Tiptoe through the Daisies

Crown daisies (Chrysanthemum coronarium) in bloom along the Mission River.

Tree-Face

Just for fun!

Carl Durant's Big Debut

Carl Durant and his band debut their new album, Last Place, at LeStat's last night.

U4BA (get it?!)

Euphorbia characias(?) blooming in the back yard. Note that the female part of the flower in the center is separated from the male parts of the flower on stalks (sorry, still in closed bud). This is likely to discourage self-pollination.

California Pond Turtle

California Pond Turtle (or Northern Pond Turtle), Actinemys marmorata marmorata. Found from San Francisco north through British Columbia. They survive Summer dry spells by estivating in the mud (like hibernating but during the Summer...).

Starfish on the Prowl

Starfish cruising among a colony of mussels.

Masdevallia ignea

Masdevallia ignea. These glowing little orchids are from the Columbian rainforest at around 10,000 ft. They tend to grow on the cool side and need good water.

Five Spot

Five Spot, Nemophila, blooming in the back yard. This native wildflower grows well in partly shaded areas after the Winter rains.

Stanhopea impressa

Stanhopea impressa. These are from Columbia and Ecuador at 1000-6000 ft.

University of San Diego Sunset

University of San Diego Sunset. One small benefit of working during the day and going to school at night is the occasional, gorgeous sunset.

Phalaenopsis Haur Jin Fancy

Phalaenopsis Haur Jin Fancy enterred at the San Diego County Orchid Society Show.

Carrots

Carrots in two colors at the farmer's market at USD. These were grown by Phil Noble at Sage Mountain Farm.

Springtime in the Back Yard

Leucospermum (Protea family) blooming in the back yard. While it would be inaccurate to say that the back yard is "awash" in flowers, there are a lot of fun things blooming. The Leucospermum have been in bloom for a week or two now and the hummingbirds have been busily pollinating them. The seeds will actually germinate as well although I haven't actually raised any up past seedling stage.

Glochids

Opuntia microdasys (bunny ears), closeup of glochids. These are really nasty if you brush up against them but, from afar, are fairly attractive. This one is growing in the back yard. For you non-cacti growers, Opuntia is the genus that includes prickly pears. Glochids are, as you can see, little tufts of spines in the areoles of the cactus pad.

Pleurothallis gargantua

Pleurothallis gargantua. This is one of the largest species in the pleurothallis alliance, capable of growing several feet tall. They are native to the cloud forests of Ecuador where they grow at around 4000-7000 feet.

Ascocentrum miniatum

Ascocentrum. This was labeled as miniatum but it is perhaps garayi ...or Sagarik Gold). This well grown little Ascocenda is native to Southeast Asia where it grows in deciduous forests.

Here's Looking at You...

Secretary Bird warily watching itself in the glass.

Koala Cameo

A Koala cameo. 9 times out of 10, the koalas are napping when I come by their exhibit. This time, however, he was up and chowing down eucalyptus leaves like a locus on the warpath. The weirdest thing is that he looks vaguely familiar. Do animals ever remind you of people?

Duck Attack

A territorial display between two ducks. The one being chased is a wood duck. The chaser is possibly a greater scaup. The scaup managed to bite the wood duck on the wing at some point before the wood duck escaped.

Foaming at the Mouth?

Bactrian camel, Camelus bactrianus, female. Why do camels foam at the mouth? Reduced appetite and foaming at the mouth is a sign of estrus! There is nothing wrong with Mrs. camel, she's just in heat. Note, there are only about 1000 wild Bactrian camels left, mostly inhabiting the Gobi desert.

Panda-monium

Panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, eating bamboo. It gives new meaning to toothpicks doesn't it? Apparently, pandas have to eat around 40-80 lbs of bamboo a day, partly because of bamboo's low nutritional value.

Pictures from the Homeland...

Surfing Sunset Beach in the Winter when the waves are real big...

Duck of the Week

The Mandarin Duck, Aix galericulata, is native to Eastern Russia, China and Japan and is related to the American Wood Duck.

Passing Peacock

Just your passing peacock...

Wooly Bear

Wooly Bear Caterpillar floating down the stream. This is the larvae of a moth in the family Arctiidae, possibly a tiger moth. They were all over the hiking trails and even in the water were they probably fell from overhanging foliage. It's Springtime in Southern California!

Ficus villosa

Ficus villosa, Borneo. Those hairs...keep this little Ficus from being eaten by browsing animals.

Dendrobium obtusisepalum 'Diamond Orchids' AM/AOS

Dendrobium obtusisepalum 'Diamond Orchids' AM/AOS. This was one of the recent awards at the San Marino Judging Center for the American Orchid Society. Dendrobium obtusisepalum is a shade-loving, native to New Guinea where it grows on small shrubs and on trees at about 2500 ft.

Just for the Color

Some pictures are all color and light!

Aloe After the Rain

Aloe species blooming after the rain. Most Aloe bloom only once a year, but when they bloom, they put on quite a show! Luckily for them, the leaves are also amazingly attractive in all sorts of geometries and patterns.

Pacific Mistletoe

Pacific Mistletoe, Phoradendron leucarpum; also known as oak mistletoe and Western mistletoe. These have berries right now. While these are toxic to humans, many birds eat them, excreting the sticky, pulpy seeds on trees that they roost on, thereby spreading the mistletoe.

