Natural History Wanderings

Ring Mountain is part of the Marin County Open Space District. It was mostly cloudy providing good light for flower photography, but fairly breezy so patience was required.

Ring Mt. is a habitat of mixed grassland and woodland as well as areas of serpentine rock. The plants are a mix of  natives and aliens. Trees and Shrubs included Coast Live Oak, Monterey Pine, Toyon, Buckeye, Bay, Coyote Bush, Blue Elderberry, and Poison Oak. Lots of alien grasses.

The goal of today’s hike was to see Calochortus tiburonensis/Tiburon Mariposa Lily which is a rare and endangered plant that is endemic to Ring Mt. There were many other plants in bloom as well. There was a fair amount of bird song when we arrived and although I was able to identify a number of the birds by sound, I am sure I missed more than a few. By the time we were leaving the sun came out and the birds had quieted but the butterflies had started to fly.

The most frequently seen bird was Western Scrub Jay. The most abundant wildflower was Tarweed and the most common butterfly was Common Wood Nymph.

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Bird List

Canada Goose

California Quail

Red-tailed Hawk

Mourning Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Hutton’s Vireo

Western Scrub-Jay

American Crow

Common Raven

Oak Titmouse

Northern Mockingbird

Spotted Towhee

California Towhee

Song Sparrow

House Finch

House Sparrow

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23638188

 

Plant List

Sambucus nigra var. caerulea   Blue Elderberry

Toxicodendron diversilobum              Poison Oak

Achillea millefolium                            Yarrow

Baccharis pilularis                               Coyote Bush

Calycadenia multiglandulosa               White Rosinweed

Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum Yellow Yarrow

Grindelia hirsutula var. hirsutula        Gumplant

Lasthenia californica                           Goldfields

Layia platyglossa                                Tidytips

Hemizonia congesta ssp. lutescens      Coast Tarweed

Pseudognaphalium californicum         Pearly Everlasting

Wyethia angustifolia                           Narrow-leaf Mule-ears

Dudleya farinosa                                 Sea Lettuce

Lupinus bicolor                                   Miniature Lupine

Lupinus microcarpus var. desniflorus            Secund Lupine (white)

Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia            Coast Live Oak

Aesculus californica                            California Buckeye

Sisyrinchium bellum                           Blue-eyed Grass

Monardella purpurea                          Serpentine Pennyroyal

Umbellularia californica                      California Bay

Allium lacunosum ssp. lacunosum     Pitted Onion

Calochortus tiburonensis                    Tiburon Mariposa Lily (endangered and endemic to Ring Mt.)

Triteleia hyacinthina                           White Brodiaea

Triteleia laxa                                        Ithuriel’s Spear

Hesperolinon congestum                    Marin Western Dwarf Flax (rare)

Linum bienne                                      Pale Flax

Clarkia purpurea ssp. quadrivulnera   Small-flowererd Wine Cup Godetia

Eschscholzia californicus                    California Poppy

Pinus radiata                                        Monterey Pine

Eriogonum sp.                                     Buckwheat

Delphinium hesperium ssp. hesperium Western Larkspur

Heteromeles arbutifolia                       Toyon

Physocarpus capitatus                       Ninebark

Rubus armeniacus                               Himalaya Blackberry

Rubus ursinus                                     California Blackberry

Castilleja rubicundula ssp. lithospermoides Creamsacs

Mimulus guttatus                               Yellow Monkeyflower

Butterfly List

Western Swallowtail

California Buckeye

Common Wood Nymph

California Ringlet

Unidentified Blue.