Botany – Page 5 – a curious nature

June “Littles” ….. a buzzy, buggy, snake-y month

June was hot, Hot, HOT

Two-page spread with 14 June Littles + Flambé

June was dry, Dry, DRY

June was the month of bugs (from the big tarantula hawk wasps, to the microscopic gnats), withering flowers, disappearing birds, and snakes! We seemed to encounter an extraordinary number of snakes this month, including gopher (bull) snakes, diamondback rattlesnakes, patch nose snakes, garter snakes, and one very scary prairie rattlesnake. Read on for that story.

Luna and the Prairie Rattler! Our scariest encounter was with a 3-foot prairie rattlesnake right in our front courtyard. One day he had crawled out from the shade of a blue spruce to warm up in the morning sun. It was Luna that had changed his demeanor from placid to pissed off. Prairie rattlers don’t typically alert trespassers; that’s the secret to their hunting success, and Luna didn’t recognize the danger. She began sniffing around and unintentionally violated his personal space. The snake responded by instantly coiling and violently rattling his tail. The noise seemed deafening and was definitely alarming. As I came running to Luna’s rescue, Roy noticed the commotion and quickly arrived with snake stick and bucket in hand. By this time the snake had backed into a corner, furiously rattling, but was relatively easy to capture. Snake temporarily out of the way, we then carefully checked Luna for signs of snake bite (none detected! Lucky Luna).

Now back to the snake in bucket. It had taken less than 30 seconds for Roy to capture and slip him into the 5 gallon bucket. It was then that I was able to take my first photos, from a respectable distance just in case the snake decided to leap clear of the bucket!. If looks could kill, well ………….. About 15-20 photos later, the bucket lid was secured in place, and we took the snake for a little ride about a mile from home where he was carefully released in an uninhabited area, unharmed.

Again, a big shout-out to “Made by Fay” for the inspiring “Littles” idea! Stay tuned for the next installment of “Littles.”

July 27, 2023

Fading Flowers Reveal Leafy Greens ….. Cedro Creek

July 14, 2023

Learning the deciduous Trees and Shrubs shading Cedro Creek Nature Trail ….. Grab n Go Nature Journaling

The timing and location of our daily hikes are being influenced by the extreme summer temperatures we’re experiencing throughout central New Mexico, and throughout the desert southwest. Whew! Even at 7300-8300’ elevation, 95-100F has become the norm, with no relief (or moisture) in sight. I don’t even want to think about Albuquerque temperatures; over 100F before noon, and soaring.

Because hiking in the Albuquerque foothills, at any time of the day, is out of the question, we’ve begun revisiting some our favorite mountain trails. But even tho these areas are higher in elevation, and shadier, it’s still plenty hot. That means if we set out between 7-8am, we can still manage a few miles before our water, like all the creeks, runs dry.

A few mornings ago, we decided to hike Cedro Creek Nature Trail, a rocky but easy dirt path under the shade of big cottonwoods. Expecting to find some water in the creek (there was none), I was hoping to find some interesting wildflowers (which had all withered and dried). The further along the trail we hiked, my focus quickly changed from wildflowers to other natural elements.

Geology is always interesting in these mountain drainages, and Cedro Creek is no exception. The overlying shales and limestones have long ago eroded to reveal large granite boulders that showed signs of erosion from long ago flowing water. That’s a nice thought!

And then there were so many varieties of deciduous trees and shrubs; their leafy greens not only provided relief from the heat, but became a visual treat as we explored the riparian areas alongside the dry creek bed.

As my curiosity about the diversity of tree and shrub species began to grow, so did the air temperature. Not wanting to become reduced to a sweaty puddle in the middle of the trail, and sensing a swarm of drooling, biting gnats and flies giving me a hungry eye, I resorted to collecting leaf and branch samples using a Grab n Go technique. By the time we got back to the car, I had 3 large ziplocks stuffed with over a dozen species of tree and shrub leaves and some fruits.

Back at home, in the comfort of my cool studio, I began my detailed study of these leaves (and the few bugs that managed to hitch a ride). Three days and several gallons of iced tea later, I had completed the 5 journal pages in this post.

That iced tea was deliciously cool, but not as cool as learning what’s growing overhead along Cedro Creek!

