R: Tammy, JD, Carol, Ren.
Today was our last field trip for The Book. Tammy and JD now know GGPark well enough to know where I’m talking about and where I’m referencing! I was a little sad that we don’t have field trips to look forward to, but Tammy said there were spots she’d like to come back and visit. So, maybe the trips aren’t over! We also had Arachniqueen Ren and Naturing friend Carol with us. Despite the late Fall date, it was a glorious day to be outside in my park.
Our tour included North Lake, Middle Lake, South Lake, Bercut Equitation Field, and the Chain of Lakes Garden.
We saw many flowers blooming as if it were springtime, like Chaparral Currant (or Red-flowering Currant?), Sweet Pittosporum, Blue Potatobush, Blueblossom, Bird’s-eye Speedwell, Cultivated Tobacco, and a variety of sages. We also spotted many mushrooms, like Yellow Fieldcaps, Hare’s Foot Inkcap, Chip Cherries, Honey Mushrooms, Scurfy Twiglets, Wrinked Crust, Turkey-Tail, and Milky Conecaps, just to name a few!
As for wildlife, we saw Common Ravens, a Red-shouldered Hawk, Yellow-rumped Warblers, American Coots, Mallards, European and Japanese Carp, Black-crowned Night-Herons, a Pied-billed Grebe, a Ring-necked Duck, Shamrock Orbweavers, Golden-crowned Sparrows, a California Towhee, an Anna’s Hummingbird, and a Red-tailed Hawk being chased by what looked like a Cooper’s Hawk. And, I’m sure I’m forgetting something.
The most notable thing about our Naturing time was how Spring-like it felt. Seasons are so strange here. Must be why we like it here?
The Afternoon Naturalist 