In some of my photos of the male catkins of the Alder tree (last post and slideshow) , there are a few smaller appendages above the long pendant male catkins. I wondered if they were new male catkins or new female catkins. (Note – clicking on bold text in post opens a referenced link.)

Thanks to a wonderful book  “Flora of the Santa Ana River and Environs”,  I was able to determine that they were this year’s female catkins – that eventually grow into the little cones. Thus, the annotated photo below. Hopefully, I can photograph the intermediate stages, the fruit and seeds. (I bought the “Flora of Santa Ana” when it was still reasonably priced – the price has tripled, possibly because it is difficult to find.)

(Alder – male and female catkins)

Occasionally, I buy second-hand books on botanical/nature topics, and one that was recently ordered for $8 was titled: “California Range Brushlands and Browse Plants”. Although much data and many approaches are probably out of date, there are still interesting snippets of information. I was interested to read about a recently discussed plant, Ceanothus integerrimus, that I had photographed on Figueroa Mountain.

I had obtained the id from a list that was derived from Clifton Smith’s “A Flora of the Santa Barbara Region, California”. The identification, naming and family grouping of plants have changed a great deal, and it is now known that there are no confirmed Ceanothus integerrimus in Santa Barbara county —- the plant is  Ceanothus palmeri.  Hence I corrected the identification of photos I have on Calphotos and Flickr. Thanks for the correction notification! and this post is a means of sharing the information.

I learned from the “California Range”  book that Ceanothus integerrimus, Deerbrush, is a very important summer browsing species in California – it has a high protein content.

(Palmer’s Ceanothus – Figueroa Mountain)

Valerie loaned me a wonderful booklet “Guide to Native and Invasive Plants of the Storke Ranch Vernal Pool Open Space” (two thirds down the page at the link). It is a very nicely laid out book, with just enough plants that after a few months’ perusal, the plants could be learned without too much confusion and without needing a knowledge of botanical terms. It includes blow-ups of important plant features.

This booklet reminds me of the booklets of approximately the same width and half the height our Dad bought for us (preteen children) when  our family moved north to a town close to the Limpopo border crossing to Zimbabwe. This booklet was available from gas stations and included the picture of an animal per page of many animals found in the wild — Kudu, Nyala, Eland, Waterbuck, Sable, Roan, Bushbuck, Reedbuck, Klipspringer, Duiker, Steenbok, Impala, Wildebeest, Rheebuck, Giraffe, Buffalo, Cheetah, Lion, Leopard, Hyena, Jackal, etc.

The most fascinating picture was of an Aardvaark, but I don’t remember actually seeing one in the wild. These booklets were reviewed often when travelling in the car and was an effective way of learning about the animals without knowing much more. The knowledge of these animals subsequently opened the door to the purchase of more substantial books as adults.

(Black-tailed Deer on Happy Canyon Road)

I wish there was something similar for deer in California. On Flickr, I once captioned a photo of a deer with a question mark. Another Flickr member sent me an email for the first time including a long description of deer by an acquaintance of hers, which was incredibly generous of her to volunteer that info. We had not been in touch ever prior to that contact.

I have seen this type of deer twice now at the same place, just as the Happy Canyon road exits from Los Padres National Forest. The second time, thankfully, I was driving very slowly when the buck jumped the road about ten feet in front of me. Any faster, and there probably would have been a physical interaction.

Finally a wonderful video sent by a friend about Dolphins, and one of their incredibly smart hunting techniques. Amazing.