Rincon Point to Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve

Sunday March 7th, 2010

Rain the night before threatened to reappear in the morning hours. The group was small and enjoyed a beautiful stroll along the beach. Organized by the Channel Islands chapter of the CA Native Plant Society.

William Abbott and Andrea Adams-Morden were our guides. They prepared a three page list of CA Natives and Non-Native plants we would meet. They organized the list by Genius, Family and Species. I took many pictures, a few are good enough to share.

Just about dead center you will see an iridescent green beetle.

Coyote Brush

Baccharis pilularis

This dragon guards a salt marsh developing behind its wall.

Field Mustard

Brassicaceae Mustard Family

Brassica rapa

Coastal Morning Glory. A CA Native.

Convolvulaceae Morning Glory Family

Calystegia macrostegia ssp cyclostegia

Silver Beach bur

Asteraceae Sunflower Family

Ambrosia chamissonis

Before we even began our hike Andrea was saying, "I didn't put that one on the list." In the parking lot area we saw CA's state grass, Nassella pulchra, Purple Needle Grass. I wish my picture had turned out, but you can see it in the California Native Plants for the Garden book, by Carol Bornstein, David Fross and Bart O'Brien.

In addition to looking at Native Plants, we discovered some wildlife. I borrowed this picture from google images because mine is blurry.

Shark egg pouch

sometimes called a Mermaids Purse

Overhead we watched an American Kestrel Falcon. We noticed unusual earth striations along the beach and began a discussion about earthquake fault lines and the relative newness of our mountains. The more you learn the more there is to learn. I admit that I have been hours online exploring plants and insects and birds and ocean and earthquakes. Isn't this the best? What a beautiful way to spend a Sunday Morning.