Nature abounds in our backyard as I watch almost 100 Western honeybees at one of 2 Baja fairy duster plants! Look closely to see a bee:
So many Western honey bees!
We are also very excited when we see hummingbirds stopping at our desert willow trees and Baja fairy duster plants. Especially when they rest on a tree branch since one rarely sees a hummingbird not moving. The javelina continue to walk past my bedroom window and coyotes are in the neighborhood, as are bobcats. I’m soon off on another adventure so I will return with backyard 2026 nature journals.
Mountain biking requires me to truly focus on what I am doing while pedaling various trails. Some are smooth, others rocky. Some uphill, some downhill. Some steep and others even less enjoyable! But as seasons change I take notice of the wildlife, plants and animals. I actually find myself stopping to photograph the flowers that sprouted after a monsoon rain:
When especially lucky, I may see a squirrel or on this particular day, elk moving through an area! I know elk migrate here in northern Arizona, but rarely do I get this opportunity to see them. By the time I pulled my camera out, they were a distance away, but still seen:
I truly do not enjoy weeding! It needs to be done. I understand that, but let’s not overdo it. What makes it frustrating at times for me is looking at a green thing and wondering is that a future weed or a plant I want. For instance, penstemons are plants hummingbirds and butterflies love. What’s this little green growth? Is it a penstemon and wanted by a bird or butterfly?
To pick or not to pick?
After studying the shapes of the leaves and entering a photo in iNaturalist app or its website, it is a penstemon … eventually a Parry’s beardtongue. My identification of that plant is improving as is brittlebush, an important erosion-control plant, which I do not destroy. One must know the early growth of a plant or everything will be weeded!
But wait! Then we have a colorful, strange growth as seen here:
Decision, decision… to keep or not?
My guess was a slime mold since we had plenty of rain and everything was super wet in our mulch-filled water basins around our home. This is commonly called scrambled egg slime mold or dog vomit slime mold. It’s found worldwide so some day you too may see this slime mold!
Of course, my eyes and ears are always tuned to birds, but just as exciting are caterpillars! We spend all this time having a wooded area or garden so bees, butterflies, birds and other critters have a place to call home. Here was the caterpillar stage of a future queen butterfly!
Someday a queen butterfly!
Thank goodness there are other living things to look at while I pull weeds. Otherwise it really is a boring task, that needs to be done, but enjoyed more when I can be distracted! Plus, I learn and can appreciate what is living in my yard! Have you looked closely at what’s in your backyard?
Time to change things up and not spend time photographing birds, sketching, or painting with watercolors; all activities I enjoy, but time to use my macro lens. Plant life is easiest for macro photography until a constant breeze interrupts the scene. I had time in Southern California this month to capture some photographs and here they are; enjoy!
Some animal life with the plants…
Interesting insects on the ground, so of course I had to photograph them too!
Actually, I may think about sketching or painting some of these photos … time will tell! I hope you have taken time to get outdoors and see what is blooming in your area … and to enjoy!
Everyone wants to enjoy blooming flowers after a winter season. Whether it is simply to see more color in the world, hike in a colorful area, or capture a photo of nature’s beauties, we search for the bloomers! I went to Borrego Springs to do all of the above last month!
The scenery was dreary as I looked to the mountains west of the Salton Sea; however, what the heck, drive over and check out the Borrego Springs area. I arrived about 9:00am and walked among white and purple wildflowers with 4 other people at a wildflower field just off the main road. It was wonderful having the place to myself as I photographed the field and flowers.
As I walked back to my van to check my photos, many people were arriving and within the next couple of hours at least 100 people stopped by! Even as clouds with rainfall started, people were walking into the field with umbrellas and cameras trying to capture the right light for their photos. Many people enjoyed the scene as I did. Here are some photos:
First off, technically a weed is a plant someone does not want at a particular location. My HOA (Homeowners Association) has no wildflower on their approved plant list; therefore, wildflowers are weeds. Wildflowers on my front yard are therefore considered weeds. When there are too many “weeds”, I receive a notice of violation.
Second, hydroseed was sprayed by our home builder when the house was built, thus wildflowers grow from the seeds. When the seed flowers I will not pick it. I’ll wait till the flower dies. Do I sound frustrated?
I think I’m six years into this weed/wildflower conundrum and I don’t think it’s my imagination, but the wildflowers are increasing in number! This is despite my weeding them out, applying salt/white vinegar/detergent combo sprayed on various areas of the front lawn these past number of years.
This year I decided to try a “weed experiment”; however, it requires a huge amount of my manual labor. I weeded a section of land by hand. I cleared out every plant. Then I raked the rock off the area, made sure every plant was gone, applied the salt/white vinegar/detergent combo and raked rock back onto the area.
In the photo below, front portion is totally clear of plant life, the back has many wildflowers.
Cleared area in front, wildflowers at top of photo. There are more in number every year despite my pulling them each year. What to do?
If you follow my blog, you know I travel. What will I discover when I return. Will that rock area have plant life and me finding my work was in vain? Time will tell.
Now to decide what to do in other areas of the front yard. Does anyone have a HOA list in southwest USA that DOES list wildflowers as an approved plant? If so, please share! Would be greatly appreciated!
