Visitors 68
Modified 5-Apr-24
Created 4-Apr-24
20 photos
A tapestry of greens spreads across the hills and the valley floor: vivid, almost fluorescent yellow-green of new oak leaves; lush grass, bluish to yellow, an exotic annual brought by the first Europeans; darker green perennial Coast Valley Oaks; even the bluish-green knobbly carpet of chaparral. The floor of Coyote Valley stretches out below, flat repository of floods and meandering creeks, moderating the water budget for Santa Clara Valley. Two mountain ranges almost touch: the Santa Cruz Mountains of the Coast Range, which we gently ascend, and the distant Diablo Range, capped by the observatory at Mount Hamilton -- Green Foothills and its conservation partners are working hard to preserve vital wildlife corridors across this Valley.
Springtime is coming; the annual procession of wildflowers has begun. We see several in bloom:
yellow/gold Fiddlenecks, California Buttercups, and California Golden Violets; a pink flower, left for someone else to identify, as well as ubiquitous pink Filaree; sky-blue Lupines of various species; and purple “Blue Dicks”. More will come even as these fade away. Poppies will be here soon.
This ecosystem feels different from my home in Portola Valley near Stanford. Deeper, more vigorous grass – fertile soil? Different plants: Fiddlenecks and California Golden Violet – AKA “Johnny Jump Up”. Cheeky Yellow-billed Magpies, calling back and forth. Yet there is much that is familiar: the prominent oaks (Valley, Blue, and Coast Live), with California Buckeye and California Bay; Western Bluebird and California Scrub Jay; and many flowers.
Many of our flowering plants retreat underground during the hot dry months, only showing themselves with their flowers after spring rains moisten the ground.
Enjoy the springtime!
Springtime is coming; the annual procession of wildflowers has begun. We see several in bloom:
yellow/gold Fiddlenecks, California Buttercups, and California Golden Violets; a pink flower, left for someone else to identify, as well as ubiquitous pink Filaree; sky-blue Lupines of various species; and purple “Blue Dicks”. More will come even as these fade away. Poppies will be here soon.
This ecosystem feels different from my home in Portola Valley near Stanford. Deeper, more vigorous grass – fertile soil? Different plants: Fiddlenecks and California Golden Violet – AKA “Johnny Jump Up”. Cheeky Yellow-billed Magpies, calling back and forth. Yet there is much that is familiar: the prominent oaks (Valley, Blue, and Coast Live), with California Buckeye and California Bay; Western Bluebird and California Scrub Jay; and many flowers.
Many of our flowering plants retreat underground during the hot dry months, only showing themselves with their flowers after spring rains moisten the ground.
Enjoy the springtime!
Dan Quinn