Len's Update - Lower Laurel's Sanicle and Early Birds

My good friend Len was once again so generous to share his field observations with me today. Here's what he writes about Lower Laurel Trail and the birds/plants of special note:

I did lower Laurel this morning with Paul. We were scoping out the birding for his bird walk on Sunday morning. Some spring migrants are there already, some of which are early. We saw Bullock's Oriole, Violet-green Swallow, Cassin's Vireo (early), Black-throated Gray Warbler (early). In addition, Paul heard Pacific Slope Flycatcher.

There is a lot of Sanicle coming up along the trail. It's probably Sanicula arguta (snakeroot or Sharp-toothed Sanicle) or Sanicula crassicaulis (Pacific Sanicle). It's a yellow-flowered herb, about a foot tall, with flowers in an umbel. It's in the carrot family (Apiaceae). We've been seeing the new foliage for the last couple of months. I didn't know what it was, though, without the flowers. There are some look-alikes in the genus, so identification to the species can be tricky.

Blue-eyed Grass is coming into bloom now, too.

Of course, when Len speaks of Paul's bird hike, he is referring to the following hike taking place this Sunday morning from 8-11 AM. Here is the description of the hike, from the Laguna Canyon Foundation's Website (www.lagunacanyon.org):

March 29, Sunday, 8:00-11:00 a.m., Birding Hike: Spot spring and migratory birds with Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteer naturalists Paul Klahr and Len Gardner on this moderate, but steep, 3.5-mile hike through one of the most diverse plant communities in the United States. Bring binoculars. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Willow Canyon Staging Area (20101 Laguna Canyon Rd, just south of El Toro Rd intersection). Reservations required: 949-923-2235. Parking: $3

For more information on Laguna Canyon's activities (such as Paul Klahr's bird hikes and the like) visit Laguna Canyon Foundation at www.lagunacanyon.org. Reservations are required for most activities and we recommend you reserve in advance, so that you aren't put on a long waiting list! LCF's activities are very popular and in demand!

And make sure that you support the Laguna Canyon Foundation with your generous donations - in order to protect, preserve and enhance our beautiful South Coast Wilderness, we need your financial support! Thanks for all you do to help "KEEP IT WILD."

Lizard Love at the Nix Nature Center

Ah, Spring is here again.
Only 3 days into Spring, and the Western Fence Lizards are at it! Check out the video that I took on 23 March 2009 of what I'm assuming is one manly Western Fence lizard attempting to woo two female Western Fence lizards :)

This video is also available on NIOC's general YouTube channel, HERE. Note the rhythmic set of push-ups that the male does when both females are on the little ledge to the right.




And since the video isn't the greatest in pixel quality, here are a few romantic photos to get you excited about Springtime. =)

Here in the photo to the left, we can see that blue color underneath the male's belly... that he's probably trying to show off!




Shot #2... oh the anticipation of love. Or baby lizards. Or Both :)










Shot #3. If plants are more your thing, don't worry, we'll have more updates on plants soon :)








Shot #4 - out in the sun, the male is trying to figure out what to do next. Note the interesting flattened out posture of the lizard behind him.







Some good links on the Western Fence Lizard:
http://www.sdnhm.org/fieldguide/herps/scel-occ.html
http://www.werc.usgs.gov/fieldguide/scoc.htm

On this webpage (a student's project), one notes:

"During the breeding season males will sit atop their territory to both fend off other males and to attract females. The lizards begin to mate their second year, the males will do what looks like a rhythmic set of pushups to attract mates. Females are usually closer to the ground and harder to spot than males. Once ready to mate she will appear and the male will vertically flatten his body to display his brilliant blue colors (Schwenkmeyer,2001). He then holds the females neck in his jaws while mating commences. If the female changes her mind during copulation she turns on her back and kicks the male off with all four legs (Angilletta,2001). During mating the normally tan to brown dorsal scales on the male will turn a brilliant blue (Brookshire,2001). At present it is unknown if the couple is monogamous during the breeding season."

Well, doesn't look too monogamous to me! :) ... Anyone want to comment?

