Zebra Dragonfly

I see zebra dragonflies in the preserve and in my garden.

They have been too fast for me to get pictures. 

 

Cucumber Vine

These are cucumber vine fruit in the preserve.

They are native and not invasive but will damage trees if they climb them. 

Brodiaea

There are still a number of brodiaea bunches in the preserve. 

The early ones have faded but more are appearing. 

Young Buck and Doe

The yearling doe and buck crossed my path this morning. 

I had not seen them in a while. 

Brodiaea Everywhere

I am finding brodiaea along almost every path in the preserve. 

 

Tansy Ragwort

 

This tansy ragwort is a noxious weed blooming in the preserve. 

St. John's Wort in Full Bloom

Beautiful in the early morning dappled light.

 

Brodiaea Wildflowers

These bright colorful flowers are on almost all the paths in the preserve. 

Called harvest brodiaea cluster lilies. 

 

Fawn Twins

Today there are 2 fawns following their mama into the woods.  

Ants on the Fence Rail

These ants are marching back and forth on this fence rail.

They go into the tree and then back all the way to the end.

 

A Fawn

Saw the fawn running after mom in the field at the end of Bowthorpe.

 

Brodiaea Wildflowers

This gorgeous flower is a Harvest Brodiaea.

Also called a bunch lily.

There are many along the path by the meadow, but are hard to see.

Then I saw this tiny one in the flower bed in front of Jeannie's house.

 An umbel of several violet or blue-violet, funnel-shaped flowers at top of a leafless stalk with a few long, very narrow basal leaves that are usually withered by flowering time. Mounds of narrow leaves, 4-16 in. in height, arise in late winter to early spring and brown when the flower buds have swollen. The flowering stem is about the same height as the leaves, bearing a terminal umbel (a flower cluster in which stalks of nearly equal length spring from a common center and form a flat or curved surface) of small, tubular, violet-pink flowers. 

This plant begins to flower as fields dry out in the early summer. 

Several species of Brodiaea (pronounced bro-dee'-ah), are similar. In Harvest Brodiaea (B. coronaria), from British Columbia to southern California, the scales between the stamens are concave on their inner side, longer than the stamens and lean toward them. 

Owls - All Seen So Far

I hear a lot of bird alarm and then saw the owl. (7)

It didn't move even when I went close under it. July 3

July 2 (6)

June 27 (5)

June 26 (4)

June 20 (3)

June (2)

May (1)

Six previous sightings.

Owl Sighting

This one was near the steps.

Saw it together with Lydia Shaw.