Natural History Wanderings

Calphoto Yahoo Group  Where to photograph in California – Yahoo Groups  has the following report for Panoche Hills

Last Saturday (2/13/16) we went to the Panoche Hills area. Between Pacheco Pass and Little Panoche Rd (Shields Rd exit)  the almonds were just beginning, it seemed. Some orchards in full bloom, some with rows of bare trees between blooming trees. Fiddlenecks and filarees were visible. On Little Panoche Rd and the BLM access Rd P1 i was able to get out and get photos of the filarees (a pink purple) carpeting cattle fields. Filarees are not native, and i grumbled a lot. You’ll need to be in the morning to get the color: by late afternoon the color was gone. 

Driving P1 through Panoche Hills it seemed the lower northern side before one gets to the picnic station and facilities will be the most rewarding photographically. Once well past the facilities, there are patches of hillsides across the canyons from the road that have bright yellow patches (a yellow aster family plant, i haven’t keyed it our yet). I don’t know how they will develop, but given the dramatic elevation changes, it will be a non-trivial hike to get any closer.

The last weekend in February the BLM botanist is leading two fieldtrips in the area: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/cnps-scv-news/rMUIDt_cJGM