It’s a scenario that happened a lot at our last house with its big picture window facing a canyon. But thank goodness, it occurs less often at our Redlands CA home. You hear a bang and go out to find a stunned bird. Luckily, after making sure it was in a safe spot, [Read more...]
Bugs! and Other Photos from Our Yard
May 10, 2013 by · 2 Comments
Our yard is alive with wildlife this spring, so thought I would post some photos of the critters and a few native plants they’re especially attracted to. The insects attract a host of larger insects and in the chain of life, they in turn attract a rich bird and lizard population that feeds on them all. The last photo I took was of a Cooper’s hawk hoping to feed on one of those birds. [Read more...]
Great hikes: Head to the Crafton Hills
April 24, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
I’m always on the lookout for hikes that feature our area’s rich California native habitat and wildlife — and Crafton Hill’s Grape Street Trail in Yucaipa provides plenty of that. It’s an intermediate trail that takes you up a not-too-steep hill to nice views [Read more...]
Don’t Buy d-CON (and a campaign to reduce rat poison use)
April 9, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
Kudos to the Los Angeles Times. Last Friday they pushed another important subject into the public arena in their editorial ”Ban super rat poisons.”
I’ve been gathering info to write another post on the dangers of the stronger second-generation rodent poisons (see earlier post here). Briefly, here’s the latest news on this problem: One manufacturer — Reckitt Benckiser — of the second generation of poisons, refuses to withdraw its d-CON products despite a ban by the EPA [Read more...]
Native Bees and Other Wildlife Find Our Home
March 31, 2013 by · 1 Comment
What a joy this spring to walk around our yard here in Southern California – a former lawn now full of native and other wildlife-attracting plants. The native bees have arrived in higher numbers, challenging the busy honeybees on our blooming ceanothus and lavender. Our resident Anna’s hummingbird seemed to survive the cold spell this winter and is perching on his usual tree branch
[Read more...]
Great Hikes: ‘Wild’ Wildwood Canyon State Park
March 7, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
I discovered another great, secluded hiking area in the inland area - Wildwood Canyon State Park – tucked away off Wildwood Canyon Road in Yucaipa, California. In another example of the importance of land conservation [Read more...]
Our Vital Pollinators: Birds, Bats, Bees and Butterflies
February 23, 2013 by · 2 Comments
Pollinators – birds, bats, bees and butterflies – are critical. They pollinate over 200,000 of the world’s flowering plants, including 80% of our food plants. The genetic material they transfer allows seeds to form, which continue the species.
Kurt Leushner, a popular professor at the College of the Desert in Palm Desert, highlighted our local pollinators at a recent horticulture meeting.
Below are some of his highlights [Read more...]
