Created 1-Jul-25
Gratuitous beauty insistently interrupts
Evanescent existence.
After rains cease, blossoms of many hues appear on plants rising from moist soil. Lowland Shooting Star: delicate baroque petals, dark purple base against light yellow, white, and soft pink – with bright green stems. Warrior’s Plume: shocking crimson flames bursting from serrated green leaves. Golden Poppies: a riotous crowd, each tightly closed against early chill, later to relax open in warm sunshine. Chaparral Clematis, cream with soft golden filaments, cascading over chaparral substrate. Fremont’s Star Lily, white petals showing a touch of yellow toward the center. Blue Witch (purple-blue); Woolly-fruited Lomatium (yellow and white again); Buckbrush (white); Coast Suncup (bright yellow).
More: fresh leaves, delicate crimson touched with chlorophyll’s green; fresh grass, green pushing through last year’s tan leftovers; Golden-crowned Sparrow. Iridescent green beeflies. White clouds against deep blue sky.
This season’s prominent wildflower colors tend toward white, cream, yellow, gold. Even Warrior’s Plume has a lemon morph. Complementary pink-purple and crimson are not to be denied.
High above, raptors. White-tailed Kite cruises. Wings furiously beating, a tiny American Kestrel emulates his larger cousin, kiting in place while scanning for victims. A pair of broad-winged hawks circle lazily, while a third raptor watches from higher still.
Here are two galleries: the springtime display near the Earth’s surface, and raptors high above. Enjoy!
Evanescent existence.
After rains cease, blossoms of many hues appear on plants rising from moist soil. Lowland Shooting Star: delicate baroque petals, dark purple base against light yellow, white, and soft pink – with bright green stems. Warrior’s Plume: shocking crimson flames bursting from serrated green leaves. Golden Poppies: a riotous crowd, each tightly closed against early chill, later to relax open in warm sunshine. Chaparral Clematis, cream with soft golden filaments, cascading over chaparral substrate. Fremont’s Star Lily, white petals showing a touch of yellow toward the center. Blue Witch (purple-blue); Woolly-fruited Lomatium (yellow and white again); Buckbrush (white); Coast Suncup (bright yellow).
More: fresh leaves, delicate crimson touched with chlorophyll’s green; fresh grass, green pushing through last year’s tan leftovers; Golden-crowned Sparrow. Iridescent green beeflies. White clouds against deep blue sky.
This season’s prominent wildflower colors tend toward white, cream, yellow, gold. Even Warrior’s Plume has a lemon morph. Complementary pink-purple and crimson are not to be denied.
High above, raptors. White-tailed Kite cruises. Wings furiously beating, a tiny American Kestrel emulates his larger cousin, kiting in place while scanning for victims. A pair of broad-winged hawks circle lazily, while a third raptor watches from higher still.
Here are two galleries: the springtime display near the Earth’s surface, and raptors high above. Enjoy!
3/20/2025 Springtime Palette on the Ridge
Visitors 16
33 photos
Created 1-Jul-25
Modified 1-Jul-25
3/20/2025 Kestrel Kites; Kite Poses; Hawks Circle
Visitors 10
19 photos
Created 1-Jul-25
Modified 1-Jul-25
Dan Quinn