California Spring 2007 Part II - Beach Week
This gallery is a continuation of the California March 2007 trip. As we drove west on Hwy. 33 we saw many orchards, vineyards and fields of crops. This is one form of irrigation that is commonly seen in the fields.
Greenbark Ceanothus; Ceanothus spinosus
Ojai, CA March 25, 2007 I photographed this shrub blooming along Highway 33 on the drive from Taft to Ventura. Ceanothus has small white or blue flowers.
Coast Morning Glory; Calystegia macrostegia cyclostegia
Ventura, CA March 25, 2007
California has a great commuter train system, this one zoomed by Highway 1. We learned to watch very closely when we came to a railroad crossing!
was photographed along a beach in Ventura. Lupines are very difficult to identify unless they have a very specific characteristic, so I'm not going to try on this one! Lupines are in the Pea Family, they have bacteria-containing nodules on the roots that are able to fix nitrogen from the air, thus they help enrich the soil.
Mousehole Tree; Myoporum laetum*
This tree is native to Australia, it is planted as a landscaping plant and it often escapes. I photographed this one growing in a state park at a beach. I'd love to know how this tree got its funny name! :)
Western Flycatcher ; Empidonax dificilis
This flycatcher sat on a piece of driftwood on the edge of the beach. It is fun to watch these birds as they dart out from their perch and catch insects in mid-air.
Ringed Turtle-Dove; Streptopelia risoria
This male dove was cooing, as can be seen by the puffed out neck.
Harbor Seals A mother seal's milk is very rich in fat, the pups grow very quickly and are ready to go to sea about a month after they are born. Seals are quite graceful in the water, but they have to belly flop and pull themselves along with their front flippers on land. It is amazing how fast they can move out of the water though!
Blue Gum Eucalyptus; Eucalyptus globulus*
The eucalyptus tree is native to Australia, but it is quite happy to grow along the coast of California. The leaves have a destinctive smell. Monarch butterflies roost in a grove of these trees in Pacific Grove, CA, near Monterey. The flowers are very unusual and produce strange seed pods. We had seen the pods on previous trips to California, but this was the first time I had seen the flowers.
Orchid Rock-rose; Cistus X purpureus
Oxnard, CA March 27, 2007
I was amazed when I saw these twisted layers of sedimentary rock along Hwy. 33. This area runs along a geologic fault, which is evidenced by the twisted rock.
Virgins Bower; Pipestems; Clematis lasiantha
Ojai, CA March 25, 2007 These flowers were a bit larger than their eastern "cousin". I found these along Hwy. 33. I was a bit disappointed that I didn't see more flowers on that road, especially in the mountains.
. We parked along Highway 1 and walked across and down the boulders. These large rocks were brought in to help prevent beach erosion. Strong winter storms produce large waves that eat away at the bank. There weren't any big waves here, we found out it is a "beginners beach" for surfers. map...
.The pier is open to the public and free to enter.
Dunedelion; Malacothrix incana
Aster Family Ventura, CA March 26, 2007 I like the common name of this pretty yellow beach flower!
White-stemmed Filaree; Erodium moschatum
Geranium Family Taft, CA March 22, 2007 This is a very common weed in California. It has long, beak-shaped fruits.
Sand Verbena; Abronia umbellata umbellata
Ventura, CA March 25, 2007 These lovely flowers grow like pink lollipops along the beach. I am amazed at the "toughness" of such delicate-looking plants. map...
Bush Sunflower; Encelia californica
Ventura, CA March 25, 2007 This is a common plant along the beaches of southern California.
Ochre Sea stars; Pisaster ochraceus
The correct name for these 5-armed echinoderms is sea star, not "starfish" since they are not related to fish in any way. Sea stars are often left exposed on the rocks and pier pilings during low tide; Sea stars breathe through their skin, as long as they stay wet from the spray they can survive until the next high tide. Some of these sea stars are orange and others are purple.
Hottentot Fig; Carpobrotus edulis*
Oxnard, CA March 27, 2007 This plant, a native of South Africa planted along shorelines and roadsides to cut down on erosion, has become a common naturalized plant all along the California coast. The flowers are very unusual.
Onionweed; Asphodel; Asphodelus fistulosus*
Santa Barbara, CA March 26, 2007 I kept seeing these plants blooming along Hwy. 1 and I was anxious to see what they were. We finally found a place to pull over safely so I could take this photograph and the following one. They have very pretty flowers.
