Goldfields this year seem mainly confined to the disturbed edges of Road F. There are also goldfields hidden amongst the Spanish annual grass. No vast carpets of gold can be seen this spring -- unlike some previous years. One factor encouraging the Spanish grass: nitrogen fallout from the nearby Highway 280. And the weather has been unusual, dry, this year. (Unusual -- we hope!) We also noticed many nests of harvester ants (Messor andrei) close to or on the road. Disturbance can be relatively beneficial to some species!