Until next time ……. be curious

Cypsela! The Sunflower Seed

July 9, 2023

Buckle in ……

In my last blog post, Fascinating Fasciations, I shared my discovery of an extremely malformed Rush Skeletonplant. While researching this much branched and dainty member of the plant family, Asteraceae (which includes asters, sunflowers and daisies), I became entangled in the winding and seemingly never-ending number of rabbit trails on my journey, until finding myself on a surprising detour. Totally absorbed in the subject of plant malformations, and learning a lot of cool stuff about Rush Skeletonplant along the way …….

The weirdly wild fasciated Rush Skeletonplant

………. I tripped and fell flat on my face (only figuratively!). One of the published research papers appeared to be in error …… regarding the seed (aka fruit) name of this plant. Known to me for decades by the name “Achene,” the researchers had labeled the seed “Cypsela.” And not only did they call seed of Rush Skeletonplant a “Cypsela,” but they used this name when referring to all the seeds of the Aster family!

What! No Way! Who was responsible for this name change? When did this happen? Why oh Why

Fascinating Fasciations …… Malformations in the Plant World

July 2, 2023

It was early morning, but already a hot 85F as we hiked the dry, dusty trails of the Albuquerque foothills. With a few exceptions, late June’s wildflower display is all but gone, replaced by an abundance of seeds ready to drop, blow away, or feed hungry chicks. While the “stage” resets for the next Act, the Summer Monsoons, plants in the Sunflower-Daisy-Aster family (Asteraceae) still dot the quickly browning landscape with bright yellows, whites, and shades of purples. One of the most curious plants now making a showing is Rush Skeletonplant (Lygodesmia juncea).

Perfectly adapted to the desert environment with its chaotic tangle of blue-green mostly leafless stems, is Rush Skeletonplant. Spindly stems, standing up to 18” tall, are topped with 1-2 petite pale lavender-pink flowers. These tiny delicate beauties may not be as showy as your garden variety sunflower, but when closely examined you’ll find typical characteristics of the family, including 4-6 strap shaped ligulate florets each with a protruding hot pink anther tube surrounding a double lobed stigma. Short lived, the florets quickly transform into dandelion-like seed heads.

So there we were, hiking along, wishing for even the gentlest of breezes to keep the biting gnats from crawling into our ears and mouths, when out of the corner of my eye …… Weirdness Extreme! A wildly malformed Rush Skeletonplant.

Sharing a Passion for Nature and Nature Journaling with Master Naturalists

Saturday, June 24, 2023

Last April I was asked to present a workshop about nature journaling for the 2023 Master Naturalists interns. Of course I readily agreed by declaring a hearty, “Yes!” This was quite an honor, but I instantly knew it would be challenging especially since I’ve never formally taught anyone anything about nature journaling. I would also be stepping into some big shoes; the regular instructor, Margy O’Brien (a wonderful journaler and urban sketcher), had to decline teaching this year, and she recommended me. Wow, a double honor!!

Sketching while walking around the Bosque at the Rio Grande Nature Center

So “drawing” upon my own journaling practice, and the treasure trove of information and resources available on the subject, my goal was to design a workshop that would be informative, inspiring and fun.

After weeks of research, writing, and gathering baskets of phenomenon, the workshop day finally arrived!

But first, my warm-up …..

Joining almost 30 interns that gathered early in the morning, we began the day with a 3-hour guided nature walk through the Bosque (Boh-skay) managed by the Rio Grande Nature Center, Albuquerque. The Bosque, the Spanish word for “Woods,” refers to the cottonwood gallery forest and riparian habitat lining the Rio Grande River. During the walk, I took notes and sketched some of the wildlife, landscapitos, and the tour group, all the while watching the excited interns in action. As budding Master Naturalists, they were curious about everything; noticing so much and asking thoughtful questions. It was a great morning that included some surprising discoveries and discussion.

My first nature journaling workshop!

Then it was time for the workshop. The next 90 minutes flew by …. not nearly enough time to share what I wanted to about nature journaling and to have everyone create an actual journal page. But I loved every minute of the experience. My focus was on the 6 key nature journaling prompts, I Notice, I Wonder, It Reminds me of; Words, Pictures, Numbers. After warming up with several exercises, such as blind contour, continuous line and gesture sketching leaves and birds, each intern began creating their own journal page using their chosen phenomenon …… a mystery fruit. Although the time allocated for the workshop was short, everyone actively participated and seemed to get value from the presentation. Maybe, just maybe, one or all of the interns will become practicing nature journalers? That would be awesome!

