Natural History Wanderings

DesertUSA has a number of new reports

Walker Canyon Temescal Mountains, in Riverside County, California on 3/4 showed lots of poppies

Oak Canyon Trail in Mission Trails Regional Park (San Diego) has amazing hillsides full of California Poppies and ceanothus. Between the two waterfalls is where the majority of blooms can be found.

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve (between La Jolla and Del Mar/north of San Diego) Date: Monday, March 6, 2017 About a dozen varieties of wildflowers are in bloom along the Guy Fleming Trail in Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. While hiking the easy 2/3 mile loop trail above the Pacific coastline yesterday, I saw purple phacelia and sand verbena; yellow California bush sunflower and sea dahlia; and orange Indian paintbrush and poppies (our state flower). The wildflower bloom is predicted to last there until the end of March.
Many of the trails are closed for a couple more weeks while FEMA funds are being used to repair erosion from recent heavy rains. Guy Fleming, Parry Grove, and the south fork of the Broken Hill Trail remain open.

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve Reports: Things are starting to look up! We’re likely not going to see a single carpet of poppies, but there are a couple big areas with lots of plants that are about to start blooming in the next week or so!
Lower Antelope Butte Vista Point trail has so many poppy plants, they’re even all over the trail. However… it’s a bit of a hike to get to it and is not recommended for those with walking limitations.
An easier spot to access is at the top of Tehachapi Vista Point trail, where there are also a lot of poppy plants growing (not as much as Antelope Butte Vista Point trail, but still a good amount). The grape soda lupine is also starting to bloom up there.

Don’t worry about stepping on poppies if they’re growing on the official trails; it can’t be avoided in some places. However, remember that going off of the trails to walk in the poppies could get you a ticket!
Rain is forecast for tomorrow, and it can be very windy here in the spring. Check the forecast before visiting and dress accordingly.

See photos for above reports at Desert Wildflower Reports for Southern California by DesertUSA