Snow in San Diego!

It snowed in the foothills of San Diego. Snow seems a bit out of place for San Diego at the end of February but it made for a spectacular view!

The Things We Do to Get a Picture

Photographer snapping a picture of the Old Mission Dam, now swollen and overflowing with rainwater. Her husband was patiently watching over the todler in the interim. The dam was built to provide water for a sawmill and for irrigation at the Mission San Diego de Alcalá.

Pleurothallid

A pendant flowering Pleurothallid species at the Huntington Botanical Gardens.

Lovers at The Huntington

Lovers at The Huntington Mausoleum. Sometimes, I wonder what it must have been like to live in such opulence!

LA Traffic

Los Angeles Traffic complete with cell phone tree!

Can Law School Give You Grey Hair?

Warren Hall, University of San Diego School of Law, University of San Diego. Yep. That's where I spend my time! By the way, can law school give you grey hair? I swear I'm getting grey hair from the stress of worrying about the California Bar.

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank, Tringa erythropus, (Winter Coloration) at the Mission River Preserve. This little migrant spends its Summers in Alaska and its Winters in Southern California and Baja. It is identifiable by the white wedge on its rump.

Huntington Conservatory

The Huntington Conservatory at the Huntington Botanical Gardens. I suspect it was designed to look like an original conservatory that had long since been removed. The conservatory has two wings and a central rotunda. The rotunda goes down about a story or two into the ground with a beautiful pool in the center filled with tropical fish and surrounded by flowering tropical vines. The sides of the recessed area have tropical flowering trees, vines and orchids. Mists rain down on regularly timed intervals and huge fans keep a gentle breeze blowing constantly. It is truly an enchanted space.

Tulip Tree Blossom

Tulip Tree or Japanese Magnolia, Magnolia soulangiana at the Huntington Botanical Gardens.

University of San Diego Reliefs

Dove Relief, University of San Diego. I was snapping pictures of some of the beautiful reliefs that adorn the buildings at University of San Diego. This one, of a dove, was on the Church and signifies the Holy Spirit of the Trinity.

The Things That Follow Me Home...

Aloe alooides. The Aloe are blooming like fiends and it's a great time to go out and...buy some more! This is the time of year when you can actually see what their flowers look and oh what fun it is! This one followed me home. I love the contrast between the dark nectar and the bright yellow flowers. The bees and hummingbirds love them too!

Heirloom Tomatoes at the Farmer's Market

Heirloom Tomatoes for sale at the farmer's market. Tomatoes in February is one of the benefits of living in a relatively warm, subtropical climate.

Phalaenopsis I-Hsin Sesame 'OX1178'

Phalaenopsis I-Hsin Sesame 'OX1178'. How do you know if someone has a LOT of orchids? When they given them clonal names like '0X1178' instead of things like freckles or spotted tiger, you know they have a LOT of orchids. Imagine if we started naming our kids like that? '007' could be setting a precedent!

The Immaculata

The Immaculata at University of San Diego. I figured, after all these years attending Law School at USD, I ought to snap a picture or two. Here's one of the Immaculata. Also featured is that funky, wind-blown norfolk island pine that gives it all just a bit of extra character.

Sinister Looking Old Kiawe Tree

Kiawe Tree, Prosopis pallida, Hanauma, Hawaii. It had a gnarled, twisted look that just reminded me of those old, twisted trees that attacked people in the scary movies. Or perhaps, it was just the stray mongoose that slinked up the trunk like it was his own private ramp up the cliff top. Either way, it looked like fun to snap a shot of. For you botanists out there, Kiawe is a species of mesquite that is native to Peru, Columbia and Equador, but was introduced to Hawaii as animal fodder (as was Haole Koa).

Puffing Away...

Porcupine fish, Diodon holocanthus, Hanauma Bay, Hawaii. This little fish was doing his best to stay out in front of me and just would not look into the lens. What's a diver to do?

Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Goldfinch, Carduelis psaltria, on my persimmon tree. These have a more southerly distribution than the American Goldfinch and are particularly fond of thistle seed (actually Nyjer). They're quite gregarious and will crowd a sock full of thistle with perhaps 10 or 15 birds.

Just Like Spring

Anna's Hummingbird, Calypte anna, singing. It's like Springtime in Southern California. The peaches are blooming and the birds are starting to nest. This little hummingbird has staked out the top branch on my apricot tree.

Who was Anna anyhow? Was she a famous ornithologist? A California settler? No, she was Anna Masséna, Duchess of Rivoli. This little hummingbird was named after her by René Primevère Lesson, a French naturalist and surgeon, who served in the French navy during the Napoleonic wars.

Buckeye Butterfly

Buckeye Butterfly, Junonia coenia, Mission Trails Park. The adults are found in sunny/grassy fields and the caterpillars live on plantains.

Feels Like Spring

Aloe speciosa (or some close cousin in Asphodelaceae) blooming in the front yard. This year, probably due to the warm January and wet November/December here in Southern California, the Aloe are all blooming early. None of their flowers are quite as dramatic or as stately as the Aloe speciosa. Ironically, there are normally two Aloe speciosa blooming in the front yard each February. However, possibly because the bigger one is crowding out the smaller one, this year there was only one...but with twice the flowers as normal.