Plant of the Month (POM) by Margaret Fillius or the first of this monthly series, I have chosen FAmole or Soap Plant. Its flowers (white with darker mid-vein) are produced on slender stalks mainly around June and July, often after the leaves have disappeared. These are not showy flowers but well worth a second look. Look for them throughout the Reserve, particularly along the road south of the Lodge, on the Beach Trail switchbacks, and near the top of the Margaret Fleming Trail in the Extension. Amole’s scientific name, Chlorogalum parviflorum, is derived from chloros (meaning “green”), gala (“milk or juice”), parvus (“small”), and flora (“flower”). This monocot grows from a bulb from which leaves sprout soon after the start of our winter rains. The bulb stores the resulting synthesized food, and the leaves die back when dry weather arrives.
Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: June 13, 2015
Number of species: 56 California Gull 1 American Crow 17 California Towhee 11 Caspian Tern 3 Common Raven 10 Savannah Sparrow 2 Mallard 2 Royal Tern 3 Northern Rough-winged Song Sparrow 6 Cinnamon Teal 2 Eurasian Collared-Dove 4 Swallow 15 Black-headed Grosbeak 1 California Quail 8 Mourning Dove 14 Cliff Swallow 1 Blue Grosbeak 2 Pacific Loon 2 Lesser Nighthawk 11 House Wren 3 Red-winged Blackbird 12 Common Loon 1 White-throated Swift 5 Marsh Wren 5 House Finch 88 Brandt's Cormorant 12 swift sp. 5 Bewick's Wren 7 Lesser Goldfinch 26 Double-crested Cormorant 10 Anna's Hummingbird 11 California Gnatcatcher 10 House Sparrow 2 Brown Pelican 4 Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird 3 Wrentit 18 Great Blue Heron 2 Nuttall's Woodpecker 2 California Thrasher 1 Great Egret 1 American Kestrel 4 Northern Mockingbird 3 Observers: Herb Knüfken, Snowy Egret 16 Peregrine Falcon 4 European Starling 1 Frank Wong, Jack Friery, Osprey 1 Black Phoebe 4 Orange-crowned Warbler 2 Kathy Dickey, Eva Armi, Blair White-tailed Kite 3 Say's Phoebe 1 Common Yellowthroat 8 Francis, and Anonymous Red-tailed Hawk 1 Cassin's Kingbird 3 Yellow-breasted Chat 5 Western Gull 15 Western Scrub-Jay 5 Spotted Towhee 20
Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm
July 2015 Torreyana 9 And thus the healing process begins. The mind clears and coordinator of the Museum Shop, which completed the old memories are replaced with new. circle of the pines’ return to the Reserve in a new form, bringing a unique treat to the museum visitors and much needed funds for the TAV program and the TPSNR. Tom continues to build the program with donations and funds that are generated by the sale of the wood crafts. This money helps to keep the program running and growing in size and, most importantly, is responsible for many success stories.
Pens made from a Torrey pine. Torrey pine wood pen being Photo by Hank Beck - Composition turned and on a lathe. Photo by Concept by Ann Gaarder Herb Knüfken A wounded vet turning wood from a Torrey pine on a lathe. Photo by Herb Knüfken A sincere thank you to Tom Lightner for inviting us and guiding us on our visit to a TAV workshop and for sharing The TAV program is chaired by Tom Lightner, a U.S. his knowledge and insights to TAV and the wood turning Army Major General (Ret.), who prefers to be just called process. A thank you to Herb Knüfken for his skillful Tom in order to put the veterans at ease. A very skilled photography of a TAV workshop. Donations to the TAV woodturner himself, Tom, along with many volunteers program are most welcomed and can be made through the from the SDWT, organizes, runs and volunteers at TAV San Diego Woodturners Inc., Box 230293, Encinitas, CA workshops in three locations throughout San Diego. 92023, sdwt.org/
Plant of the Month by Margaret Fillius ugust is prime time at the beach, so this month’s plant A is one that you’ll find near the shore rather than up along the Reserve trails. Red Sand-Verbena (Abronia maritime) is fairly abundant at Black’s Beach; the less daring can see it in the small, fenced patch in the South Beach parking lot near the kiosk. This rare plant (CNPS 4.2) flowers year- round, at least to some extent. Its flowers are an intense red-purple color, and its seed-heads are A wounded vet and a SDWT volunteer, Jim Doss (a also attractive. It veteran himself) starting a new turning project. Photo by requires salt Herb Knüfken water, which it Tom made the connection with the TPSNR when he learned gets mainly from that some of the Torrey pine trees had to be cut down. He sea spray; its very fleshy leaves isolate and store salt. A member of the worked with Darren Smith, a State Parks ecologist, to divert the wood from the mulch pile and facilitated its path to the Nyctaginaceae (Four O'Clock) family, Red Sand-Verbena is related to the Beach Sand-Verbena (Abronia umbellate), woodturning lathes of the TAV program. The final which you can find not at the beach but along Guy Fleming connection was with Nancy Woodworth, TPDS and other Reserve trails. August 2015 Torreyana 5 September Plants of the Month Update: Beach Stairs Repair by Margaret Fillius The center stairs at the beach are in the process of being ike our repaired. Prefabrication of the lumber has been completed at the L August plant, Maintenance Yard and work has begun to remove the worn the two perennial steps. Barring unforeseen delays, the new steps should be subshrubs we’ll installed soon, according to Supervising Ranger Dylan look at this month Hardenbrook. are found on the Dylan explained that our maintenance staff has been as low as beach. Woolly 25% of normal (75% vacant) with no ability to hire replacements Sea-blite (Suaeda due to State Parks budget limitations. “It has been difficult to taxifolia) and keep up with day-to-day restroom cleaning and trash collection, Estuary Sea-blite let alone address any of the deferred maintenance issues.” He (Suaeda esteroa) reported that the money for the materials used to repair the are not showy plants, but they are of Woolly Sea-blite stairs has come from the Coke Best Beach Award, which Torrey interest because they grow in saline or Pines won in 2012. alkaline silty-sandy or sandy-clay soil -- that is, above the high-tide line or on the nearby cliff faces. This habitat has mainly disappeared, so Woolly Sea-blite is rare (CNPS 4.2), and Estuary Sea-blite is endangered (CNPS 1B.2). Woolly Sea-blite grows to 3 feet high and appears to be gray because it is densely covered in hairs; Estuary Sea- Estuary Sea-blite blite grows to a foot high and is hairless. The inconspicuous flowers on both plants are along the stems. Head for Black’s Beach with a magnifying glass to check them out, but keep an eye on the tide for getting back! If the tide’s coming in, Woolly Sea-blite can also be seen by the exit from the South Beach parking lot.
Below: San Elijo Lagoon hike of August, 19, 2015, another one of Above: Master craftsman (and TPDS VP) Ingo Renner creating Vice President Ingo Renner’s great hikes this year the new desk for the Lodge Photo by Ken King
September 2015 Torreyana 5
by Margaret Fillius
t any time of the year it is A hard to go far in the Reserve without seeing yellow flowers. In late summer/fall much of this color is due to the flowers of Goldenbush (Isocoma menziesii) in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). This plant, seen throughout the Reserve, is a subshrub, meaning it is a perennial which doesn’t get very tall and which blooms much of the year. If you study several Goldenbush plants, you may wonder if they are all of the same species. In fact there are four different varieties in the San Diego area, one of which (var. decumbens) is rare. It has been suggested that further studies of the varieties are needed, so I think we are OK to lump them all as Isocoma menziesii.
Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: September 5, 2015
Number of species: 58 Whimbrel 22 Western Scrub-Jay 12 Song Sparrow 15 Least Sandpiper 12 American Crow 6 California Towhee 35 Mallard 2 Western Sandpiper 15 Common Raven 8 Spotted Towhee 4 Cinnamon Teal 1 Heermann's Gull 23 Northern Rough-winged Red-winged Blackbird 1 California Quail 5 Ring-billed Gull 1 Swallow 2 House Finch 41 Pied-billed Grebe 5 Western Gull 23 Bushtit 21 Lesser Goldfinch 5 Brandt's Cormorant 2 Caspian Tern 1 House Wren 10 House Sparrow 1 Double-crested Cormorant 4 Eurasian Collared-Dove 4 Marsh Wren 1 Brown Pelican 10 Mourning Dove 14 Bewick's Wren 13 Observers: Bob Glaser, Great Blue Heron 4 White-throated Swift 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Herb Knüfken, Rhea Bridy, Great Egret 4 Anna's Hummingbird 19 California Gnatcatcher 12 Frank Wong, Jack Friery, Snowy Egret 15 Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird 1 Wrentit 16 Janet Speer, Kathy Dickey, Osprey 1 Belted Kingfisher 4 California Thrasher 11 Gary Grantham, and White-tailed Kite 4 Nuttall's Woodpecker 3 Northern Mockingbird 2 Anonymous Red-shouldered Hawk 1 American Kestrel 2 European Starling 3 Red-tailed Hawk 2 Peregrine Falcon 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 5 Virginia Rail 1 Black Phoebe 8 Common Yellowthroat 10 Willet 15 Cassin's Kingbird 8 Savannah Sparrow 1
Monthly Bird Surveys are available back to 2005 at torreypine.org/nature-center/birds/birdsurveys/
Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm
October 2015 Torreyana 7 Museum Committee Update Plant of the Month – Coast Jepsonia by Lillian Lachicotte by Margaret Fillius
The September meeting of the Museum Committee was very productive. We were fortunate that Supervising Ranger Dylan Hardenbrook attended to give us his expert advice and suggestions. Dylan has received estimates for the restoration and photographing of the Guy Fleming maps. Frank Burham has installed all four windows in the video room. They may all be opened for light or fresh air. Dylan approved cleaning the fireplace. Bill Eckles arranged the cleaning and was told by the chimney sweep that the condition of the chimney is not awful, but it shows wear and tear. A more complete
report will be forthcoming. We discussed taking down many of the wires Photos by Margaret Fillius serving the alarm system and speakers that have proliferated throughout the Lodge. Roger Isaacson I love this plant for being different, and for its name. The agreed to advise us on how it could be done. botanical name, Jepsonia parryi (Coast Jepsonia), reminds We installed the LED lights in the video room and us of two historical botany heavyweights – Charles C. Parry decided that a dimmer switch wasn't necessary, so and Willis Linn Jepson. How is it different? It blooms only that project is complete. at this time of the year, while its leaves emerge in the spring and are long gone before the flowers appear; inversely, the Ingo Renner agreed to work on bird call sounds for flowers are long gone when the leaves are replenishing their the museum. Preliminarily he has made a three- plant food stores. It is in the Saxifrage family. You will minute loop of quail, raven and ocean sounds, put have to be alert to see Jepsonia as the flowers are quite them on a nano-pod and bluetoothed them to a small on stems about 8” tall, but it is worth studying speaker on a shelf. In the future, Ingo plans to closely. The best place to see them is in the middle section create a 10-15 minute loop of nature sounds that of Broken Hill on the south side of the trail. When you find Lodge hosts will be able to manage from the desk. one you can pay your respects to Jepson and Parry! We were shown a sketch of the new cabinet that Ingo is building for us for the south wall... impressive! Torrey Pines Book Club We accepted a Great Horned Owl to be preserved When: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2:00 pm with wings open that was offered to us. Now we're Where: Carol Hunt’s home in Carmel Valley hoping to find a rabbit, crow and raven. What: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin Many ideas were expressed concerning reorganizing wall hangings (plaques, history, From Amazon: A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he artwork), so we are forming a committee, headed by expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is Nan Danninger, to come up with suggestions on experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his how this can be done. prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the We also saw a need to inventory and estimate the bookstore, its unexpected arrival gives Fikry the chance to value of items in our museum. Hank Beck has make his life over—and see everything anew. agreed to take charge of this project. We discussed the various contributed objects that All TPDS docents are welcome. Meetings usually last a spontaneously appear in the Lodge. In an effort to couple of hours. RSVP to Carol Hunt if you plan to control enthusiastic docents from over-sharing, we attend. (Check Member List for email or phone number.) will ask someone to be in charge of observing and overseeing these very kind and generous, but possibly overwhelming, gestures.
