Natural History Wanderings

Friday we hiked around the Mary Bowerman Trail near the top of Mt. Diablo. It is a short, relatively flat trail with many flowers in bloom and butterflies flying. Most abundant were Wooly Sunflower and Chia. The stars of the day were the Bitter Root Lewisia and Mariposa Tulip Calochortus venustus. On the way down along side the road around 1700 feet elevation we also saw Yellow Mariposa Tulips/ Calochortus luteus. We were there midday and the sun was bright so it was a good time to see butterflies but harsh light for flower photography except for close-ups with a diffuser or plants in the shade.

You can see larger photos at Flickr at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandysteinman/albums/72157668350304716

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Click Read more to see plant, butterfly and bird lists

Mary Bowerman Trail Flower List 5/13/16

Varicolored Penstemon Penstemon heterophyllus

Wooly Sunflower Eriophyllum lanatum

Yarrow Achillea millefollium

Blue Elderberry Sambucuc mexicana

Pipe-stem or Old Man’s Beard Clematis lasiantha

Chia Salvia columbariae

Whispering Bells Emmenanther penduliflora

Narrow-leaf Sunflower Ericameria linearifolia (mostly finished blooming)

Morning Glory (species not identified)

a light pink large thistle (unidentified)

Blow Wives Arhyrachaena mollis

Mariposa Tulip Calochortus venustus

Colchita Lotus humistrarus

Common Dudleya Dudleya cymosa

Fern Phacelia Phaclia Distans

Sickle-leaved Onion Allium falcifolium

a pink Vetch or Pea (not identified)

Winecup Clarkia

Wind Poppy Stylomecon heterophylla

Mountain Violet Viola purpurea

Zauschneria Epilobium canum

Pink Spineflower Chorizanthe membranace

Blue Dicks Dichelostemma capitatum

Spring Beauty or Coast Range Montia Claytonia gypsophiloides

Woodland Star Lithphragma heterophylla

Red Larkspur Delphinium nudicaule

Pink Spineflower Chorizanthe membranacea

White Nemophila Nemophila heterophylla

Blue Skullcap Scutellaria tuberose

Tomcat Clover Trifollium willdenovii

Naked Buckwheat Eriogonum nudum

Yellow Mariposa Lily Calochortus luteus  (on the road down)

Claytonia gypsophiloides

Bird List

Scrub Jay

Wrentit

Bushtit

Swallows sp.

Raven

Butterflies

Pale Swallowtail

California Tortoiseshell

Militia Crescent

Sarah Orangetip

Variable Checkerspot

Mournful Duskywing

Boudival’s Blue

Acmon Blue