Out at Dilley on a Rainy Day

This morning, the newest group of LCF Volunteers were scheduled for their training and a hike at Dilley with Norris, however the rainy and windy weather dissuaded most in the group from actually starting up the trail. I had come to join the group to refamiliarize myself with the trail, and had my camera ready for some photos, as I was aware of the owl's clover that has popped up in bloom at the Nix Nature Center (pratically across the Laguna Canyon Road) and wanted to see what else I could photograph early in the morning.

I wasn't disappointed with what I shot today, although I do regret that my camera pooped out on me after 25 photos (low battery!). Here's what I was able to take (click on the names of the plants with links to see the photos in our main photo album collection):

- Owl's Clover
- Mariposa Lily
- Beautiful displays of Sticky Monkeyflower and California Manroot (Wild Cucumber)
- California Figwort (aka Bee Plant) - (Scrophularia californica) (updated 23 March 09)


What I wish I could have taken today in photo:
- Absolutely stunning & large Chalk Dudleyas with three stalks on each plant, coming upwards.
- A fun, new, yellow flower I believe to be desert gold (leptosiphon aureus) - we'll have to check
- The abundant dodder / witch's hair - prevalent on the California Buckwheat on the ridges
- The beautiful, ephemeral rainbows that came and went as the storm clouds and mist passed through and over the canyon.

The rain actually made for a nice addition to the scenery, with the beautiful raindrops gathered on the petals and stems of the plants in bloom. Walking through the wet plants allowed for a special connection to nature today - one which I was truly grateful for.

What's Neat about Ground Pink

My good friend Len Gardner was kind enough to point out some particularities on Ground Pink, one of our canyon's wildflowers in bloom right now (can be seen, for example, on South Stagecoach right up the hill from the Nix Nature Center's Parking lot). Len writes,

There is something neat about the Ground Pink [...]. The petals are twirled when in bud. Botanists call this convolute buds. They unroll as the flower opens. This is a family characteristic for the Polemoniaceae, which includes Phlox and related species. Also, the pink of the young flower fades as it ages. This is very noticeable. When you look at a group of plants with flowers of different ages you might think at first that they were of two types.

The petal margins are lightly toothed. In all, a very lovely flower.

Take a look at these three photos I took on the 14th of March, showing these very particularities - the fading color and the darker color of the two different Ground Pinks, the twirled nature of the petals when the flower is closed up, and the toothed ends of the petals. Fun!

The Importance of Sharing Observations With Others - Retrieving Bird Band Numbers

On 15 March 2009, at approximately 12:30 PM, I was exiting the 5 North at Jeffrey, when to the side of the road I noticed a very large bird, dead and lying on its side along the white painted line. Of course, my sighting was a quick one, as I was exiting the freeway at approximately 60 MPH, and so only got a quick glimpse of it through my windshield and then a backwards look in the rearview mirror.

My initial guess was that it was a red-tailed hawk, because we see so many of them on the large street and freeway lamps all along the 133, parts of the 5 and the 405. I also thought it was a hawk because every time I have tried to identify large birds otherwise, they have always ended up being red-tailed hawks! However, I was not sure.

In any event, during the afternoon I thought about whom I might contact, if anyone, to let them know of what I saw. I figured that Laura at the Nix Nature Center in Laguna Canyon would be an excellent person to start with – for she is quite knowledgeable about our surroundings, the birds, and is in touch with many fascinating people. So I sent her a quick email late in the afternoon and let her know where I saw the deceased bird.

The next day, 16 March 2009, I learned that Pete Bloom went out to retrieve the bird – it turned out to be a Great Horned Owl, banded as a nestling in Mason Park on 4-24-08, by Joe Papp and C. Thomas – Territory #GHO –OR-066. Its band number was 788 46681 with an auxiliary number of 067. I was then asked to report the band number on http://www.reportband.gov/, which I did- I am now expecting a “Certificate of Appreciation with additional information on the banded bird” in the mail.

Before I began volunteering for the Laguna Canyon Foundation, I would have never thought to contact anyone about a dead animal on the side of the road; without knowing that there are scientists and volunteers outdoors in Orange County studying the various animal and plant populations, I would have never thought that such an observation as mine even mattered that much. I write this post tonight, therefore, not only to share my little story with you all, but also to let you know how our observations of the natural world can be valuable to many more people than simply ourselves. As Pete Bloom wrote to me yesterday, the discovery was “maybe not a happy ending but a meaningful one” for this Great Horned Owl.

