Okay, so I’m a nerd and think insects are cool and I saw this mayfly on my car window before I left for work yesterday morning. Nerd alert: Some male mayflies don’t have mouths when they morph into their adult bodies and only have enough energy reserves stored up to reproduce once before they die! Crazy!
My family used to have a raging passion flower taking over the fence in our backyard. It was gorgeous, but was destroying our fence, so it had to go. Before my family pulled it out, we found a spiny little caterpillar in the brush and after some research I found it was a Gulf fritillary. Very beautiful and a great surprise!
Have you been to Harvey Bear Park in Gilroy, Ca? There are two areas considered part of Harvey Bear, the two-mile paved track and the Mendoza Ranch, in addition to Coyote Lake which is connected to Coyote Reservoir. Though the two-mile track is popular for bikers, joggers, walkers, the track also boasts some beautiful wildlife that live in the meadows and oaktrees flanking the path including magpies, woodpeckers, squirrels, meadowlarks, snakes, golden eagles, swallows, the list goes on! Although I didn’t get to see all of these creatures today, I do hope to show you guys the eagles and meadowlarks in the near future!
We recently spent some time at a beach house in South Santa Cruz County and in the 1.4 acres of hilly grassland and eucalyptus groves, my family encountered countless native creatures, as usual when we visit this property. In past years, we’ve seen bobcats walking on the perimeter fence, coveys of quail darting in and out of the brush, an osprey flying over head, headed straight for the beach, and an ever-developing family of great-horned owls. The invasive and normally disruptive eucalyptus trees are extremely valuable for the owls, acting as perfect camouflage! We captured photos of the mama and her bigger, fluffier teenager at sunset one evening, and then again early the next morning.
QueenofWildCalifornia 