My favorite part of spring-like weather this time of year is the appearance of many types of birds, each sporting unique and colorful plumage. I shot most of these images along the Hinkle Creek Trail; the bluebird, magpie and mallards were seen at Phoenix Park. Above, not a perfect capture, but I like it because this female Lesser Goldfinch seems […]
Although the Brugmansia is extremely toxic, all seven species are still very popular ornamental trees. These plants, native to the South American tropics, are listed as Extinct in the Wild; but they’ve still managed to spread to other regions around the world, thanks to human cultivation. The name “angel’s trumpet” refers to the large, pendulous, trumpet-shaped flowers, 14–50 cm (6–20 […]
The Yuba Gold Fields are a fascinating place for me because they give a very good idea of what the area around Mississippi Bar on Lake Natoma would have looked like after the dredgers finished their work in 1962. At Lake Natoma, the Teichart Aggregate Company reclaimed much of the resultant dredger tailings and crushed them into gravel; when the […]
I found these yellow flowers growing along the park road near Dotons Point. As pretty as they look, Bermuda sorrel (Oxalis pes-caprae) is considered an invasive and noxious weed which can cause the death of grazing livestock. That’s not much of an in issue here on the grounds of Folsom State Recreation Area — but it does go to show […]
July is not my favorite month, mostly because of the heat. Still, there are plenty of good things that happen during July: Independence Day, family birthdays, anniversaries — and of course the Tour de France. And no Tour can be really complete until I see the peloton riding through a field of sunflowers: Since that video doesn’t really do justice […]
Helianthus annuus (common sunflower) and Madia elegans (common madia).
Invasive weed or traditional medicine? Common Saint John’s wort is flourishing at the base of the bluffs on Lake Natoma.
I believe this is St Johns wort (Hypericum perforatum). I noticed it growing along the horse trail at Negro Bar State Park. Running along the top of the hill in the background is Greenback Lane, very busy with the morning rush hour traffic.