November 2015 Torreyana 6 ductive system several times during the growing season, starting with the first rains. Like some other by Margaret members of the Fillius coastal sage scrub plant community, id you the leaves of D notice how Cneoridium Cneoridium dumosum are dumosum -- aromatic, which is Bush-rue or why one of its Coast Spice common names is Bush, in the Spice Bush. In Rutaceae addition, the (citrus) family -- responded to the rains we had in July and flowers have a wonderful citrusy sweet perfume. Be sure to September? It is one of the perennials that springs to life fill your lungs with these delights this spring, starting after such soakings. In a very short time, it can transform soon. You can find Bush-rue along all our trails including from a virtually leafless shrub to one that has lots of bright the Discovery Trail. But be careful: touching this shrub green leaves followed by flowers and fruit. Depending on may cause phytophotodermatitis (skin reactions). how our rainfall gets spread out over the rainy season, you are likely to see Bush-rue replenish its leaves and repro-
Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: November 7, 2015
Number of species: 80 Great Egret 4 Anna's Hummingbird 14 Hermit Thrush 1 Snowy Egret 5 Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird 2 European Starling 2 Bolded: unusual or out-of- Little Blue Heron 1 Belted Kingfisher 2 Orange-crowned Warbler 7 season species Osprey 1 Nuttall's Woodpecker 5 Common Yellowthroat 5 White-tailed Kite 2 Downy Woodpecker 3 Yellow-rumped Warbler 75 Gadwall 8 Northern Harrier 3 Northern Flicker 2 White-crowned Sparrow 16 American Wigeon 8 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 American Kestrel 3 Savannah Sparrow 5 Mallard 10 Red-tailed Hawk 3 Peregrine Falcon 2 Song Sparrow 19 Blue-winged Teal 2 Common Gallinule 1 Black Phoebe 15 California Towhee 9 Northern Pintail 8 American Coot 23 Say's Phoebe 6 Spotted Towhee 5 Green-winged Teal 8 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Cassin's Kingbird 10 Red-winged Blackbird 3 Ruddy Duck 8 Willet 10 Western Scrub-Jay 6 Western Meadowlark 1 California Quail 4 Whimbrel 2 American Crow 22 House Finch 32 Pacific Loon 3 Long-billed Curlew 5 Common Raven 4 House Sparrow 6 Common Loon 1 Marbled Godwit 1 Cliff Swallow 2 Pied-billed Grebe 4 Least Sandpiper 5 Bushtit 1 Observers: Frank Wong, Eared Grebe 1 Marbled Murrelet 1 Rock Wren 1 Gary Grantham, Blair Western Grebe 4 alcid sp. 10 House Wren 9 Francis, Kathy Dickey, Bob Black-vented Shearwater 6 Heermann's Gull 2 Marsh Wren 4 Glaser, Herb Knüfken, Marty Brown Booby 3 Ring-billed Gull 4 Bewick's Wren 2 Hales, Janet Speer, Jack Brandt's Cormorant 3 Western Gull 7 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Friery, and Anonymous Double-crested Cormorant 17 California Gull 12 California Gnatcatcher 9 Brown Pelican 122 Eurasian Collared-Dove 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10 Great Blue Heron 3 Mourning Dove 8 Wrentit 24
Monthly Bird Surveys are available back to 2005 at torreypine.org/nature-center/birds/birdsurveys/
Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm
December 2015 Torreyana 7
Plant of the Month – Mission Manzanita by Margaret Fillius amed by Thomas Nuttall in 1843 for its woody fruit N (Greek, xylon = wood; kokkos = berry) and its 2- colored leaves (Latin, bi = two), Xylococcus bicolor is the only member of its genus, which is in the Ericaceae (Heath) family. Common throughout the Reserve, this shrub’s range is primarily San Diego County and parts of Baja California. Like true Manzanita species, e.g. Del Mar Manzanita, which are in the genus Arctostaphylos (also in the Ericaceae family), Mission Manzanita has reddish, peeling bark and clusters of small bell-shaped flowers. Notice the range of flower color (from white to pink to yellow). The margins of the leathery leaves roll under towards the light-colored hairy undersurface, leaving less surface area exposed to the sun. Mission Manzanita can re- sprout from its burl following fire. for nesting and for cover. If you want to cultivate your own Birds such as California thrasher and scrub jay eat the Mission Manzanita, coyote scat is said to be a good source seeds; hummingbirds drink the nectar; birds use the shrub of fertile seeds!
Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: December 5, 2015
Number of species: 76 Brown Pelican 37 Anna's Hummingbird 18 Orange-crowned Warbler 4 Great Blue Heron 1 Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird 4 Common Yellowthroat 25 Bolded: unusual or out-of- Great Egret 4 Belted Kingfisher 2 White-crowned Sparrow 9 season species Snowy Egret 10 Nuttall's Woodpecker 2 Golden-crowned Sparrow 1 Green Heron 1 Northern Flicker 4 Song Sparrow 12 Gadwall 4 Osprey 1 American Kestrel 5 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 American Wigeon 8 White-tailed Kite 3 Black Phoebe 12 California Towhee 16 Mallard 9 Northern Harrier 4 Say's Phoebe 5 Spotted Towhee 1 Northern Shoveler 2 Cooper's Hawk 2 Cassin's Kingbird 6 Red-winged Blackbird 60 Northern Pintail 10 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Western Scrub-Jay 4 House Finch 21 Lesser Scaup 3 Red-tailed Hawk 2 American Crow 6 Lesser Goldfinch 28 Surf Scoter 8 American Coot 10 Common Raven 3 American Goldfinch 2 Bufflehead 7 Black-bellied Plover 2 Barn Swallow 5 House Sparrow 5 Common Merganser 4 Willet 24 Bushtit 4 Ruddy Duck 9 Long-billed Curlew 4 Rock Wren 1 Observers: Eva Armi, Frank California Quail 2 Short-billed/Long-billed House Wren 5 Wong, Blair Francis, Kathy Pacific Loon 2 Dowitcher 10 Marsh Wren 2 Dickey, Bob Glaser, Herb Pied-billed Grebe 5 Heermann's Gull 30 Bewick's Wren 2 Knüfken, Ingo Renner, Jack Eared Grebe 1 Ring-billed Gull 10 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Friery, and Lula Sutherland Western Grebe 6 Western Gull 58 California Gnatcatcher 6 Black-vented Shearwater 2 Caspian Tern 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 12 Brandt's Cormorant 10 Eurasian Collared-Dove 2 Wrentit 16 Double-crested Cormorant 5 Mourning Dove 9 California Thrasher 1
Monthly Bird Surveys are available back to 2005 at torreypine.org/nature-center/birds/birdsurveys/
Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm
