Crestridge Ecological Reserve's Journal

If I don't write a post right away, I tend to forget the route I take.
I started from the Horsemill Rd entrance, going up Rios Canyon Rd, which is actually a trail in that area versus a fire road. Looping my way around back towards the meadow and Oak grove. I came across some Downy monkey flower (Mimulus pilosus), Narrowleaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis), Smallflower soap plant (chlorogalum parviflorum), in bloom finally, and a number of butterflies. Around the Oak Grove I checked on what grows and lives near the seasonal creek coming across some blackberries, San Diego sedge and much more.

I met up with BJ, aka "finatic" on iNat., quite early on a somewhat overcast day at the Horsemill Road entrance. Focusing with low light is a great challenge and batteries dying halfway through the morning is a real frustration.
He managed to get a lot more observations than I did and I am looking forward to seeing the roadrunner that was perched in a tree. I have seen three at Crestridge and only was able to document one which is hardly recognizable.
We mostly covered the meadow, Rios Cyn Rd (trail) and the Oak Grove.

I realize I haven't been at Crestridge since June 4, 2013 and missed the blooming of Branched Phacelia (Phacelia ramossisima). There was just one flower left on one of the plants.
Coming across a few lizard, I was able to take their pictures.
I am still fussing with focusing even with the spare lens I was using.
Blooms are becoming spares as temperature is rising.