Workshop Take-aways

In addition to my 6-page handout which included tips on how to get started nature journaling, what to include in a nature journal kit, a list of books and online references (including videos, podcasts, and blogs), and the handy little pocket-sized “Quick Start Guide to Nature Journaling” Zine (thanks Wild Wonder!), I left them with these inspiring thoughts:

“Anyone can nature journal.” ……… “Nature journaling is not about learning to draw; it’s about drawing to learn.” ……. “You don’t have to be an artist to nature journal.” ……. “It’s not about pretty pictures.” ……. “There’s no wrong way to nature journal.” ……. “Zoom in …… Zoom out.” ……. “Have fun!”

Would I do this again? Absolutely!

I’d love to know if you are a nature journaler too, or would like to learn more about nature journaling and how to begin!

As always, thanks for coming along!

May “Littles” ….. blooming, buzzing, flying, fleeing, stalking, slithering surprises!

April may have been amazing, but it was nothing compared to the explosion of life during May. My 2-page spread doesn’t even come close to representing all that we encountered throughout the month. And the 15 species I chose as “picks” aren’t even a third of those making an appearance …… enter stage left and right!

Noticeably missing was the black chinned hummingbird. They arrived mid-May, and began defending breeding territories. One of these years, I hope to find one of their miniature nests to see what building materials the hummers use. Until then, their aerial performance is always breathtaking!

Then there was the morning Luna nearly stepped right in the middle of a really upset, hissing and striking prairie rattlesnake, practically right out our front door! It was a scary few moments until we determined Luna did not get bit! Whew. Roy expertly wrangled up the guy, herding him into a 5-gallon bucket, and relocated him a safe distance away. (I may cheat and add him to my June “Littles,” if you don’t mind, along with the first rattlesnake encounter of the season! Gotta love the desert.)

Included in the long list of flowering plants, was prickly pear cactus. Several species began opening their buds to reveal 20-30 delicate waxy yellow to apricot colored petals per bloom. It didn’t take long for the pollinators to find these delicacies!

Blooming in the foothills (5,000’ up to 7300’ elevation), there was milkwort, fleabane, scarlet globemallow, banana yucca, sundrops, milkweed, paintbrush, golden weed, common hoptree, puccoon, several species of pink-flowered hedgehog cactus, blazingstars, bee blossom, tahoka daisy, NM thistle, ……. etc. I could go on and on! And even at nearly 9,000’ elevation, rock jasmine, valerian, creeping mahonia, prairie bluebells, pasque flower and dwarf lousewort were all in bloom.

All in all, a bountiful full-on Spring bloom!

A big shout-out to “Made by Fay” for the inspiring “Littles” idea! Stay tuned for the next installment of “Littles.”

June 22, 2023

Geeking Out …… Total Bliss ….. Sunflowers!

June 12, 2023

David Lukas, naturalist, presented an amazing 2 hour video workshop on the largest family of flowering plants, the family Asteraceae¹, commonly called Sunflowers, Daisies, and Asters. Not only are they the largest family, they are also the most successful …. from a botanical and evolutionary perspective. That was the hook! I needed to know more!

Disclaimer! The following post is lengthy and covers many botanical things about sunflower “flowers” I wished to remember. If you decide to take this deep dive with me, prepare to be amazed. And if you make it all the way to the end, congratulations! But beware ….. you’ll develop an irresistible urge to stop and investigate every roadside sunflower on your next trip to town! Are you ready ……?

“The Felix” 2023: Escapito #1

Come on along with us for 5 days of camping fun in the Land of Enchantment, where we had some weird and close encounters with botanical beauties, a bare-butted gopher, a swarm of bees, and voracious leaf-footed beetles! All this, and more while exploring a National Conservation Area, a Desert National Monument, and a New Mexico State Park, all within the Chihuahuan desert ecosystem.

A Sandia Mountain High

Sunday, May 7, 2023

After having just returned from a fabulous week in southern New Mexico (blog posts to come) where we hiked and hiked, and got reacquainted with the Spring-time desert flora and fauna, we seemed to be craving pine and fir trees and some mountain air. How high do we dare hike? Would there still be snow? These and more questions rattled about in my mind as we headed the truck up the 13 mile long and winding Sandia Mountain Crest Road (central New Mexico). Ahhhhh …… so invigorating!

