Charlotte and I took a day trip to Pt. Reyes and did a little hike around Heart's Desire beach which is on the Tomales Bay side. It was a beautiful day, sunny and tranquil.
Looking out across the bay, some Common Mergansers were cruising back and forth.
Charlotte's ankle is doing much better since her sprain a few weeks ago and we hoped a gentle hike would aid the muscle rebuilding process. The trail we walked hugs the hillside along the bay and is covered by some beautiful canopies of Bay Laurel, Madrone, Live Oak, etc. There were also many varieties of berries, including Huckleberry and Salal--common sights in the Yachats, OR area.
The moss on these Bay tree trunks caught the light quite nicely.
This bird was poking around this lichen, perhaps finding some source of food in it? Some birds use these "Old Man's Beards" for nesting material, but it didn't appear to me to be the case here.
Someone had gotten creative with some sea shells tucked into crevices of tree trunks. They fit right in beside the local shelf fungi.
At first I thought this was a weird oak, but then I remembered it is Garrya elliptica, or "Coast Silk Tassel", beginning to bud. We had planted one at the house a little over a year ago and we watch it grow very excitedly, dreaming of the day it will rise over our heads and cascade down its glamorous strands of flowers. Silk Tassel is a large bushy shrub, and it is dioecious, meaning plants are either male or female, each possessing different flowers. The "tassels" occur on the males. I don't believe I've actually seen one in flower in Real Life before... only pictures. But I suppose if I came back to this spot in a month or so, I'd be in for a treat!
There was much of this Salicornia (aka "Sea Pickles" or "Sea Beans") growing beside the stream which fed into the salty bay water. Salicornia is halophytic, meaning it grows in salty water. I was surprised to learn that it is in the same biological order as, not only cacti and ice plant, but also beets (have you ever tasted raw beet greens that were really salty?), amaranth, and carnations! Wow.
Charlotte recognized the plant from when she had harvested it for a restaurant back in the day when she was living in nearby Sausalito. We snacked on a few sea beans and picked a couple handfuls to take home and use in a salad perhaps.
Charlotte recognized the plant from when she had harvested it for a restaurant back in the day when she was living in nearby Sausalito. We snacked on a few sea beans and picked a couple handfuls to take home and use in a salad perhaps.
It apparently develops a red hue in the winter; very striking against the clear blue sky -- ooo la la.
I enjoyed reading your fun facts! I appreciate the time you take to learn about the plants and animals you encounter. The bird on the lichen could be a White-crowned Sparrow. I remember sitting on pickleweed in the Napa marsh, and when getting up, I had white salt stains on my pants. I didn't know it was a delicacy!
ReplyDeleteI try to sneak some enrichment in among the mindless drivel!
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