Natural History Wanderings

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve SNR reports on 3/17/16

A variety of wildflowers are beginning to bloom around the park, such as filaree, slender keel fruit, fiddleneck, goldfields, mustard, forget-me-nots, wild cucumber, blue dick, red maids, sun cups, wild parsley, fringe pod, silver puff flowers, and pygmy-leaved lupine.
We aren’t expecting carpets of poppies this year, but there are several patches among goldfields and forget-me-nots on Lightning Bolt Trail and North Poppy Loop.
The Joshua tree to the west of the visitor center is in bloom, and the grape soda lupine is in full bloom on Tehachapi Vista Point Trail.

We had a moderate number of poppy plants germinate from winter storms, and we will see if the recent rains will bring more. Bloom peak and duration is as unpredictable as Mother Nature, but generally late March to mid-April is the best bloom.

Latest Poppy Reserve Researcher Field Notes reports on 3/14/16

With the temperatures warming up the snakes are coming out so please stay on the trails.
Flowers in bloom are filaree, slender keel fruit, fiddleneck, goldfields, mustard, forget-me-nots, grape soda lupine, wild cucumber, blue dick, red maids, sun cups, wild parsley, fringe pod, yellow flowers of silver puffs, and pygmy-leaved lupine.
Poppies are still forming their rosettes, starting first buds, have flowers with the calyx on them, some are starting to bloom, and this trip found a few poppy plants forming the seed pods.
There are lizards, Darkling beetles, blister beetles, painted lady butterflies, and hairstreak butterflies. The birds are meadow larks, horned larks, sparrows, red tailed hawks, and ravens.
Lightning Bolt Trail – Flowers in bloom are: wild parsley, blue dick, lupine, goldfields, the silver puff yellow flowers are forming and a few poppies are in bloom. On the hillside on the southwest facing slope that has a nice showing of forget-me-nots there is a fairly nice showing of poppies among them. There are occasional patches of goldfields interspersed with poppies. The California buckwheat in this area are just starting to form the clusters of flower buds. The four o’clock plants are forming their green leaves but there are no buds yet. The lacy phacelia is still in bloom along the trail but those on the hillside are turning brown and going to seed.

Kitanemuk Vista Point – Flowers in bloom are fiddleneck, slender keel fruit, lacy phacelia, and forget-me-nots. On the north side of the vista point is a nice patch of forget-me-nots and then looking out you will see patches of yellow gold-fields on the valley floor. Looking to the northwest and the valley floor of Fairmont Butte nice large patches of gold-fields and small patches of orange poppies. The Acton encelia is starting to form flower buds.

Poppy Trail North Loop – As you walk this trail you will start to see poppies on either side of the trail, on the hillsides and in the valley. There are also goldfields, pygmy-leaved lupine, filaree, fiddleneck, fringe pod, and forget-me-nots. In the area of north of the wooden fence there are a few sun cups and wild parsley in bloom.

Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland – Joshua trees are producing flowers. In bloom are fiddleneck, blue sage, comb-bur, bladder pod and a few goldfields.

OTHER WILDFLOWER SIGHTINGS
170th Street West between Lancaster Road and Avenue D (Hwy. 138) – still has a nice showing of gold-fields interspersed with poppies.
Gorman Post Road—the hills are starting to show fields of lupine and coreopsis.
Portal Ridge Wildlife Area—195th Street West. Flowers in bloom are goldfields interspersed with tidy tips, coreopsis, Fremont pincushions, hairy lotus, comb-bur, forget-me-nots, pygmy-leaved lupine, fiddleneck, baby blue eyes and an occasional poppy.