Discoveries Along the Pacific Highway - Part 1

Instead of returning to the majestic Sierra Mountains this summer, we decided to take the recommendation of a good friend who encouraged us to discover the beautiful sights along the Pacific coast and to experience camping in the Redwood forest.

After 7 hours of driving from Idyllwild, we arrived at Montana de Oro State Park for our first view of the Pacific Ocean off of Hwy 1. Wow!

The tilted layers of rocky formations are a result of the Pacific Plate grinding against the North American Plate.

All night long we heard the crashing waves against the rocky shoreline. Much better than a sound machine!!

Our time here was much too short. Early the next morning when the fog still shrouded the coast, we startled a California Quail family on an inland trail.

 The bright orange Garden Nasturtium flowers were quite striking. The hummingbirds thought so, too. According to the local wildflower book, this area is home to 290 wildflowers.

Before leaving the area entirely, we stopped at nearby Morro Bay. 

As we arrived, the fog started to lift revealing Morro Rock, a protected sanctuary. It was covered with thousands of birds including Western Gulls, Brown Pelicans and various Cormorants. We saw a perched Peregrine Falcon on one of the ledges. No doubt there were others hidden from our sight.

Along the beach, a couple of Long-billed Curlews kept their distance from the surfers braving the cold water.

In the protected bay, we found a "raft" of Sea Otters. This raft was made up of females and their pups. They "anchor" themselves by wrapping their bodies with kelp in order that they can take a nap. Since they aren't insulated with blubber like whales or seals, they need to keep their fur as dry as possible to stay warm. When they nap, they hold their front paws and hind flippers up and out of the water.

The most precious sight,however, is to see a mother Sea Otter clutching her pup to her chest during naptime!

Once again, a couple of hours at Morro Bay was just enough for us to see what a special place that it is and instill a desire to return one day. The journey continues....

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Content and photos by Robin Roberts.

Summer in the Mountains

Summer in the mountains is like most places. Flowers are blooming, baby birds are in nests with extremely busy parents and others that have left the nest are learning the art of foraging. Of course, insects of all sorts both annoying ones that fly down your throat or bite every exposed part of your body and those that are quite harmless and interesting abound.

 Beginning with nesting birds...I LOVE finding hidden bird nests. Recently, I discovered the tree cavity nests of both the Western Bluebird and the Violet-green Swallow. The tireless adults bring insects back and forth to the nest but if they sense your presence, they will pause in order to protect the identity of their nest location. Keep that in mind if you find a nest. Back off so the birds can deliver their food.

We've been watching the sole pair of Bald Eagles at Lake Hemet since the winter when they began nesting. The whole process takes months for them. Last week, I finally saw the young Bald Eagle leave its birth tree. It landed on the shore. It seemed to be more interested in getting used to the water than fishing. I wish I had closer photos but the eagles were on the opposite side of the lake.

As for insects, three stand out this week. First, it was fun to see the ladybugs on a fresh Scarlet Monkey Flower.

We found this incredibly fat Monarch caterpillar munching the leaves of a California Milkweed. It reminded me of the children's story, The Hungry Caterpillar.

The other day, we found a swarm of honey bees. Evidently, the Queen and the majority of the worker bees left their original colony with plans of starting a new one. It was quite an impressive site! Thousands of buzzing bees gathered onto a branch and ended in this formation.

Spring rains have temporarily filled the creeks and have stimulated the growth of beautiful wildflowers.

Flowing water and blooming flowers are a beautiful sight that we don't take for granted. Unfortunately, the mountains didn't get enough snow this winter to alleviate the drought. With the hot summer and lack of rain, fire warnings are high once again.

We are once again volunteering in Tahquitz Fire Lookout Tower keeping watch and hoping our mountains will be spared from another large wildfire.

Hope you are enjoying your own birds, insects and flowers in your patch of the world!

Click on photos to enlarge.

Photos and content by Robin Roberts.