January 2016 Torreyana 7 this is not the case, because the Marah dies back quite Plant of the Month quickly. by Margaret Fillius So please help educate anyone you see tearing it down: it is fter winter rains, one of the first plants to produce new not a threat to other plants. The closest area to see the Wild A green shoots is Marah macrocarpa (syn. M. Cucumber or Manroot is behind the Visitor Center, near macroparpus), in the Cucurbitaceae family. One of its Torrey Circle. common names, Manroot, derives from its huge tuber, which can weigh more than 220 pounds. Vines emerge from the tuber and can quickly grow to about 20 feet long, with leaves, flowers and fruit also developing rapidly. Also known as Wild Cucumber, this plant is monoecious and can self-pollinate, but most pollination is by insects. The male flowers are in stalked clusters while the female flowers, with their swollen bases, are solitary. The large, prickly fruit hangs from the vine and has four compartments, each containing large, hard seeds that are food for animals such as squirrels and wood rats. Germination, which occurs in late winter, is unusual in that the initial shoot grows downward into the earth before splitting into two: one part becomes the tuberous root while the other grows back to the surface to become the vine. Massive manroot tuber. Tiny round white disc is a “quarter.” Marah Although it appears that is killing the plant over Photo by Roger Isaacson which it is vining, using tendrils to attach and support itself,
Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: December 29, 2015
Number of species: 89 Northern Harrier 3 Nuttall's Woodpecker 6 Dark-eyed Junco 5 Cooper's Hawk 2 Northern Flicker 6 White-crowned Sparrow 39 Gadwall 13 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 American Kestrel 4 Golden-crowned Sparrow 3 American Wigeon 32 Red-tailed Hawk 4 Black Phoebe 8 Savannah Sparrow 8 Mallard 16 American Coot 21 Say's Phoebe 4 Song Sparrow 16 Northern Pintail 22 Black-bellied Plover 1 Cassin's Kingbird 4 California Towhee 17 Green-winged Teal 12 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Loggerhead Shrike 1 Spotted Towhee 7 Canvasback 3 Willet 13 Hutton's Vireo 1 Red-winged Blackbird 30 Ring-necked Duck 1 Long-billed Curlew 1 Western Scrub-Jay 15 House Finch 29 Lesser Scaup 10 Marbled Godwit 2 American Crow 15 Lesser Goldfinch 19 Surf Scoter 8 Least Sandpiper 36 Common Raven 7 House Sparrow 6 Bufflehead 11 Short-billed/Long-billed Tree Swallow 8 Red-breasted Merganser 1 Dowitcher 2 Bushtit 40 Observers: Frank Wong, Ruddy Duck 5 Bonaparte's Gull 2 House Wren 4 Eva Armi, Blair Francis, California Quail 8 Heermann's Gull 18 Marsh Wren 1 Kathy Dickey, Bob Glaser, Pacific Loon 2 Ring-billed Gull 27 Bewick's Wren 2 Herb Knüfken, Jack Friery, Pied-billed Grebe 6 Western Gull 11 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6 Pete di Giralamo, David Eared Grebe 6 California Gull 30 California Gnatcatcher 9 Mathis, Gary Grantham, Western Grebe 5 Herring Gull 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 21 James Wilson, and Black-vented Shearwater 200 Caspian Tern 1 Wrentit 9 Anonymous Brandt's Cormorant 3 Forster's Tern 1 Hermit Thrush 4 Double-crested Cormorant 9 Eurasian Collared-Dove 4 California Thrasher 5 Monthly TPSNR bird count Brown Pelican 20 Mourning Dove 20 European Starling 3 (conducted as a segment of Great Egret 5 White-throated Swift 30 Orange-crowned Warbler 7 the RSF Christmas Bird Snowy Egret 10 Anna's Hummingbird 20 Common Yellowthroat 10 Count.) Osprey 1 Allen's Hummingbird 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler 33 White-tailed Kite 4 Belted Kingfisher 2 Townsend's Warbler 1
Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm
February 2016 Torreyana 7 Plant of the Month by Margaret Fillius hat a delight it is to see the first Milkmaids of the W season, heralding the flower season. By blooming soon after the early winter/spring rains, they attract the attention of whatever insects are around in the early season. By March they are in peak bloom. Cardamine californica is an herbaceous perennial growing to approximately 1 foot tall from a rhizome. Each flower, about half an inch in diameter, has four white to pale pink petals; the flowers are in a spike. The petals close up in late afternoon as the sun goes down. The basal leaves differ in their form from the leaves along the stems. Cardamine comes from the Greek word describing plants in the cress (mustard) family. The common name of Milkmaids derives from the flower’s resemblance to a hat often worn by milkmaids. Milkmaids (also known as Toothwort) can be found from Oregon to Baja California growing in partial to full shade. In the Reserve, Milkmaid blossoms brighten the north-facing side of the road and the entrance to, and north-facing trail of, the Guy Fleming Trail.
Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: February 6, 2016
Number of species: 86 Great Egret 6 White-throated Swift 7 European Starling 1 Snowy Egret 7 Anna's Hummingbird 16 Cedar Waxwing 2 Gadwall 11 Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 Allen's Hummingbird 5 Orange-crowned Warbler 8 American Wigeon 16 White-faced Ibis 30 Belted Kingfisher 2 Common Yellowthroat 17 Mallard 12 Osprey 1 Nuttall's Woodpecker 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler 34 Blue-winged Teal 6 White-tailed Kite 2 Downy Woodpecker 2 Dark-eyed Junco 1 Cinnamon Teal 9 Northern Harrier 4 Northern Flicker 1 White-crowned Sparrow 27 Northern Shoveler 11 Cooper's Hawk 1 American Kestrel 8 Savannah Sparrow 3 Northern Pintail 58 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Peregrine Falcon 2 California Towhee 21 Green-winged Teal 12 Red-tailed Hawk 5 Black Phoebe 5 Spotted Towhee 14 Canvasback 3 Common Gallinule 1 Say's Phoebe 10 Red-winged Blackbird 60 Lesser Scaup 6 American Coot 25 Cassin's Kingbird 3 Western Meadowlark 2 Surf Scoter 1 Willet 21 Western Scrub-Jay 6 House Finch 34 Bufflehead 14 Whimbrel 2 American Crow 24 Red-breasted Merganser 2 Long-billed Curlew 6 Common Raven 15 Observers: Frank Wong, Ruddy Duck 18 Marbled Godwit 3 Bushtit 21 Eva Armi, Marty Hales, Kathy California Quail 13 Bonaparte's Gull 10 House Wren 3 Dickey, Bob Glaser, Herb Red-throated Loon 2 Heermann's Gull 7 Marsh Wren 1 Knüfken, Jack Friery, Steve Pied-billed Grebe 3 Mew Gull 1 Bewick's Wren 6 Tarkington, Mark Embree, Western Grebe 14 Ring-billed Gull 4 California Gnatcatcher 22 Gary Grantham, Valerie Black-vented Shearwater 20 Western Gull 7 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 Thomas, Ingo Renner, and Brandt's Cormorant 1 California Gull 63 Wrentit 18 Anonymous Double-crested Cormorant 4 Caspian Tern 1 Hermit Thrush 5 Brown Pelican 20 Royal Tern 1 California Thrasher 5 Great Blue Heron 3 Eurasian Collared-Dove 2 Northern Mockingbird 2
Monthly Bird Surveys are available back to 2005 at torreypine.org/nature-center/birds/birdsurveys/
Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm
March 2016 Torreyana 9 Plants of the Month by Margaret Fillius here are approximately 45 species in the genus Dudleya, T most of which occur in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico and four of which occur at TPSNR. Often known as Live-Forevers, these perennials can withstand our arid climate because of their fleshy leaves and stems, which dry up during the dry season then rehydrate or regrow after the rains arrive. Dudleya edulis (Ladies’ Fingers) and Dudleya lanceolata (Lance-leaf Dudleya) can be found throughout the Reserve. You Dudleya pulverulenta will need to look on the cliffs of Black’s Beach south of Mussel Rock to see Dudleya pulverulenta -- known as Chalk Dudleya because of the powdery coating on its leaves and flower stems. Our special species is the endangered Dudleya brevifolia (Short- leaf Dudleya or Dwarf Live-forever), which occurs on bare sandstone terraces. It can be viewed from the roadside a short distance north of the start of the North Broken Hill Trail. It is deciduous in the summer. Its early growth form resembles the concretions around it, making it vulnerable to destruction by off- trail activity. You may see hummingbirds visiting the flowers of all Dudleya species, usually in April and May. Dudleya brevifolia
Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: March 5, 2016
Number of species: 82 White-tailed Kite 2 Black Phoebe 4 White-crowned Sparrow 8 Northern Harrier 3 Say's Phoebe 8 Savannah Sparrow 2 Gadwall 8 Red-tailed Hawk 4 Cassin's Kingbird 6 Song Sparrow 10 American Wigeon 30 Ridgway's Rail 1 Hutton's Vireo 1 California Towhee 27 Mallard 19 Common Gallinule 1 Western Scrub-Jay 8 Spotted Towhee 13 Blue-winged Teal 5 American Coot 20 American Crow 35 Red-winged Blackbird 14 Cinnamon Teal 20 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Common Raven 48 Hooded Oriole 2 Northern Shoveler 2 Willet 13 Northern Rough-winged House Finch 30 Northern Pintail 39 Long-billed Curlew 2 Swallow 27 Lesser Goldfinch 4 Green-winged Teal 3 Marbled Godwit 4 Bushtit 41 House Sparrow 6 Canvasback 2 Sanderling 40 Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 Lesser Scaup 20 Heermann's Gull 1 House Wren 6 Observers: Bufflehead 12 Western Gull 9 Marsh Wren 10 Red-breasted Merganser 2 California Gull 1 Bewick's Wren 9 Frank Wong, Marty Hales, Ruddy Duck 7 Royal Tern 2 California Gnatcatcher 15 Valerie Thomas, Kathy California Quail 18 Eurasian Collared-Dove 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Dickey, Bob Glaser, Pete Di Pied-billed Grebe 7 Mourning Dove 10 Wrentit 34 Girolamo, Janet Ugalde, Western Grebe 16 Anna's Hummingbird 32 California Thrasher 7 Steve Tarkington, Tina Double-crested Cormorant 7 Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird 8 Northern Mockingbird 8 Rathbone, Andy Rathbone, Brown Pelican 20 Belted Kingfisher 2 European Starling 3 Ingo Renner, Gary Great Blue Heron 5 Nuttall's Woodpecker 3 Cedar Waxwing 20 Grantham, Jim Wilson, David Great Egret 8 Downy Woodpecker 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 5 Webster, and Anonymous Snowy Egret 13 Northern Flicker 6 Common Yellowthroat 10 White-faced Ibis 78 American Kestrel 6 Yellow-rumped Warbler 10 Osprey 2 Peregrine Falcon 2 Townsend's Warbler 2
Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm
April 2016 Torreyana 7 Plants of the Month by Margaret Fillius margins may be fringed with dark hairs; the stamens are yellow. In the case of the Splendid Mariposa, the hairs on ou may have been enjoying seeing Splendid the pink or pinkish-lilac petals are white and only on the Mariposa Lilies (Calochortus splendens) the last few Y lower third; stamens are purple. Both species are popular weeks, and are now looking forward to also seeing Weed’s with bees. Mariposa Lilies (Calochortus weedii var. weedii) towards the end of May. These two beauties (maybe the showiest of our flowers) are monocots, in the Lily family, and grow from bulbs. Their common names come from the patterned, wing-like shape of their petals resembling the wings of butterflies (“mariposa” being Spanish for butterfly). Each petal has a nectary gland at its base, surrounded by hairs. In the case of the Weed’s Mariposa, the nectary is in a sunken pit that can be seen as a bump on the outside of the petal. The surfaces of the yellowish petals of Weed’s Mariposa are covered in yellow hairs that may have a dark (brownish) spot at the base; the petal
Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: April 2, 2016
Number of species: 89 Osprey 2 Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird Cedar Waxwing 20 (plus 3 other taxa) White-tailed Kite 3 11 Orange-crowned Warbler 7 Cooper's Hawk 2 Belted Kingfisher 2 Common Yellowthroat 21 Gadwall 9 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Nuttall's Woodpecker 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler 7 American Wigeon 16 Red-tailed Hawk 4 Downy Woodpecker 1 Black-throated Gray Warbler 1 Mallard 19 Ridgway's Rail 1 Northern Flicker 4 Wilson's Warbler 3 Cinnamon Teal 16 American Coot 27 American Kestrel 3 Yellow-breasted Chat 1 Northern Shoveler 8 Willet 40 Peregrine Falcon 2 White-crowned Sparrow 10 Canvasback 1 Whimbrel 5 Black Phoebe 3 Savannah Sparrow 2 Lesser Scaup 4 Marbled Godwit 1 Cassin's Kingbird 9 Song Sparrow 40 Surf Scoter 1 Short-billed/Long-billed Western Kingbird 1 California Towhee 44 Bufflehead 8 Dowitcher 2 Hutton's Vireo 2 Spotted Towhee 14 Red-breasted Merganser 5 Bonaparte's Gull 22 Western Scrub-Jay 8 Black-headed Grosbeak 1 Ruddy Duck 19 Heermann's Gull 2 American Crow 19 Red-winged Blackbird 30 California Quail 20 Ring-billed Gull 1 Common Raven 22 Hooded Oriole 1 Pacific Loon 23 Western Gull 4 Northern Rough-winged House Finch 34 Pied-billed Grebe 5 California Gull 6 Swallow 28 Lesser Goldfinch 13 Eared Grebe 5 Caspian Tern 5 swallow sp. 12 House Sparrow 3 Western Grebe 9 Royal Tern 2 Bushtit 22 Brandt's Cormorant 3 Elegant Tern 4 House Wren 1 Observers: Gary Grantham, Double-crested Cormorant 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 3 Marsh Wren 7 Jim Wilson, Jack Friery, Brown Pelican 10 Mourning Dove 9 Bewick's Wren 7 Marty Hales, Herb Knüfken, Least Bittern 1 Great Horned Owl 1 California Gnatcatcher 9 Frank Wong, Kathy Dickey, Great Blue Heron 4 White-throated Swift 33 Wrentit 37 Bob Glaser, Gabrielle Ivany, Great Egret 7 Anna's Hummingbird 22 California Thrasher 6 and Anonymous Snowy Egret 14 Allen's Hummingbird 2 Northern Mockingbird 2 White-faced Ibis 60 European Starling 6
Monthly Bird Surveys are available back to 2005 at torreypine.org/nature-center/birds/birdsurveys/
Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm
May 2016 Torreyana 7 Torrey Pines Book Club When: Tuesday, June 14th at 2:00 pm Where: Marty Hales’ home in Kensington What: Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff. Here’s Amazon’s review: Frozen in Time is a gripping true story of survival, bravery, and honor in the vast Arctic wilderness during World War II, from the author of New York Times bestseller Lost in Shangri-La. On November 5, 1942, a US cargo plane slammed into the Greenland Ice Cap. Four days later, the B-17 assigned to the search-and- rescue mission became lost in a blinding storm and also crashed. Miraculously, all nine men on board survived, and the US military launched a daring rescue operation. But after picking up one man, the Grumman Duck amphibious plane flew into a severe storm and vanished. Frozen in Time tells the story of these crashes and the fate of the survivors, bringing vividly to life their battle to endure 148 days of the brutal Arctic winter, until an expedition headed by famed Arctic explorer Bernt Balchen brought them to safety.