Satisfying our craving (at 8500 feet in elevation) and answering the question about leftover winter snow (not a single snowflake to be found), we pulled up to the Tecolote Trail trailhead and began our ascent, in shorts and T-shirts. The first half mile up was brisk, both in temperature and pace, but after I was well warmed up it was time to open my eyes to investigate anything and everything growing, sprouting and blooming.

This was the earliest date (May 7th) in the Spring we’ve hiked Tecolote, so I was hoping to see a variety of wildflowers that were new-to-me species. I wasn’t disappointed! Blooming beautifully were the minuscule Pygmy-flower rock jasmine (in the primrose family), Arizona valerian (a species of honeysuckle), along with lance-leaf bluebells (borage family), and White Mountain bladderpod (a brilliant yellow 4-petaled member of the mustard family). Covering the slopes everywhere we’re the bright yellow flowers of Oregon creeping grape (aka creeping mahonia), and common along the trail were flats and flats of the dwarf purple and white lousewort (in the broomrape family), it’s flowers growing close to the ground amongst its deep green dense and curly margined fern-like leaves. Perky Sue (a happy yellow daisy) and the soft-like-a-teddy-bear prairie pasque flower (a type of buttercup) rounded out the bloomers that I could find.

These pages in my journal focused on the shrubs and trees showing growth alongside the trail, drawn from snippets collected during the hike.

It was a perfect morning for a hike! Wished you’d been there with us.

Until next time …… How’s your Spring is shaping up! Do you have a favorite plant that’s blooming, or a singing bird tending chicks? I’d love to hear your story.

P.S. This journal page layout was inspired by an amazing nature journaler, artist and teacher, Jean Mackay who loves all of nature and sharing her discoveries through illustration. Thanks Jean!

A “Snow White” Spring Super Bloom … Albuquerque Foothills

April 2023

Oh my goodness! What a brilliant Spring Super Bloom is on display mere steps east of Albuquerque.

Alas, I found myself lamenting for months over the long and snowy wet winter we just climbed out of here in the East Mountains of central New Mexico. It seemed the back-to-back snowstorms since last November were never ending; snow shoveling every morning became the norm. But I know better than to whine. An abundance of winter moisture always results in a spectacular abundance of spring flowers. And this Spring has proven that true.

The last two months we’ve seen a mad splash of sunshine yellow from the blooming of a native winter annual called Golden Corydalis, aka Scrambled Eggs (Corydalis aurea). This member of the poppy family quickly converted the dusty hillsides from brown to a glowing yellow as the many-flowered stalks of this plant seemed to shoot up over last season’s dried grasses. Scrambled Eggs was the plant I thought would be our Spring super bloomer.

But, oh no!

During a full two weeks of being distracted by the glow of all that yellow, all around our feet, 1,000s and 1,000s of blue-gray-green rosettes began to grow. I noticed these rosettes (the very same mystery rosettes I described in my January journal), were rapidly expanding outward to make room for flower stalks heavily laden with little rosy orange buds. And then one day one of those buds unfurled into a brilliantly white 4-petaled flower. In the center of that flower were 8 lemon-yellow pollen-heavy anthers surrounding a 4-fingered lemon-yellow stigma, ripe for pollination. Of course …… now I knew with certainty ….. the flower blooming atop the pretty winter rosettes is the White-stemmed Evening Primrose (Oenothera albicaulis)!

One of my January posts included this page where I illustrated a mystery rosette (top center) that seemed to be everywhere.

Also known as Whitest Evening Primrose, it wasn’t long until more flowers began to appear. “But, wow, was it possible that all those 1,000s and 1,000s of rosettes would each produce a bouquet of flowers?” Hiking these foothills every day paid of. As the excitement of possibility steadily unfolded, hundreds of thousands of large 2-4” white flowers unfurled each evening about sunset to greet potential overnight pollinators, and to welcome hikers the following morning.

My journal page illustrating the abundance of white-stemmed evening primrose

In about a week since I noticed that first open flower, this native Evening Primrose was carpeting the hillsides in white as brilliant and sparkly as newly fallen snow. The ground became “Snow White” with flowers, out-performing the still profusely-blooming Scrambled Eggs.

And the show won’t end any time soon …. there are still an unbelievable number of White-stemmed Evening Primrose buds awaiting their turn to enter the play from stage right! Now that’s what I call a true Spring Super Bloomer.

A detailed page of my dissection of white-stemmed evening primrose

What marvelous transformations have or are happening outside your world this Spring?