Wild strawberry; Fragaria vesca
Oxnard, CA March 27, 2007 There will be a delicious, sweet berry where this flower is in a couple of months.
Like many of the mountain roads, Highway 33 has some interesting hairpin turns, making for an interesting ride. What made it even more interesting was the speeding motorcycles that roared up the highway! We learned that we should have not traveled there on a weekend!
Prickly Phlox; Leptodactylon californicum
These pretty pink flowers bloomed along Hwy. 33 near Ojai.
Purple Nightshade; Solanum xanti
Ventura, CA March 25, 2007 This is a very pretty, showy Nightshade. I photographed this plant along Hwy. 1, not far from the railroad track. It looks a lot like the Blue Witch I saw at Pinnacles National Monument last year.
which helped cause me to catch a bad cold. :( We enjoyed watching people fishing, a young couple getting photographs made, and birdwatching.
I enjoyed seeing the varied colors of the beach rocks.
Piddock Clam; Penitella penita
These Rock-burrowing mollusks have a shell with a rough set of ridges that they use to grind holes in solid rock, a pretty good way to protect themselves! Clams are filter feeders. These animals can live in the rocks up to 8 years. When they die, they leave an empty hole that can be used by crabs, sea anemones and other animals (called "metabiosis".
Red-winged Blackbird; Agelaius tricolor
Love was in the air and this male bird was really "strutting his stuff" as he sang, danced and flared out his feathers in an attempt to gain the affection of a female. These birds live near water and wetlands.
We went to Carpinteria State Beach expecting to walk along the water. It was quite a nice surprise when we found out the beach was closed due to the recent birth of several Harbor Seal pups! A volunteer at the top of the cliff tells visitors about the seal colony, reminds them to be quiet and to help keep dogs away. Harbor seals swim out to sea to eat fish, they are sometimes eaten by Great White Sharks.
Blue Gum Eucalyptus seed pods
Tree Tobacco; Nicotiana glauca*
Nightshade Family Ventura, CA March 25, 2007 This native of South America has found a comfortable new home along the coast of southern California. It is a poisonous plant.
Ground squirrel; Spermophilus beecheyi
These ground-dwelling squirrels are found all over southern California; this one lived near the beach.
Long-beaked Filaree ; Erodium botrys
Geranium Family Oxnard, CA March 27, 2007 This filaree has a single flower that grows close to the ground. It has very long seed pods.
Bermuda Sorrel; Oxalis pes-caprae*
Carpentaria, CA March 26, 2007 This large-flowered, non-native sorrel is common is damp areas near the coast.
Lemonadeberry; Rhus integrifolia
Ventura, CA March 26, 2007 This is a common beach shrub. It is related to Poison Ivy and Poison Oak, however it is non-poisonous. The berries can be crushed and mixed with water to make a drink that tastes like lemonade. (see next photo)
Sand Verbena; Abronia umbellata umbellata
Ventura, CA March 25, 2007
Aster Family Ventura, CA March 25, 2007 This vine really confused me, the leaves looked like an ivy but the flowers looked liked a composite. Previously known as Senecio mikanioides
Kenny and I enjoyed watching this beautiful white egret as it hunted for fish. I was excited to catch this one in action eating a fish. These birds have bright yellow feet making them look like they have stepped in paint! Egrets and herons are wading birds, they have long beaks and long legs that allow them to easily stalk the tidepools and shorelines for hunt for fish and crabs.
I thought these red Ice Plant leaves were interesting looking!
Harbor Seals resting on the beach.
Bull Mallow; Malva nicaeensis*
Mallow Family Carpinteria, CA This is a common weed near fields and roadsides.
sp. Goose barnacles grow on a stalk (like a goose neck). They are exposed to the air for a few hours during low tide. They close their shells tightly until the water rises again. Barnacles are filter feeders, they extend 5 "fingers" which they wave in the water to catch small animals. Note the small barnacles growing on the mussel shells, no space is wasted in a tide pool!
washed up on the beach. Kelp is not a plant, it is a type of algae and is in the kingdom Protista. Algae cells don't differentiate into leaves, stems, roots, or wood.
The headquarters and visitor center for Channel Islands National Park are located in Oxnard in the main harbor. We had hoped to take a boat out to Santa Cruz Island, but there were 50 mph sustained offshore winds, so no boats were running that day. :(
