Natural History Wanderings

Yesterday and today I was at Abbott’s Lagoon at Pt. Reyes for field trips with Golden Gate and Marin Audubon to see birds and wildflowers.

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Click read more to see my plant list from both days and today’s eBird list from one of the participants

Abbott’s Lagoon Plant List July 29 and 30

ANACARDIACEAE (SUMAC FAMILY)

Toxicodendron diversilobum            Poison Oak

APIACEAE/UMBELLIFERAE (PARSLEY FAMILY)

Angelica hendersonii                         Coastal Angelica

Conium maculatum                            Poison Hemlock            *

Heracleum maximum                        Cow Parsnip

ASTERACEAE/COMPOSITAE (SUNFLOWER/COMPOSITE FAMILY)

Achillea millefolium                                     Yarrow

Agoseris apargioides                         Seaside Dandelion

Anaphalis margaritacea                        Pearly Everlasting

Artemisia pycnocephala                        Beach Sagebrush

Baccharis pilularis var. pilularis         Coyote Brush

Cirsium occidentale var. occidentale            Cobweb Thistle

Cirsium vulgare                                          Bull Thistle                    *

Grindelia stricta var. platyphylla            Dune Gumplant

Madia sativa                                 Common Tarweed

Solidago canadensis                                  Canada Goldenrod

BORAGINACEAE (BORAGE FAMILY)

Heliotropium curassavicum                 Coast Heliotrope

BRASSICACEAE/CRUCIFERAE (MUSTARD FAMILY) coroponifolia

Brassica rapa                                    Field Mustard            *

Cakile maritima                            Sea Rocket                *

Raphanus sativus/ R. raphanistrum            Wild Radish            *

CRASSULACEAE (STONE-CROP FAMILY)
Dudleya farinosa                                    Sea-bluff-lettuce

FABACEAE/LEGUMINOSAE (PEA FAMILY)
Lathyrus latifolius                                Everylasting Pea        *
Lotus sp.                                                 a yellow lotus
Lupinus arboreus                                 Yellow Bush Lupine
Lupinus chamissonis                         Fragrant Dune Lupine

LAMIACEAE/LABIATAE (MINT FAMILY)

Monardella villosa var. franciscana            Franciscan Pennyroyal

Stachys chamissonises                            Giant Coast Hedge Nettle

MYRICACEAE (WAX MYRTLE FAMILY)

Morella californica                                    Ca. Wax-myrtle

NYCTAGINACEAE (FOUR O’CLOCK FAMILY)

Abronia latifolia            Yellow Sand-verbena

PAPAVERACEAE (POPPY FAMILY)

Eschscholzia californica                        California Poppy, coastal yellow form

PHRYMACEAE (LOPSEED FAMILY)

Erythranthe guttata                                Seep Monkeyflower

Erythranthe moschata                           Musk Monekyflower

POLYGONACEAE (BUCKWHEAT FAMILY)

Eriogonum latifolium                      Coast Buckwheat

Polygonum paronychia                    Sandy Knotweed

Rumex crispus                                    Curly Dock

PORTULACEAE (PURSLANE FAMILY)

Claytonia sibirica                                    Candy Flower

PRIMULACEAE (PRIMROSE FAMILY)

Anagallis arvensis                                    Scarlet Pimpernel            *

ROSACEAE (ROSE FAMILY)

Potentialla anserina ssp. pacifica     Cinquefoil

SCROPHULARIACEAE (FIGWORT FAMILY)

Scrophularia californica                      California Bee Plant Alien

TYPHACEAE (CAT TAIL FAMILY)

Sparganium eurycarpum                    Broadfruit Bur Reed

* alien

Bird List July 30, 2017

140 Canada Goose
2 Gadwall
3 Northern Pintail
20 California Quail
1 Pacific Loon
1 Common Loon
1 Pied-billed Grebe
8 Brandt’s Cormorant
20 Double-crested Cormorant
5 American White Pelican
3 Great Blue Heron
3 Great Egret
8 Turkey Vulture
2 Osprey
0 Red-shouldered Hawk
2 Red-tailed Hawk
2 Virginia Rail — Heard only
1 Semipalmated Plover
2 Western Sandpiper
6 Common Murre
1 Pigeon Guillemot
2 Rhinoceros Auklet
5 Heermann’s Gull
15 Western Gull
2 California Gull
60 Caspian Tern
1 Northern Flicker
1 Peregrine Falcon

10 Common Raven
1 Bewick’s Wren — Heard only
1 Common Yellowthroat — Heard only
60 White-crowned Sparrow
1 Savannah Sparrow — Heard only
4 Song Sparrow (samuelis)
6 Red-winged Blackbird

Additions: Barn Swallows,California Scrub Jay and  dull young Red-breasted Merganser (that was difficult to ID)

Also seen were river otters, black-tailed deer and whales.