Plants of the Month: Bedstraws by Margaret Fillius here are at least three members of the Coffee or Madder T family (Rubiaceae) at Torrey Pines, all in the Galium genus. Two woody-stemmed Bedstraws are Narrow-leaf Bedstraw (Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium) and San Diego Bedstraw (Galium nuttallii). The name Bedstraw came from the use Photos by Barbara Wallach of the dried, matted foliage to stuff mattresses. Hairs on Bedstraw branches cause the branches to stick together and so help keep the filling a uniform thickness. The genus
June 2016 Torreyana 8 name was given by Linnaeus from the use of a Galium The third genus member is species as an aid to curdle milk (Greek gala = milk). the weak-stemmed Galium The leaves of aparine, commonly called both G. Goosegrass, Cleavers, angustifolium Common Bedstraw, or and G. nuttallii Stickywilly. G. aparine has are in whorls of leaves in whorls of 6-8, and four leaves, but it is monoecious (i.e. all in the case of flowers contain both sexes). the latter the G. aparine was used as a leaves have poultice to treat skin more hairs and problems and to relieve stings and bites. The fruit has been have sharper dried and roasted, then used as a coffee substitute. The plant points. The is edible as a cooked leaf vegetable as long as it is gathered latter plant also before fruits appear. It may have also been used to make a turns red with sieve to strain milk. A red dye can be prepared from the age. Both are dioecious (i.e. plants are all of one or the roots. other sex). Their fruits are quite different: G. angustifolium The Galium you are most likely to see throughout the has two nutlets, which are densely covered by long white Reserve is Narrow-leaf Bedstraw (G. angustifolium ssp. hairs, whereas G. nuttallii has a single fruit. angustifolium). If you find a female plant, you can look nearby for a male plant.
Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: May 7, 2016
Number of species: 81 Red-tailed Hawk 3 Western Scrub-Jay 1 Dark-eyed Junco 1 Uncommon species bolded Killdeer 1 American Crow 9 Song Sparrow 27 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Common Raven 27 California Towhee 38 Gadwall 12 Whimbrel 1 Northern Rough-winged Spotted Towhee 17 Mallard 18 Bonaparte's Gull 40 Swallow 79 Western Tanager 1 Blue-winged Teal 1 Western Gull 3 Tree Swallow 25 Blue Grosbeak 1 Cinnamon Teal 2 California Gull 4 Barn Swallow 20 Red-winged Blackbird 29 California Quail 13 Caspian Tern 6 Cliff Swallow 72 Hooded Oriole 2 Pacific Loon 1 Forster's Tern 5 Bushtit 15 House Finch 60 Pied-billed Grebe 5 Royal Tern 2 House Wren 2 Lesser Goldfinch 27 Eared Grebe 1 Elegant Tern 5 Marsh Wren 7 House Sparrow 6 Western Grebe 6 Eurasian Collared-Dove 4 Bewick's Wren 9 Black Storm-Petrel 20 Mourning Dove 21 California Gnatcatcher 10 Brandt's Cormorant 2 Vaux's Swift 12 Wrentit 26 Observers: Gary Grantham, Double-crested Cormorant 2 White-throated Swift 32 California Thrasher 6 Steve Neal, Jack Friery, Brown Pelican 30 Anna's Hummingbird 24 Northern Mockingbird 6 Marty Hales, Herb Knüfken, Least Bittern 1 Allen's Hummingbird 1 European Starling 4 Frank Wong, Kathy Dickey, Great Blue Heron 1 Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird 3 Orange-crowned Warbler 15 Bob Glaser, Mark Embree, Great Egret 13 Nuttall's Woodpecker 2 Common Yellowthroat 16 Andy Rathbone, Margaret Snowy Egret 19 American Kestrel 3 Yellow Warbler 1 Fillius, John Bruin, and Black-crowned Night-Heron 2 Peregrine Falcon 2 Black-throated Gray Warbler 1 Anonymous White-faced Ibis 1 Black Phoebe 2 Townsend's Warbler 4 Osprey 1 Ash-throated Flycatcher 2 Hermit Warbler 2 White-tailed Kite 3 Cassin's Kingbird 1 Wilson's Warbler 3 Cooper's Hawk 2 Warbling Vireo 3 Yellow-breasted Chat 6
Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm
June 2016 Torreyana 9 Plant of the Month: Laurel Sumac Laurel Sumac has a very deep taproot, helping it to get by Margaret Fillius enough water to remain evergreen through our hot, dry summer months. It also has a root crown that can quickly re- Laurel Sumac (Malosma laurina) is an aromatic large sprout following destruction by fire of the plant above shrub/small tree with leaves that fold upward at the sides, ground. It is particularly sensitive to frost and was used by thus reducing surface exposure to the sun and allowing dew early Southern California farmers as an indicator of locations and rainwater to collect and run downwards towards the where citrus and avocado trees could survive. roots. Because of its leaf shape, Laurel Sumac is sometimes called the “taco plant.” Young Laurel Sumac is a member of the leaves and stems are reddish. Anacardaceae (Sumac) family, You can see it most easily along along with plants such as Poison the road between High Point and Oak, Lemonadeberry, Cashew, the Lodge. You will also find it Mango and Pistachio. Most Sumac along trails such as Razor Point family plants contain a sap that can and Parry Grove. cause dermatitis in humans. The genus was named Malosma by Cream-colored flowers, followed Thomas Nuttall in 1838, referring to by small, reddish-colored fruit, the apple-like smell of cut leaves are in pyramid-like clusters at (malum = apple; osme = smell or branch ends from June through scent). The species name refers to it August. Flowers can be either looking like a laurel tree. unisexual or bisexual. Model railroad enthusiasts often use the Quail commonly roost in Laurel dried flower/fruit remains as Sumac, and wood rats often build miniature trees. their homes at the base.
Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: June 4, 2016
Number of species: 69 Common Gallinule 2 Hutton's Vireo 2 Song Sparrow 34 (plus 1 other taxon) Killdeer 4 Western Scrub-Jay 5 California Towhee 31 Western Gull 2 American Crow 10 Spotted Towhee 25 Gadwall 2 California Gull 2 Common Raven 31 Black-headed Grosbeak 1 Mallard 16 Caspian Tern 6 Northern Rough-winged Blue Grosbeak 2 Pacific Loon 2 Forster's Tern 1 Swallow 33 Red-winged Blackbird 21 Pied-billed Grebe 4 Royal Tern 12 Cliff Swallow 6 Brewer's Blackbird 2 Western Grebe 12 Elegant Tern 18 Bushtit 14 Brown-headed Cowbird 6 Double-crested Cormorant 8 Black Skimmer 2 Marsh Wren 14 House Finch 30 Brown Pelican 22 Eurasian Collared-Dove 2 Bewick's Wren 6 Lesser Goldfinch 26 Great Blue Heron 3 Mourning Dove 41 California Gnatcatcher 12 House Sparrow 3 Great Egret 10 White-throated Swift 20 Wrentit 24 Snowy Egret 25 Anna's Hummingbird 12 California Thrasher 5 Observers: Kathy Dickey, Green Heron 1 Allen's Hummingbird 4 Northern Mockingbird 5 Steve Neal, Bob Glaser, Jack Black-crowned Night-Heron 5 hummingbird sp. 3 European Starling 2 Friery, Marty Hales, Herb Osprey 1 Nuttall's Woodpecker 5 Orange-crowned Warbler 12 Knüfken, Frank Wong, White-tailed Kite 1 American Kestrel 4 Common Yellowthroat 18 Sherry Doolittle, Mark Northern Harrier 2 Peregrine Falcon 4 Yellow Warbler 1 Embree, Tina and Andy Cooper's Hawk 1 Olive-sided Flycatcher 2 Yellow-breasted Chat 7 Rathbone, Margaret Fillius, Red-tailed Hawk 3 Black Phoebe 2 Dark-eyed Junco 1 John Bruin, and Anonymous Ridgway's Rail 3 Say's Phoebe 1 Savannah Sparrow 2
Monthly Bird Surveys are available back to 2005 at torreypine.org/nature-center/birds/birdsurveys/
Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm
July 2016 Torreyana 7 Local Eagle Scouts Assist The Reserve leaves and stems. If you end up with stained clothes or skin, don’t fret -- alcohol will remove it! by Jake Mumma few months back, I was approached by a local Boy AScout Robert Hou –Troop 713, looking to assist the Reserve by completing his Eagle Scout Project somewhere around the Lodge.
