Author Archives: Mashabu

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”

Baja California Treefrog

This agile amphibian climbed onto the glass of our patio door overnight. It’s a Baja California Treefrog, and thanks to the rainstorm yesterday, came out of estivation for a walkabout and some snacks. This treefrog is distinctive for its black eye stripe. In springtime, these native frogs’ calls are easily heard in the Santa YnezContinue reading “Baja California Treefrog”

Bordered Mantis: A Closeup

This insect was perched on the patio wall, keeping perfectly still when I reached for the garden hose. Thinking it was a leaf that had blown in with the recent Santa Ana winds, due to its color and body shape, I turned away. A second look revealed that this four-inch-long creature was not a storm-tossedContinue reading “Bordered Mantis: A Closeup”

It Never Rains in California

Hurricane Hillary is now a tropical storm, but she has a lot of water to disperse before retiring to the north. Check out EarthSchool for a current snap of the potency and location (zoom in for best results). For a majority of SoCal residents, this is the first major tropical storm of their lifetimes. TheContinue reading “It Never Rains in California”

Notes from the Canyon – August 6, 2023

~ This year’s juvenile Common Ravens have moved from newly hatched to branchlings to fully fledged birds.  This group, occasionally harassed by Red Shouldered Hawks and heard outside our windows, continued to beg earnestly for food whenever the parents flew back with snacks.  Starting this week, we heard no begging calls whatsoever. It’s time toContinue reading “Notes from the Canyon – August 6, 2023”

Littoral Learning

At the foot of Temescal Canyon, within earshot of the roaring traffic on the Pacific Coast Highway, a littoral ecosystem emerges with the twice daily tides. In the intertidal zone, on a boulder-strewn jetty constructed perpendicular to the shore to slow the beach erosion, limpets are busy growing alongside two species of barnacles and mussels.Continue reading “Littoral Learning”

Oddments

~ The American robins have found the seeps in Santa Ynez Canyon and are flocking to drink, en route north. Larger than their European counterparts which are house sparrow-sized, they are reliable visitors to birdbaths and often found around hackberry trees in winter. In spring and summer, they’re easily spotted with earthworms and insects in theirContinue reading “Oddments”

Flying with Ed Ruscha

On a recent flight east, I saw this amazing earthly production. Leaving the Los Angeles basin around one p.m., housing quickly cedes to the desert. Mountains erupt, giving way to valleys, some fertile. Then Mother Nature pulls out all her geologic parlor tricks.  Majestic escarpments, hued russet, pink, apricot, salmon and wheat, all undulating inContinue reading “Flying with Ed Ruscha”