Observaciones de chimeravo

A Cascara tree grew about 10 yards from the edge of the creek, shadowing it. The Cascara, at first glance, looks like an alder. The trunk and branches are a rusty white and the leaves have a similar overall shape. However, the leaves of cascara are not ridged like that of alders and much less "ripply."

The trunk is green hued and flexible. This vine maple had what I think are flowers. Do the red petal shaped things (as in the photo) actually form the flower? Or is the flower simply encompassed by this structure? Do all Vine maples have flowers? Or are there male and female vine maples?

On the other side of the creek (the side that was higher, less rocky, and more highly vegetated and mossy) grew these bushes. There was one area in particular, a clear area, that was full of these bushes. All the bushes in this area were blooming. Perhaps they like more sun which is why this somewhat cleared area is so full of them?

It was not seeding. It grew about 3 feet tall, sometimes a little more. I have seen this grass here before and recognized it (it makes me sneeze like crazy), so I know what it looks like when it is seeding. The heads of this grass feel soft to the touch. The leaves are rather soft too.

I found (or rather my friend who was with me found) this crayfish in the creek. It was dead. We've always called these crawdads, so it seems very strange to me to call them crayfish.

Though this crayfish is young, it has the distinctive white band at the joint at the beginning of the claw of a signal crayfish. However, I am still not sure whether this identification is correct. Most of the "crawdads" in this creek, even as adults, are never (or so I have seen) bigger than 9 or so inches.

The butterfly fluttered alongside the road. I did not see it stop. Can butterflies not fly on rainy days because their wings would be too weighted down? Or do they simply need to be warmer?
Where do butterflies hide out when it rains?

The Sheep's Sorrel only grew alongside the road in the gravel/clay. It must be less durable (wind resistant) than the plants seen directly on the beach since it does not grow there. Maybe it needs more nitrogen too.

The needles are pointy. The tips of the branches are budding. The trunk is more knobbly and the whole tree is more gnarly than those I see farther inland (like those protected in forests), probably due to the constant beating it gets from the wind.

I'm not sure what type of creature this shell belonged to. One of the shells had a small circular hole in its side. I think maybe a starfish ate the shell's contents.

Normally I see lots of sand dollars at this beach, but perhaps its not the right season to see those?

There were quite a few shells of Dungeness crab on the beach, and sometimes claws. Is there a season that crabs lose their shell? Do they shed their shell when a larger ones grows beneath? Or do they shed their shells when they die? Or both?

How does one tell the difference between the males and the females? What determine the number of spots one of these beetles has? How come the spots on one wing are identical to those on the other wing (making it symmetrical)? Why are they bright red?

I have noticed before that they let out an orange juice stuff that stinks. I assume its a defense mechanism against predators, so that predators wont want to eat them (I think I had a kids book about this when I was little). Are there any other uses for the juice? Do they all have it? Where does the juice come from?

The young shore pines were about 5-8ft tall. The older ones were 8-17ft tall. One tree was completely dead (the picture showing the pine cone). THe bark on it was completely cleared about 7 feet up. I wonder what cleared the bark.