Our Closest Neighbors Are Birds

A Bewick's wren perched on a backyard railing

Several avian neighbors regularly flout our home owners association rules by installing custom built additions on our house from late spring into the summer months. Of course our human neighbors are not aware of the nests and even if they were, it is against the law to move or destroy an active nest. While the… Continue reading Our Closest Neighbors Are Birds

Backyard Monarch Project: A Year Later

A female monarch laying eggs

I am so behind on planned posts! I have a piece of digital artwork featuring the western tiger Swallowtail butterfly that I want to include in a post that discusses the Swallowtail in some detail, but I am only about halfway through the layers that I am using to create a composite image. So, I… Continue reading Backyard Monarch Project: A Year Later

Ceanothus (California Lilac)

Ceanothus on the Mesa Peak Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains (March 2017)

Last spring I started replacing non-native with native California plants around our house. I started with a couple small plots front and back and a slope on one side of our house. This spring I expanded this effort to include additional areas in the front and back yards. The plants I put in this spring included a… Continue reading Ceanothus (California Lilac)

Pacific Gopher Snake – Pituophis catenifer catenifer

A Pacific Gopher Snake absorbs heat from the sun on a fire road.

During the past month I have encountered the Pacific Gopher snake (video) three times while hiking or running on the fire roads and single-track trails near my house. Each sighting was in a different location. The second and third snakes appeared at least one mile or more from the previous sighting so they were probably three different… Continue reading Pacific Gopher Snake – Pituophis catenifer catenifer