I guess thirds time is the charm since this is the third time I have found this species and the first time it was a living one.
These guys seem to come out around sunset each day in this area.
Notice the ticks on the lizard in the second picture. There is something in the the western fence lizard that counteracts the organism that causes lyme disease found in ticks which researchers are trying to pin down.
I saw these two lizards getting closer together and then the male jumped on the female to mate. These are the best of about 20 pictures I took of the event.
Found this guy on an outside step. After taking a few pics I moved it to a more moist area.
I found these among a population of Gilia tricolor. The scientific notation has been changed from Lotus humistratus to the Acmispon brachycarpus shown above. I guess it has to do with the new Jepson listings.
Commonly it is also known as short-podded lotus.
These guys have the dark color of someone just getting out to get some sun early in the season. I don't remember seeing the golden color they have on their feet before.
The first time I saw these two, they were having a stare down of territory, I think.
This is found in the Foss Creek restoration project of the Russian Riverkeeper Organization in Healdsburg, CA on W. North Street.
This is found in the Foss Creek restoration project of the Russian Riverkeeper Organization in Healdsburg, CA on W. North Street.
These are also known as grass pinks. I have heard these or a related species is from where the domestic carnation was developed.
I looked around for the butterfly pollinators but only saw the small flies seen on the edge of the pedals.
When we got to our turn-around-point I saw another trillium and snapped a pic. As I looked around I noticed more flowering trillium and was very surprised to see 30 to 40 in bloom not very far from where I stood. That is be for the greatest population I have ever seen.
As we were walking we kept seeing these in bloom so I took a few observations.
This plant is the largest one of these that I have ever seen. I put my hat by it to show its size.
I noticed that the bug floats on its four rearward legs and propels itself with the two front ones.
These plants were in a creek bed standing about three feet high and very sticky.
Pretty fuzzy pic, but it is the best I got.
