August in the Chaparral

In August the hillsides are dried out, the grass is brown, most shrubby plants have drying seeds on them, the baby quail are almost full grown, and the rattlesnakes don't seem to be out on the trails as much.  There are still a few new plants blooming and a couple sights unique to this month.

Beware allergy sufferers - the ragweed is about to bloom.

 In the early morning when the marine layer made everything all misty, I could see spiderweb "funnels" all over the open grassy areas.

 Sweet Fennel is about 6 feet tall this time of year.

 The marine layer cools everything off and makes for a nice run.

 A field of sweet fennel.

Chaparral in July

Ok, this isn't all from the chaparral and it is from early July mostly.  Late July is very dry and most of the wildflowers have turned to berries or puff balls.  I still see lots of rattlesnakes and just don't take pictures of them now.  One reason is because they are plenty warm and move pretty fast, but really, how many rattlesnake pictures do you want to see?  Today I saw a great big wavy track across the dirt road on which I was running where a rattlesnake had recently passed.  The track was about as wide as my foot.  I didn't want to run into that snake.

Lavender fields in Hidden Valley.  Smells so nice in the heat of the morning sun.

Strange metal crates for no apparent reason.

Not a thistle - looks like an artichoke gone wild.

Chris at sunset.

Sycamore Canyon.

Coyote at Satwiwa.

Look back at Chaparral in June.  This is pearly everlasting.  The buds open into what feels like dried straw flowers.

 Nathaniel and some friends did a service project at one of the park trailheads.  They cleaned up trash from a stream.

Emma, Dylan, Christian, Nathaniel, and Riley.

You can't see it (and we didn't at first either) but there is a bees nest in the hole. We were about to climb up over this branch when Nathaniel spotted the bees.

 A couple of pics from Utah.  I didn't take photos of all the wildflowers, although we did see a lot of them.  With the late spring all the wildflowers were out along the wasatch front and in Park City.

2 mile turn-around point from Ferndale trail head.

Chasing Courtney on the bike, and it was still hard to keep up with her.

Chris on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.

Stream crossing

Chaparral in June

It's June in the Chaparral.  There are still many blooms on the Elderberry bushes (and some berries starting to ripen too) and lots of monkey flower, black mustard, and white sage in bloom all over the hills.  But, these are some pictures of new plants coming into flower in June.

Gum Plant (we used to call it tattoo flower because the buds have a sticky resin that will make a flower shaped spot on your hand after sprinkling it with trail dust.  It resists soap and water too.)

Pearly Everlasting

Wild roses (probably not natives.)

Bush Mallow

Diamond Clarkia

Chamise

Red Stemmed Filaree?

Some sort of salvia - I don't think it's Crimson Monkeyflower.

Prickly Pear Cactus

This month the creatures I've met along the trail have been of a more friendly variety.

Road Runner

Long Nosed Snake (unfortunately his nose is already down the hole.)

Rabbits are all over.

Look in the mud nest to see the little swallow waiting for its dinner.

What's Blooming in the Chaparral in April?

So, this is what it looks like nowadays during my early-morning-seminary jog.  The hills are beautiful this time of year.  They really benefitted from the wet winter.

 There are so  many things blooming in the chaparral this month that I haven't gotten around to identifying them - sorry.  I thought I'd post the pictures anyway.  I'll label the ones I know, or guess at some I might know.

Hairy Vetch (?)

Purple Sage (I think I've heard it called black sage too)

 

A relative of the pea family

California Buckwheat

Golden Yarrow

Current blossoms

Current berries

California Poppy

Hummingbird Salvia

Holly Leaf Cherry

Thistle