Green Lynx, Peucetia viridans

Peucetia viridans in her prime

A welcome surpise in the garden this summer was the appearance of a female Green Lynx spider on a Wild Cotton milkweed plant. The Green Lynx is native to most of the southern half of the US from the east to west coasts and south through Mexico, Central America, Columbia and Venezuela. A spiny-legged denizen of… Continue reading Green Lynx, Peucetia viridans

Swallowtail Butterfly

Photo of Swallowtails on Mesa Peak
Swallowtail butterflies on Mesa Peak, April 2018

The beginning of this collage dates back to April, 2018. I was on Mesa Peak where lots of Swallowtails were congregating. They are very fast and acrobatic fliers, impossible to photograph with a simple camera. I resorted to the video feature in my camera phone to catch some video from which I might later be… Continue reading Swallowtail Butterfly

Santa Monica Mountains and Conejo Open Space

Blooming in partly shaded sun on a trail in the Santa Monica Mountains

Video: In the Terroir – 2018 Last summer I participated in a trail running challenge that involved completing 15 climb “segments” at various spots throughout the Santa Monica Mountains. My process was to run/walk each climb segment to as fast as I could, then slow it down to explore what was living on the trail. I took… Continue reading Santa Monica Mountains and Conejo Open Space