After a fire, seeds of various plants are stimulated to grow because of richer soil enhanced by ash and/or rain water that leaches from burned wood. Other seeds are stimulated to grow in areas that have been cleared of brush allowing access to more direct sunlight. Whatever the reason, or a combination of all of the above, some plants are known as fire followers.

On a trip out along Manzana Creek, the edges of the Zaca fire were reached after about a mile. Many of the standard fire followers were seen, of which the most interesting were:

• Twining Snapdragon – Antirrhinum kelloggii
• Popcorn Flower – Cryptantha intermedia
• Whispering Bells – Emmenanthe penduliflora
• California Chicory – Rafinesquia californica
• Yellow-throated Phacelia – Phacelia brachyloba
• Caterpillar Phacelia – Phacelia cicutaria
• Sticky Phacelia – Phacelia viscida
• Chaparral Blazing Star, San Luis Stick Leaf – Mentzelia micrantha
• Common Eucrypta – Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia

(Twining Snapdragon – Manzana Creek, May 11, 2008)

(…read more…)

While waiting for Callie and John to arrive at Nira campground for our trip along Manzana creek, I was thrilled to be able to watch a hummingbird in the process of building a nest in the large sycamore tree under which I had parked my car. The nest was facing toward the Manzana trailhead (don’t know where north was). When the hummingbird was not there, I had extreme difficulty in locating the nest if I walked away and came back. The nest could appear like fluff or lichen caught on branches – it was extremely well camouflaged, even though it was at the edge of the tree in dead branches.

(Hummingbird Nest – Nira Campground, May 11, 2008)

(…read more…)

After 15 consecutive days of solid work (and sitting), it was really good to get out on the Fire Followers SBBG trip on May 5th (especially with the leaders “extraordinaire” whose handouts are greatly appreciated). I have visited Highway 33 north of Ojai less than five times, and each time I go, I am struck by the beauty and wonderful flower displays. Some of the terrain reminds me a little of some seen in Namibia – where I described it in my “Scrapbook” site, as being drawn with a broad sweeping brush. However the vegetation is very different, where at the higher altitude, fir and pine are found that would never be seen in the higher areas of Namibia.

(Zaca Fire burned vegetation on west side of Highway 33 – May 5, 2008)

(…read more…)