The lower leaves are toothed or lobed, while the upper leaves are shorter and linear. Flower heads are in bundles of two or more. Each flower head has a center of six yellow disc florets with dark purple stamens surrounded by five yellow ray florets. The ray florets generally have three Scouts and parents from Del Mar Troop 713 working on new and teeth, the central tooth being the smallest. Use a old benches for the Children’s Program area. magnifying glass to appreciate the flower details. It was agreed upon that the Children’s Program Amphitheater could use an extra row of benches along with a new coat of paint on the existing benches. After the long and tedious planning/approval process that prospective Eagle Scout candidates are subjected to, Robert took careful measurements and drawings of the existing benches along with paint chip samples. His newly constructed benches were required to match the existing benches, both in design and paint color. In early-mid July, with the assistance of his troop, Robert constructed four perfectly matched benches! In addition to this, Robert directed his troop in the sanding, priming, and painting of all of the existing Children’s Program Amphitheater benches! With the Children’s Program starting back up in approximately just one month, the timing couldn’t have been any better. It was a job well done by all! Thank you Robert and Boy Scout Troop 713!
Plant of the Month: Fascicled Tarweed by Margaret Fillius hen you think of aromatic plants in the Reserve, you I have read that Native Americans used Tarweed seeds for W probably think of shrubs such as Black Sage and food. According to Delfina Cuero, Kumeyaay boiled the Sagebrush. This Plant of the Month is an annual and is whole plant for steam to treat headaches. much smaller. Fascicled Tarweed grows in Coastal Sage Scrub, Southern Fascicled Tarweed (Deinandra fasciculata, previously Oak Woodland, and Valley Grassland from the Central Hemizonia fasciculata), locally known as Sticky Tarweed, Coast south into Baja California. Although it can be found usually grows to about 7 inches tall and has a long bloom in many places throughout the Reserve, it is probably most season (usually May to September). Rub your fingers over abundant at the west end of the Flintkote Trail. the plant and you will notice a sticky aromatic tar on the
August 2016 Torreyana 8 Geology beach walk led by Gill Williamson on August 15, 2016 as showy as the non-native species, this perennial is still attractive, with small pale violet and white flowers at the Plant of the Month: Sea-lavender or ends of a much-branched stem. It grows in salt marsh and Western Marsh Rosemary coastal strand plant communities along the California and Northern Baja coast, so it is adapted to saline conditions. In by Margaret Fillius the Reserve, it can be found along the western half of the I expect you have given and received flower bouquets that Flintkote Trail. Fresh new leaves appear from the woody include Statice. This is usually either Limonium perezii, base in the spring, and the flowers usually bloom from July native to the Canary Islands, or Limonium sinuatum (Wavy- to December. leaf Sea Lavender), native to the Mediterranean. Both are invasive in our area and can be seen along Torrey Pines Road near the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon.
Salt crystals on Sea-lavender Sea-lavender is a Recretohalophyte, which means it has specialized salt-secreting salt bladders and salt glands. A recent study of a related Limonium species has shown that Sea-lavender or Western Marsh Rosemary salt glands have four secretory pores that discharge salts, mainly sodium chloride. With time, salt crystals can be Our native species is Limonium californicum, commonly very visible on the long leaf blades (see photograph above). known as Sea-lavender or Western Marsh Rosemary although not related to either Lavender or Rosemary. Not
September 2016 Torreyana 8 Plant of the Month: Coyote Brush by Margaret Fillius hat do you think is the main method of pollination of W Coyote Brush, a member of the Aster family, which is the most represented plant family at Torrey Pines? Baccharis pilularis or Coyote Brush is one of the few shrubs blooming at this time of the year. Common throughout the Reserve, this shrub is usually rounded and woody with several cone- shaped branches. Its plentiful leaves have three main veins and are stiff, oval to egg-shaped (upside down), usually toothed, and without hairs. The leaves tend to stay on the shrub even in times of drought. Plants of the Baccharis genus in our area are dioecious -- that is, they have separate male and female plants. Male flowers are cream colored, and female flowers are white and more pointed. In Female plant both cases, flowers appear in groups at the end of branches. So, back to the question of pollination method. You might think wind would be the main force, but research has shown that insect pollination greatly increases the production of viable seeds of Baccharis species. The origin of the genus name Baccharis is unclear but may come from Bacchus, the Roman God of wine. The epithet pilularis may derive from the Latin pilula, which means globule, perhaps because of the numerous galls one usually finds on this shrub. We have three other Baccharis species around the Reserve. Baccharis salicina (Willow Baccharis) is usually found in wetlands, but there is one near the Visitor Center birdbath. Baccharis sarothroides (Broom Baccharis) used to be seen along the roadside, but that plant was demolished when the pedestrian path was installed; others I know of are off trail. Baccharis salicifolia (Mule Fat) is found along the Flintkote Trail. The leaves of Willow Baccharis are similar to Coyote Brush, but the egg shape is wider at the base; those of Broom Baccharis are linear and have only one main vein; those of Mule Fat are larger, similar to willow leaves, and are usually serrated. Male plant
October 2016 Torreyana 6 Plant of the Month: Coast California The name derives from the Greek erion (wool) and gonu (joint or knee) and fasciculatum, from the Latin word Buckwheat meaning “bundles,” which describes the growth habit of the by Margaret Fillius leaves. olor variety at this time of year at TPSNR is scarce, but C much of it is provided by Buckwheat. Although there are now few Buckwheat flowers in bloom, the rich bronze- brown flower heads remaining from earlier blossoms make a wonderful contrast against the dark green leaves throughout the Reserve. The Buckwheat variety most prominent in TPSNR is Eriogonum fasciculatum var. fasciculatum (Coast California Buckwheat), which is found along the coast of California and northwestern Baja California.
