San Mateo Canyon - 3/2/02

[Bob Parcelles,Jr.]

--- Mark Walker <MWalker at gensym.com> wrote:
> Last weekend I went out with my children and my best buddy from
> elementary
> school to work on getting my feeble legs back into shape (I'm
> getting
> stronger, and that's the important thing).  We decided to hike an
> area we
> hadn't been in before, so we chose San Mateo Canyon, on the eastern
> side of
> the Santa Ana Mountains in Riverside County.  The habitat is
> incredible,
> with trees and many ferns growing on the north facing slope - and
> dry
> chaparral growing on the opposite slope.  The weather was quite
> pleasant (as
> I'm hoping it will be tomorrow), but there has been such little
> winter rain
> that the canyon was mostly dry.  We did find many tenajas, or
> standing
> pools, in the canyon - and thoroughly enjoyed watching some playful
> California Newts in one of them where we stopped for lunch.  Orange
> cuties
> that they are, they have the most adorable little "fingers and
> toes".
>  
> The leps were just getting started here, with most of the usual
> suspects
> present in few numbers.  We did see Tiger Swallowtails and one
> incredible
> freshly emerged Papilio eurymedon (Pale Swallowtail) that flopped
> gently
> among the riparian underbrush.  I was also pleased to see a
> gorgeous male
> Zerene eurydice (California Dogface) come to nectar (there was
> plenty of
> this around).  The most common insect by far was Anthocharis sara
> (Sara
> Orangetip), with energetic males rapidly patrolling the canyon and
> the
> occasional busybody female flopping about for either a place to eat
> or a
> place to lay.  Brown Elfins (Callophrys augustinus) were also
> flying, as
> were both the Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus) and the Echo
> Blue
> (Celastrina ladon echo).  After the hike we explored the National
> Forest
> roads all the way through to Camp Pendleton.  No getting through
> there, I'm
> afraid.
>  
> Dinner at Guadalajara's in old town Lake Elsinore capped off a most
> enjoyable day.
>  
> Mark Walker
> Oceanside, CA


Mark,

so glad your back is getting better. You make excellent naratives and
make me very nostologic for the Santa Annas. 

Best regards, 

Bob

=====
Bob Parcelles, Jr
Pinellas Park, FL
RJP Associates, C2M-BWPTi
rjparcelles at yahoo.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturepotpourri
"Change your thoughts and you change your world."
- Norman Vincent Peale

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