rainbow from home

Here's a new category, similarly to sunrises, but now rainbows. We've seen quite a few of them in the past month after all the constant rain. You can barely see the double rainbow in this pic.

coyote brush ~ 01/10/10 ~ Fort Ord

female coyote brush
Baccharis pilularis
Asteraceae

ps - 06/25/10 - I originally posted this as unknown fluff. It's a common chaparral plant in CA, but no one has ever pointed it out to me and I simply didn't know. Like most grasses and many trees, it's one of those plants that doesn't usually catch my attention as a newbie plant lover. Thanks to Cindy at Dipper Ranch I now have an ID.

pelagic cormorant ~ 01/03/10 ~ Cannery Row

pelagic cormorant
Phalacrocorax pelagicus

These birds have been all the rage at the Monterey Bay Aquarium because they nest underneath the building. Unlike the Brandt's cormorants these are a bit less social.

Coulter's matilija poppy
Romneya coulteri
Papaveraceae

I first heard this called the fried egg poppy, which is easy to remember for obvious reasons. It's HUGE! Apparently, it's the largest native CA flower and is extremely noticeable, even from a car going 45 mph.

It's interesting that Calflora (linked in the scientific name above) doesn't list a record of this species in Monterey or Santa Cruz Counties, nor does it show the smaller R. trichocalyx as existing locally. Plus, Coulter's is categorized as a List 4 - Watch List by the CNPS. I know both species are introduced in gardens (indeed, this pic was taken along the rec trail), but I swear I've seen it growing out in the wild along Carmel Valley Road and in Santa Cruz County along the rural end of Green Valley Road. Next time I drive out either road, I'll try to make to sure to document my sightings.

Another note of interest is my "local" Spring Wildflowers book states it blooms in May and June. Ha! Here's photographic evidence it blooms in early January!