If you also have sightings that you would like to share, but don’t know whom to contact, feel free to contact me and we’ll see what we can do, together, to get your information into the right hands.
(This post was also posted on Nature In Orange County - The BLOG)

Good Bobcat Photos

There's an older OC Register snippet online about the bobcats in our area with a good slideshow of photos of the cats that you might be interested in viewing, along with a link to a study on bobcats by the U.S. Geological Survey and Colorado State University.
See the snippet HERE: http://greenoc.freedomblogging.com/2009/03/06/orange-countys-bobcats-probing-the-urban-edge/5185/.
Of course, Dick Newell at www.octrackers.com is the gentleman to contact if you see any bobcats in our canyon - he'll want to know as much information about the sighting as possible - so keep your eyes open and note down as much as you can if you ever do cross paths with a cat!

Parrots & dogs, big & small - Not Allowed!

Every now and then, people come to Laguna Canyon for a hike with their favorite furry/feathered friends. I've begun to tally up the times I pass by the Willow Parking Lot (right near the El Toro/Laguna Canyon Road intersection) and see ladies with their short, little dogs, getting ready to go on a nice little hike (and this despite the signs at the entrance that show that dogs are not allowed in the park). I've also come to marvel at the persistence of a certain gentleman who comes with his red parrot to Willow every so often, trying his luck with our different volunteers, thinking that he'll eventually get the go-ahead to access the trails, or be able to slip on by without anyone noticing he's there.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a cynic. For many pet owners who visit the parks for the first time with their furry/feathered friends, it comes as a disheartening surprise to learn that they must leave the latter at home before coming to our wilderness park, or take them to a specified pet-friendly area. But there are also those who resist the rules, who repeatedly come back with their animals, disregard the signs and the docents' explanations, and act as if they have every right to do as they wish, when and where they wish, on any trail, be it fire road or single track.

There are almost endless reasons why taking your pet to our beautiful trails is a no-no: disruption of wildlife (dogs can scare the birds away, leave scents and fecal waste that negatively affects the wildlife in a plethora of ways), risk of injury, disease or death to the pet (ticks, poison oak, snakes, hawks and other birds of prey, etc. all can pose a threat to your domestic animal), risk of injury, disease or death to the pet owner (imagine your dog getting into a confrontation with a bobcat, coyote, snake, etc., bringing home ticks or rubbing against some poison oak and then against you at home, leaving the toxic oils all over the house and your body)...

A good example of what can potentially happen when domestic animals are in uncontrolled, open air, natural settings has been recently observed in Laguna Beach, at Main Beach, and written about in the OC Register on the 10th of March, 2009. Here is a link to that article: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/turly-banana-beach-2330764-hawk-birds. Basically, a man lost one of his beloved parrots to a red-tailed hawk (the very same one, most likely, as the one that I photographed at the gazebo of Main Beach during that very same week, possibly day, see posts below), and is angry at Laguna Beach authorities for not killing the hawk (which, by the way, has EVERY RIGHT to be in Laguna Beach and the surrounding areas).

What we all need to understand is that when we are outdoors in a natural surrounding, there are forces of nature that surpass our own strengths, precautions and laws. Despite the damage that we have done to our natural resources (one which grows in gravity every second that passes), Mother Nature is still alive and will forever claim her right to exist. And every so often, whether we like it or not, we are (sometimes unpleasantly) reminded of our place in the world, of food chains, of natural instincts. The natural world has its own laws, its own timing, its own rythym - to coexist in harmony in natural settings, we have to put the ways of the natural world first.

So please, next time that you consider bringing a pet to Laguna Canyon, or see someone at our park's entrances with Fluffy or Polly, please help and make sure that our natural world is respected to the fullest degree. We have so much at stake here - it has taken the efforts of many thousands of people to preserve the beautiful canyon that we know today - let us not allow it to slip away through carelessness.

The new Wave of WAVs comes in for Laguna Canyon Foundation! Yay!

