flowers, some will have the seeds and some have finished growing for the year. They have already dispersed their seeds for the next year’s seed bank. These plants are Cheat Grass, Red Brome, Fiddleneck, Filaree, Slender Keel Fruit, and Lacy Phacelia.

There were patches of poppies but those patches are diminishing as the plants are loosing their petals and forming their seedpods. The plants are still there they just aren’t that showy orange. The Goldfields are making a nice showing but these are also starting to go to the seed stage. You will see different colors of yellow in the areas they are blooming. The bright yellow are the plants that still have the petals around the cone but then the more golden yellow are the plants that the petals have come off and you are just seeing the cone.

Poppy Trail North Loop – Silver Puffs are going to the puff stage (their seed). Flowers in bloom are: Cream Cups, Evening Snow, Forget-me-nots, Goldfields, Poppies, Owl’s Clover, Blue Dick and Fringe Pod

Poppy Trail South Loop—Flowers in bloom are: Poppies, Goldfields and tiny Forget-me-nots.

Tehachapi Vista Point Trail – Silver Puffs are going to the puff stage. Flowers in bloom are: Poppies, Goldfields, Fremont Pincushions, Forget-me-nots, Locoweed, Cream Cups, Lupine, and Blue Dick. The Grape Soda Lupine, on the west side of the hill, are surrounded with a nice patch of Goldfields with a sprinkling of Poppies.

Lightning Bolt Trail – Poppy plants are starting to form their seed pods. Plants in bloom: Lupine, Blue Dick, Fringe Pod, Wild Parsley, Forget-me-nots, Rattlesnake Weed, Silver Puffs are producing the puffs, California Asters have new leaves at the base of the plant and Wishbone/Four-o’clock have new green leaves with flower buds starting.

Antelope Butte Trail – The trail has not been cleared of vegetation but still walkable. Poppies, Goldfields, Silver Puffs, and Pygmy-leafed Lupine.

Valley Vista Point Trail – Flowers in bloom are: Poppies, Blue Dick, Goldfields, Forget-me-not , Pygmy –leafed Lupine, Mustard, and Suncups.

Antelope Trail North Loop – Flowers in bloom are: Goldfields, Poppies, Mustard, Blue Dick, Silver Puffs are going to the puff stage, Forget-me-nots, and Pygmy-leafed Lupine.

Antelope Trail South Loop – Flowers in bloom are: Goldfields, Poppies, Mustard, Blue Dick, Silver Puffs have gone to the puff stage, Forget-me-nots, Pygmy-leafed Lupine and Owl’s Clover.

Picnic Trail – Goldfields and a Poppies.