unknown caterpillar

I'm starting to collect more unknowns than positive IDs. This fellow had fallen off its host plant, one of many possibilities, onto the trail. Can anyone recommend a good caterpillar book for native CA species?

ps 04/29/10 - Thanks to a series of blog comments, I now have this information from a reputable source, "skepticalmoth said... Well, sad to say there really is nothing. The new book, "Moths of Western North America" is spectacular - but only has a few small plates of caterpillars in the back. If you think it's a butterfly there is "Butterflies of Southern California" - long out of print, and has b/w caterpillar illustrations (not bad though). There is also "Caterpillars of the Pacific Northwest" - beautiful photos and it is FREE. This last one is probably the best bet for CA, but far from perfect." The link to the bioblabber's blog post is here.

ps 03/20/11 - Maybe Apantesis?

coast gum plant
Grindelia stricta
Asteraceae

What struck me with this plant was how unopened buds exuded a shiny milky substance.

ps 05/09/10 - Originally I had this labeled as an unknown. I then looked for "gum plant" online because that's what some folks from Elkhorn called it. My first ID of this unknown was Grindelia robusta and was incorrect. Thanks to a plant list for Elkhorn Slough, I trust the new ID above.

habitat ~ 07/03/09 ~ Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park - McWay Falls
July 3, 2009

Obviously, we weren't hiking when I took this picture. Thanks to a lovely friend who wanted to get out of the office Friday afternoon, we were treated to a private plane trip down the coast. I would guess McWay Falls is one of the most photographed features in the Big Sur area, second only to Bixby Bridge. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is also on the list of state parks to be closed. It's such a shame!

mourning dove ~ 07/02/09 ~ at home

mourning dove on coast Douglas fir
Zenaida macroura on Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii
Pinaceae

Funny, but I always thought of these as "morning" doves since I hear them calling in the mornings. While we see them regularly on telephone wires around town, this was the first time I saw one from our balcony perched in the tree.