This morning I had the absolute greatest privilege of showing Laurel Loop to our newest wave of LCF volunteers. We started out at the Willow Staging Area, took Lower Laurel all the way up to Willow (signpost #2) and around back down to WSA, a 3.9 mile hike. Along the way, we were graced by the presence of many beautiful wildflowers that have been popping up in Laguna Canyon over the past weeks. Of special interest to our group were:
- Parry's Phacelia
- Canyon Pea
- the many Lupines - including the Miniature Lupine
- California Plantain
- Common Fiddleneck
- Common Deerweed
- Fuschia-Flowered Gooseberry
- Blue Dicks
- California Buttercup
- Sticky Monkey Flower
- Wishbone Bush
- California Poppy
(list non-exhaustive!!!)

We also enjoyed the different habitats that one can see on the loop - the coastal sage scrub habitat, the riparian habitat, the oak woodlands, a small glimpse of grasslands, and the mixed chaparral environment.

Everyone was so positive and inquisitive about the canyon's plants and animals, and I am so excited to know that they soon will be out there, helping the public and making sure that we keep our wilderness park WILD! A big thank you to all of you who came!

For those of you who have not yet become a volunteer for the Laguna Canyon Foundation, but would like to, please visit the Laguna Canyon Foundation's Website at www.lagunacanyon.org, or contact:

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park
18751 Laguna Canyon Road
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949)923-2235

lagunacoast@ocparks.com
More to follow.

More Flowers in Bloom - South Stagecoach

Finally got around to taking those Ground Pinks at South Stagecoach, right up from the Nix Nature Center's main parking lot. Unfortunately, it was still overcast and most flowers were closed, (ok ok it also was only 8 AM) Photos of the Ground Pinks can be seen HERE.









Also, made an awesome discovery today! I learned about Lacepods! And look at how awesome the fruits of lacepods look! Photos of the lacepod can be seen HERE.
















But that's not all. Check out the awesome, often overlooked MINIATURE LUPINE (lupinus bicolor) - Click HERE to see the Photo Album of Mini Lupine.

(Note: my finger is directly next to the blooms - not in front - check out that size!!!)





Got some photos of Blue-Eyed Grass right outside of the Nix Nature Center... Click HERE TO SEE ALBUM.












And took better photos of those Johnny Jump Ups on South Stagecoach trail... Click HERE for Album.
More information to come on all!

Red-Tailed Hawk it is :)

Thanks to John Krill of www.lagunabeat.com for posting his latest photos of the red-tailed hawk that has been at Main Beach for quite some time now, viewable HERE.
So, after all, it is a red-tailed hawk! :)
John makes an interesting observation that the seagull and pigeon count is way down, and also that one of our locals lost a white parrot to the hawk about two weeks ago.

UPDATE on 15 March 2009: the OC Register printed this article on the 10th of March, regarding the lost parrot at Main Beach, due to the hawk: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/turly-banana-beach-2330764-hawk-birds

Out at Willow on a Sunday Afternoon

Yesterday from 11 to 3 I was at the Willow Staging Area, greeting all of the fantastic bikers and hikers that came to enjoy Laguna Canyon. The weather was perfect - just enough warmth to enjoy hiking/biking in the shade, but cool enough to avoid overheating on those upward steep slopes. Len Gardner came to show me some examples of California Plantain that he had signaled earlier this month at Mary's Trail, and that I found later that afternoon where Dick Newell had indicated, at the start of Lower Laurel. I was surprised to learn how small California Plantain was... just about the length of two quarters back-to-back! Read about the endangered Quino Checkerspot Butterfly, which depends on California Plantain, in Clicking HERE.

At 3 pm, I did the Laurel Loop (Lower Laurel to Willow) and took my time observing the changes in the landscape, especially on Lower Laurel. Here is the report.

