Wildflower Season has Arrived!!

I hiked around in the Laguna Coast Wilderness today with camera in hand and barely enough water. It is official, wildflower season has arrived! I am not a very experienced wildflower indentifier but I am able to recognize the more common flowers like poppies and lupines and have learned to identify those 'fun to say' flowers like blue dicks and sticky monkey flowers. I saw a number of flowers today that, despite spending an hour searching on CalFlora, I could not identify. I am posting pictures of some of them anyway since I think they are pretty. Reminder: March 6th, the Theodore Payne Wildflower Hotline goes on-line.

Wildlife sightings: I did not see any snakes today (Scott saw one and there was a rumor from another hiker about a rattlesnake ahead on the trail) but, when we got home, there was a huge alligator (I think) lizard in the garage. I am hoping he will stay and clean out some of the daddy long legs.

Santa Ana River Trail

I have been looking forward to riding the Santa Ana River Trail for years. It is another one of Orange County’s Mountain to Sea Trails (San Bernardino Mountains to Huntington Beach) and is about 100 miles one-way. Saturday was the perfect distance riding day, overcast and not very windy. With lunch packed, water loaded and tires inflated, we parked at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa, hopped on the river trail and rode east.

After 8 miles of endless cement, garbage, wire (barbed, razor, power and chain-linked), uninspired graffiti, gang tags and trailer parks, I could not endure it any longer and had to turn around. The Santa Ana leg was incredibly boring and somewhat depressing (note: the trail may become more interesting once past Santa Ana). Heading back towards the coast, past Fairview Park, the trail ends at Huntington Beach and there is a northward multipurpose bike/pedestrian path. We ended up eating lunch at the beach, watching the surfers for a bit and then heading back to the car.

Wildlife spottings: a stray pit bull, American Crow, pigeons, vultures, finches and sea gulls. Closer to Huntington, the river is soft-bottom and there were some waders; blue herons, great egrets, godwits and avocets. I did not stop and bird watch since the water treatment plant is on the other side of the trail and sort of stunk. On the bright side, I have now ridden the Santa Ana River Trail through Santa Ana, have seen what it has to offer and will never need to ride this section again.

Irvine Regional Trail to the Back Bay Loop

Upper Newport Bay

Kestrel

White-Faced Ibis

Egyptian Goose

Bermuda Buttercups

Irvine Regional Park to Upper Newport Bay is another Mountain-to-Sea Trail in Orange County that I think is worth exploring. The last time I tried to ride it (awhile ago), there were too many trail closures to finish the ride. From what I have been able to research, the trail has completely opened and a one-way trip is 22 miles.

After parking in a business park around Laguna Canyon Road and Barranca, we followed the creek downstream on bikes. With the exception of a few well-marked road crossings, the paved trail is separate from the street and is appropriate for walkers, runners, bikers and even bikers on training wheels. Fellow bikers range from road racers in full biking attire to beach cruisers and flip flops. Once we arrived at the Back Bay, we rode the Back Bay Loop trail and then back to the car. Based on my odometer, the entire trip was a long but mostly flat 30 miles.

Wildlife spottings: The Back Bay was teeming with shore birds today but my favorite finds of the day were a kestrel, a white-faced ibis and Egyptian geese. I was able to easily identify the kestrel and the white-faced ibis from Orange County birding sites but the Egyptian geese were a challenge. From a Yahoo! discussion site, a flock of Egyptian geese escaped from a now defunct Wildlife Safari Park in Orange County and are occasionally spotted in the area still. I cannot confirm the story but I like it.

The next ride on this trail will need to start from Irvine Regional Park (mountains). Per the trail kiosk in Newport Beach, I rode right past the trail turn-off to the mountains and then, on the trip back, I missed it again. I guess as long as you remember how to get back to the car, it isn’t too bad.

San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary, Irvine CA

There was a brief break between the storms today and the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine was the perfect place to take a quick walk, do a little birding and take some pictures. The Sanctuary used to be part of the Duck Club, ponds where migrating ducks could rest and possibly be hunted, but it has been replanted with native plants to ‘clean’ urban run-off water before flowing into the ocean and to provide a refuge for wildlife. There are crushed gravel trails around the ponds, benches placed in view areas and a wonderful butterfly garden. Sea and Sage Audubon has a small gift shop in the parking area that is staffed with knowledgeable birders that also lead interpretive nature walks. If you forget your binoculars, check with them, they may have loaners available.

I was really hoping to get some great bird pictures today but, because of all of the rain this week, this afternoon must have been the birds’ first chance to eat. About 90% of my photographs today were of bird butts poking out of the ponds. I did get a treat, however. For the first time I observed White Pelicans ‘herding fish’ (I had no idea that they did that). I also watched a snowy egret wiggle his golden toes in the mud to attract fish and then I saw him actually spear one (picture above).

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Super Bowl Sunday: Wilderness Style

What started out as a quick ride before the Super Bowl, turned into a slightly longer than anticipated trek due to the perfect weather and the “let’s just see where this goes” curiosity. We were able to string together a few of our favorite trails starting from home, and, after 1 gallon of water, 2 trips down into the canyon, 2 climbs out of the canyon, 3 creek crossings, 4 miles of sand and rock trail, we ended up in Live Oak Canyon 10 miles later. This is officially the new ‘favorite’ bike ride.

There were only about 10 people on the trails today, giving us the chance to really enjoy being out in nature. I have decided that I am absolutely addicted to oak trees. They are usually hidden by the sycamores but, because the sycamores’ leaves are still gone, the oak trees cannot be missed. The spring grasses and hints of wildflowers are starting to come up. I also believe I saw new ‘leaves of three’ so I let them be.

The ride: At Oso and Antonio Parkway, get on the dirt path behind the Las Flores apartments, head down into the Tijeras Creek Wilderness area, at the “T”, turn east on Arroyo Trabuco Creek trail, stay on the main trail and, when you can, get off the pavement trail and onto the dirt trail. The dirt trail will take you under Santa Margarita Parkway and the 241, into O’Neill Park.

Did I mention my legs are going to be sore tomorrow?