Conejo Open Space: Autumn Ridge and Sunrise Trails

With its wings showing the signs of a long journey, a Painted Lady takes a brief respite

In Thousand Oaks we are fortunate to live near relatively wild land with more than 150 miles of trails. I like to hike and trail run; more recently I am learning to mountain bike on some of the trails protected by the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSTAC). The Conejo Open Space “…offers a safe,… Continue reading Conejo Open Space: Autumn Ridge and Sunrise Trails

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