• The False Indigo is leafing out a bit more.
• The canyon pea is developing more and more, blooming as it can. There are many more pink flowers than purple on Lower Laurel, compared to the more dominant purple flowers on Little Sycamore, from what I can remember.
• The mulefat is blooming more and more.
• I believe to have seen the snowberry in bloom (from what I saw from a distance, staying on the trail and looking onto the slope to the left of me).
• The caterpillars and ladybugs are in great number and are absolutely loving the Common Fiddleneck.
• The blue dicks are opening up in great quantities everywhere.
• The Coast Indian Paintbrush is adding that awesome, bold orange-red color to our sagegreen hills in scattered streaks.
• The invasive, non-native mustard is more conspicuous now, as it has grown taller.
• The Mexican Elderberries are filling out now with more and more leaves.
• Many California Poppies are to be seen on the initial climb at Willow, from the Willow staging area. By 5 pm, they were closed up... but still so fantastic to see!
• I saw some full California Manroot prickly gourds near Post 2, up at the top of Willow.
• I took some photos of flowers that I haven't immediately identified yet, more commentary on them soon.

Many photographers came out to Willow, yesterday, as well. While most of them did seem pretty content with the photographs that they were able to take of the canyon, I did meet one who didn't find enough "wildlife" and seemed pretty disheartened about it all. In Laguna Canyon, it's true that it does take a certain amount of luck to meet up with deer, coyotes, or bobcats, and that our birds often hide in the trees and bushes off-trail. But there is still so much to enjoy on the trails here, if not the music of the wind whistling through our oaks and sycamores, then the heartbeat of the earth and the scents of our native plants. Don't be surprised if you come to the canyon searching for one experience and find yourself leaving with another.

Please visit Laguna Canyon Foundation's website: www.lagunacanyon.org
In these tough economic times, our Non-Profits are Suffering... Please Support Laguna Canyon Foundation with Your Generous Donations. Thanks!

Village Laguna & No Plastic Bags in Laguna Beach!

Over the weekend, I met two wonderful individuals belonging to the non-profit organization "Village Laguna" in front of Whole Foods Market on Ocean Ave, in Laguna Beach. They were holding petitions in their arms for residents and non-residents of Laguna alike to sign, to eliminate plastic bags from all of Laguna Beach's stores. Of course, I immediately went over to add my name to the ever-growing list of names - for about three years, now, I have become accustomed to bringing my own bags (I've even got a favorite canvas one that has transported everything from cilantro and toothpaste to clothes, books, and appliances) and over time, I have noticed, with amazement, how many bags I have actually kept out of our landfills.

For those of you who are forgetful and have difficulty in breaking routine, I will grant you that it does initially take a bit of effort to remember to put those reusable bags in your car trunk or in a visible spot by your front door so that you'll use them on your next outing, but after a few weeks and with enough motivation, I guarantee that you'll find using a re-useable bag to be an easy and beneficial new habit in your life.

Anyhoo, back to this weekend's encounter with Village Laguna. As I was signing the petition, one of the members of Village Laguna also spoke to me about their project against the Aliso Creek Area Redevelopment Plan, which is explained, on their website, HERE. Of considerable concern (among many troublesome issues that this said "redevelopment plan" would bring about) is the degradation and destruction of Laguna's natural wilderness from the construction of yet another completely unnecessary golf facility. With plans for "massive grading, [...] the construction of a golf facility on a ridge, the creation of artificial landforms both in the canyon and on the Hobo-Aliso Ridge, and the import of dirt from one to supply the other," this Aliso Creek Project promises no happy future for our natural environment - and MUST BE STOPPED ASAP.

The folks at Village Laguna are doing a fantastic job in preserving Laguna's natural interests, but they are looking for more members and voices. Visit their website today, at http://www.villagelaguna.com to learn more about them, and ask yourself what YOU can do to make a positive difference in Laguna Beach.

The South Coast Wilderness Educational Program - Laguna Canyon Foundation

Click Here to Access Nature In Orange County's Website Page on Children's Educational Programs in the Natural World of OC

Laguna Canyon Foundation is a non-profit organization working to "preserve, protect, and enhance" the South Coast Wilderness. The last few years have been a time for incredible growth in the educational department of the Laguna Canyon Foundation, and their small grant-driven school programs have evolved into quality, standards-driven field studies.

