Re-framing fire’s destruction through nature’s lens.
Author Archives: Mashabu
Great Horned Owls
Please sit down with a mug of tea and have a relax. After three years of hearing but never seeing Great Horned Owls that were calling from the pine stand on neighbor Bob Dylan’s property in Malibu, we were delighted to hear these crepuscular (active at twilight) birds hooting in our new home in theContinue reading “Great Horned Owls”
Autumn in the Canyon
Summer cobwebs are catching dust now, their architect/owner’s duties complete. Here are recent neighborhood sightings which deserve to be shared. After a summer of nocturnal harmonies, calls of the Baja California tree frogs are making way for the crickets’ jingling bell calls. It was glorious when they were performing together. Great Horned owls’ calls areContinue reading “Autumn in the Canyon”
Gray Bird Grasshopper—Juvenile stage
Watering the Monstera plant on the patio, I recently spotted this creature. I submitted pictures to iNaturalist and learned that this is a Gray Bird member of the grasshopper family. According to iNaturalist, it is native to “southern North America including Mexico and the southwestern United States from California to Texas.” Known as a vagrantContinue reading “Gray Bird Grasshopper—Juvenile stage”
Hummingbird at Alstroemeria Lilies
Known as Peruvian Lilies, Alstroemerias are often found in grocery store flower bouquets or bunches. After the debacle with the squirrels devouring the sunflowers (click on August 5 2024 post here for the particulars), we brought home Alstroemeria Lilies. Arranged simply in a pitcher on the patio table, they’re colorful and cheery. To our delight,Continue reading “Hummingbird at Alstroemeria Lilies”
Acorn Woodpecker
In nature, never say never. Just because we haven’t seen something doesn’t mean it cannot occur. Case in point: an Acorn Woodpecker visit to our birdbath. During the first visit observed and filmed by Bob, this Acorn Woodpecker landed, perched, plumbed the depth of the water, and promptly took a bath. Click here to watchContinue reading “Acorn Woodpecker”
What’s a SoCal Squirrel to Eat?
Today’s guest post by Bob Yates. If you’re a naturalist neophyte like me, you probably think squirrels exist solely on nuts, chiefly acorns. Au contraire, as our patio field camera surveillance and phone video proved recently. Turns out, Mr. Ground Squirrel prefers sunflowers and parsley too! Click here to watch the squirrel in full parsleyContinue reading “What’s a SoCal Squirrel to Eat?”
July 2024 Notes
Our Mojave Sage is blooming for the first time. As the name suggests, its range is a little northeast of us, and for that reason, I wasn’t sure it would thrive in this chaparral microclimate. This is one of several native plants purchased last autumn in an attempt to provide local insects and birds withContinue reading “July 2024 Notes”
Winter in the Canyon
On a recent morning in the Santa Ynez Canyon, as I was looking toward Topanga State Park, two native trees stood out. A ribbon-like stand of California Sycamores in the creek bed contrasted with the lush greenery of the upland Coast Live Oaks. The sycamores, like some oaks of the savannah in the Midwest, keepContinue reading “Winter in the Canyon”
Late Autumn in Birdland
Checking in with the Southern California bird scene, two locales yielded an assortment of species. First up, an estuary on the coast. During a recent visit to the Malibu Lagoon with the Santa Monica Bay chapter of the National Audubon Society, several familiar bird species caught my attention for their plumage and bill displays. TheseContinue reading “Late Autumn in Birdland”
Mashabu 