BIRDS
On Sunday 11th March, went briefly to More Mesa to get pictures for the monthly news. Photographed a bird that appeared to be a type of Savannah Sparrow - the birds were in a group of three or more. The large beak made me think of a Large-billed Sparrow, but there was a suggestion that it looked like a Belding’s Savannah Sparrow - which are not known on More Mesa. Unfortunately the bird was on the wrong side of the sun, and its head was mostly in shadow. Click on the picture below for a larger version on Flickr. Returned to More Mesa on Thursday 15th and on Saturday the 17th, to see if a better photo of the Savannah Sparrow could be taken - but no luck. Unless these birds are seen again, the mystery remains.

(Savannah Sparrow - taken against the sun)

On Thursday 15th, in the space of about 30 minutes saw four species of raptors; White-tailed Kite, Northern Harrier, Kestrel and Red-shouldered Hawk; the latter was too far away to take a photo. The White-tailed kite was on the Eastern end; the walk on More Mesa had started at the Mockingbird Lane entrance.

Other birds of note - Say’s Phoebe seen on the 11th, and Cassin’s Kingbird heard on the 17th.

(Northern Harrier in distance)

(American Kestrel about 50yds away)

White-tailed Kites
On Saturday 11th, entered from the Patterson entrance and saw a White-tailed Kite possibly standing sentry duty on the Western side. No kites have been seen in Central More Mesa during any of the walks. On Thursday 15th and Saturday 17th, entered via Mockingbird Lane, and saw one kite on the Eastern end on the first day and two kites flying on Saturday.

(White-tailed Kite on Western side of More Mesa)

(White-tailed Kite foraging along Eastern border of More Mesa)

PLANTS
Sunday, the 11th was sunny and at least half-a-dozen Anise Swallowtails were seen, mostly on non-native Radish. I was hoping to photograph a field of Lupine in the south-western corner of More Mesa, where they flower annually (Sky and Miniature or Alpine Lupine) but saw none. The usual sparse plantings of the Coastal Variety of California Poppy were flowering amongst the many California Croton plants. There were many stands of flowering California Sunflower along the cliff edge.

(California Poppies and California Croton)

Saturday, March 17^th was very foggy. Some plants of Fiddleneck, Blue-eyed Grass and Phacelia have started flowering. The flower season is off to a late and sparse start this year, thanks to very little rain.

(Cliffs of More Mesa on a gray day)

(Blue-eyed Grass, Fiddleneck, Phacelia)

(California Sunflower)

(Wry note: Most of the time on More Mesa, birds are in the distance and/or flying away. It takes a lot of time and of slow inching forward to get a close-up.)

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