Please click on the link above or below to access NIOC's page on Educational Programs for Children. At the bottom of the page, in the "Attachments" section, you will find a PDF Brochure on LCF's Educational Prgrams, including "Signs of Life" for 1st Graders, "Everybody Needs a Rock" for 2nd Graders, "Adapt to the Habitat" for 3rd Graders, "Connections" for 4th Graders, and "Rock, Rock, Rockity Rock" for 6th Graders. Program goals and descriptions are available on the PDF brochure. More information is available from Kimberly Leeds, Education Director for the Laguna Canyon Foundation, at education@lagunacanyon.org - 949-510-9341.

* Note: a $5 donation is requested for each participant of LCF's educational programs. Donations go directly into offsetting the foundation's costs. (Jennifer's note to readers: it's well worth it!!!!)

Click Here to Access Nature In Orange County's Website Page on Children's Educational Programs in the Natural World of OC

Also, in the News:

Laguna Canyon Foundation
Camp Sage
August 3- 7 and August 10-14

M-F 8:30- 1:00 PM
20 students per week ages 7-11
$ 150 Per camper per week

Monday - Nature Connections: Introduction to the Coastal Sage Scrub Community
Tuesday - Awareness and Senses: Opening our senses to increase awareness of the nature in our every day experiences.
Wednesday - Inspiration, Exploration, and Focus- A chance for each child to find a secret spot and to explore and deeply connect with the rhythms of nature (journaling, poetry, and sharing)
Thursday - Human Impact on the Environment- A day to examine our footprint on the planet and how we can preserve, protect, and enhance the wilderness
Friday - Integration and reflection- a final hike in the park exploring all of our new talents for understanding nature.

Overview: Each day will begin with a circle of gratefulness honoring each individual for his or her contribution to the whole group. Multiple explorations into the wilderness with inspiring activities adapted from the Leopold Education Program, Joseph Cornell, and John Taylor- "Coyote Mentoring"

Led by: Education Director, Kimberly Leeds, Education Coordinator Meghan Lockwood.

Plantago Erecta (California Plantain) also in bloom

Update: Both Len Gardner and Dick Newell have signaled the blooming of Plantago erecta (Cal. Plantain) along Mary's Trail and Laurel Canyon. Len first announced it on the 25th of February. We'll try to get out and photograph it as soon as we can.

More Flowers in Bloom in the Canyon! :)

Hello to all of you wonderful Laguna Canyon lovers!
We're having a party today! Well, it seems like it, at least, with all of the fun photos that we have now, that we took yesterday, March 1, 2009 on Lower Laurel Trail in Laguna Canyon (accessible only by foot from the Willow Staging Area / Parking Lot or Willow Trail or Upper Laurel Trail).

Here are the magnificent flowers we observed yesterday on Lower Laurel:

• Blue Dicks
• California buttercup
• Canyon Pea
• Chickweed
• Common Deerweed
• Milkmaids were doing well and just developing in some areas of Lower Laurel, while we had spotted them in December at the Aliso and Wood Canyon park.
• Miner's Lettuce (bigger flowers now)
• Mulefat
• Rattlesnake Spurge
• Shortpod Mustard (non-native invasive)
• Sycamore in bloom! :)

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS OF GREAT EXCITEMENT:

1. The Lance-leaved Dudleya was shooting up its stalks! :)
2. The California False Indigo was leafing out... slowly :)
3. The Poison Oak is leafing out!
4. Bush Mallow had some new leaves as well...

Going back to the Flowers in Bloom, At the Nix Nature Center, one could also see:

• Johnny Jump-Ups (Lots of them!)
• Storksbill
• Red Maids
• California Poppy
• Tidy Tips
  

Also, how about the FUN INSECTS we saw on Lower Laurel :) ? We saw a few butterflies (too fast to photograph), a caterpillar on common fiddleneck, and a lovely ladybug on grass! :)

There were no California Poppies on Lower Laurel yet. We have had reports of them up on the ridges. We saw them last week on Serrano Ridge.

There are still lots of Toyon berries on the Toyon trees on Lower Laurel.

It was super-hot this weekend, reaching at least 87 degrees F in the canyon (when I was there!). Now we are being blessed with a little bit more rainfall - as I write this post it is raining in Irvine, CA, about 6 miles from the Lower Laurel Trail. Check the status of Park Closures in Orange County before you go out hiking: www.ocparks.com.

More soon!