Coyotebrush

October Visit (10/31/2016)

Image | | robinleecarlson

On a cool gray day, I thought that a scrub jay (Aphelocoma californica) in a gray pine (Pinus sabiniana) made a beautiful silhouette against the sky.

graypine_2016oct31_sm

A  number of spotted towhees (Pipilo maculatus) were foraging in the smaller trees along the trail.  I caught one on a perch next to some stairs, and then drew a close-up from a photo.

spottedtowhee_2016oct31_sm

All over the canyon, poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) in its fall colors glowed vividly against the green and gray of the day.

poisonoak_2016oct31_sm

Mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides) resprouting.  I love the shape of their leaves.

mountainmahogany_2016oct31_sm

Female coyotebrush (Baccharis pilularis) flowers, and a view of coyotebrush resprouting.

coyotebrush_2016oct31_sm

January Visit (1/8/2016)

Image | | robinleecarlson

Walking the creek trail in early January, I drew some of the re-sprouting shrubs.  I have focused on plants that are marked for monitoring by the California Phenology Project at Stebbins Cold Canyon.  Marker numbers are noted on each sketch.  Shown below are California laurel (B03), Coyotebrush (A04), and Toyon (A02, with an additional closeup).

calaurelb03_2016jan8_sm

 

coyotebrusha04_2016jan8_sm

 

toyona02closeup_2016jan8_sm

 

toyona02_2016jan8_sm

Looking up from the creek at the same spot where I focused on water quality in December and January, I drew the canyon hillsides facing west.  While there was some green growth to be seen along the creek, next to nothing was green on the hillsides in this direction.

ridge3_2016jan8_sm