Coast California Buckwheat flower
Torrey Pines Book Club When: Tuesday, November 8, 2:00 pm Where: Molly McConnell’s home in Normal Heights What: H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald From Amazon: Coast California Buckwheat The instant New York Times bestseller and award-winning California Buckwheat is a good seed producer, with seeds sensation, Helen Macdonald's story maturing in the early fall, at which time you see many of adopting and raising one of harvester ants scurrying between Buckwheat shrubs and nature's most vicious predators has their nests carrying those seeds. Its flower inflorescences soared into the hearts of millions of are branched umbels, and there are some in bloom most of readers worldwide. Fierce and feral, the year. Use a magnifying glass to appreciate the beauty of her goshawk Mabel's temperament each individual flower. mirrors Helen's own state of grief Because of its long flowering period (March to November), after her father's death, and together California Buckwheat is also an excellent insectary plant raptor and human "discover the that provides nectar sources for insects such as butterflies, pain and beauty of being alive" (People). H Is for Hawk is a moths, beetles, flies, ants, bees, and wasps. Grasshoppers genre-defying debut from one of our most unique and and the larvae of beetles, butterflies, and moths feed on its transcendent voices. roots, stems, leaves, and flowers. For example, all stages of All TPDS docents are welcome. Meetings usually last a the Bernardino Blue Butterfly feed on Coast California couple of hours. RSVP to Molly if you plan to attend. Buckwheat; look for the adult butterfly from late May to (Check Member List for email or phone number.) early July. Beeflies can often be seen feeding on the nectar. Looking Ahead. December 13: A Fort of Nine Towers: An I have read that the dry heads or leaves of E. fasciculatum Afghan Family Story by Qais Akbar Omar. have been used in decoctions for headaches and stomach disorders, and that a root poultice has been applied to January 10: Rarest Blue: The Remarkable Story of An wounds. Ancient Color Lost to History and Rediscovered by Baruch Sterman
November 2016 Torreyana 8 Plant of the Month: Bladderpod Dues Reminder by Margaret Fillius from Carol Smith, Membership Coordinator s more and more human DNA studies are carried out, Aincreased information is available concerning genetic The TPDS Board requests that service hours be recorded relationships among people. The same is true for plants. In and dues for 2017 be paid by January 1. Service hours and the case of Bladderpod (Peritoma arborea, syn. Isomeris dues are state requirements for parking passes, which are arborea, Cleome isomeris), until a few years ago it was issued by our Rangers. classified in the Capperaceae (Caper) family, but DNA Docent Requirements remain the same: studies now show it more appropriately belongs in the • Active Members: $25 dues and 72 service hours family Cleomaceae (Spiderflower). For a brief time before (or more) it was moved to Cleomaceae, it was classified in the Brassicaceae (Mustard) family. • Supporting Members: $40 dues. Service hours are not required but are much appreciated • Lifetime Members: No requirements, but service hours and donations are welcome. If you have questions about recording your service hours on Volgistics, contact Roger Isaacson ([email protected]). If you have questions about your required service hours or dues, contact Carol Smith ([email protected]). You may place your check (marked dues) in the Treasurer’s box in the docent library. Or mail it to: Torrey Pines Docent Society Attn: Treasurer (Dues) P.O. Box 2414 Del Mar, CA 92014 What do plants in these families have in common? One
thing is the production of glucosinolates, secondary metabolites of almost all plants of the order Brassicales, Docent Website Shortcuts which includes all three of these families. Mustard oils are produced from glucosinolates when the plant material is Newsletter: chewed, cut, or otherwise damaged. In Bladderpod, these torreypine.org/volunteering/newsletters/ chemicals have a foul smell that helps discourage predation Docent Login: by insects – other than harlequin bugs, which appear to be torreypine.org/volunteering/docent-login/ immune and feast on Bladderpod. Google Group (also available on Docent Login page): Although the main flowering season for Bladderpod is April groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/tpds and May, it will flower at any time throughout the year. Its yellow tubular flowers are popular with hummingbirds, Society Docs: butterflies, bees, and other insects. Bladderpod’s name torreypine.org/volunteering/docent-login/society-docs/ comes from the shape of its fruit, which is an oval, inflated, Children’s Program Signup: leathery capsule. It is smooth and green when new, aging to cp.torreypine.org/reservations/Private/docent_signup.php light brown. The name isomeris in the synonyms means “equal parts,” referring to the fruit’s bilateral construction. Children’s Program Resources (also for any walk host): torreypine.org/volunteering/childrens-program-login/ Bladderpod grows in California and Baja California, from coastal bluffs and coastal sage scrub to the deserts below For easy access, we recommend you copy and paste these 4,000 feet. A good place to see Bladderpod at TPSNR is shortcuts into your Favorites/Bookmarks. along the western part of the Guy Fleming Trail, and it can also be found along other trails.
December 2016 Torreyana 8
In Memoriam: Paul Whitby We were sad to learn that Lifetime Docent Paul Whitby passed away in Winter Park, Florida on November 16, 2016. He and his wife, Bobbi, became docents in 2002 and were active for more than 10 years. They were chosen as Docents of the Month in 2005. Bobbi died in March 2014. A memorial service is planned and details will be forthcoming on the TPDS Google Group. Paul lived a rich and varied life as you can see from this obit: Click here for obituary
Plant of the Month: Shaw’s Agave by Margaret Fillius oes any plant in the Reserve remind you of asparagus? D This month’s plant, Shaw’s Agave (Agave shawii), is related to asparagus. Some botanists consider it to be in the Asparagus family and Agave subfamily, while others consider it to be in the Agave family. In both cases it is in the Order Asparagales. Certainly the flower stalk resembles asparagus. Shaw’s Agave has dark green leaves with toothed margins, showing as yellow and red when the sun is behind them. This rosette-forming perennial forms colonies of smaller rosettes, eventually covering an area up to 8 feet across. After reaching maturity (usually in about 10 to 20 years), the plant sends up its asparagus-like flower stalk 3 to 12 feet tall around this time of the year. The yellow flowers appear later, usually in the spring, and are pollinated by butterflies and bees. Could the hummingbirds that are attracted to the flowers also contribute to its pollination? Other species of Agave (e.g., in Arizona and Baja California) are pollinated by bats and/or hawkmoths. The type of pollinator attracted to the Agave flowers depends on factors such as flower color, sugar type and concentration, and scent production. There are differences of opinion about whether the Shaw’s Agave plants at TPSNR are there naturally or were originally planted by Guy Fleming. Shaw’s Agave (named for Henry Shaw, the founder of the Missouri Botanical Garden) was abundant in Southern California at the
beginning of the twentieth century. Of the several known
populations, only those at Border Fields State Park, north of Vegas Las question: photo 5 pg. to Answer Tijuana, are regarded as being definitely native. The Shaw’s Agave is regarded as being critically endangered in California but also grows on coastal bluffs in NW Baja California.
January 2017 Torreyana 6 Plant of the Month: californicus (California Sunflower), H. gracilentus (Slender Sunflower), Helianthus niveus ssp. tephrodes California Bush Sunflower (Algodones Dunes Sunflower), and H. periolaris ssp. by Margaret Fillius canescens (Gray Sunflower). Even when it comes to hen we think of sunflowers, we usually picture our own sunflower, Encelia californica, there are other W the domesticated variety cultivated for its seeds species of the genus to be found in the Anza Borrego (Helianthus annus), which does grow naturally in our Desert area (e.g., E. actonii and E. farinosa), although area. But there are many more sunflowers, including the word sunflower is not included in their common several native to San Diego County. names.
The California Bush Sunflower (Encelia californica), also known as California Brittlebush, can be found from Baja Sur north to San Luis Obispo and Birding Event: is a member of the coastal sage scrub community. Ducks, Shorebirds, and Their Allies This deciduous, sprawling shrub responds to the early by Kathy Estey rains by slowly sprouting its fresh green leaves from its Need to learn (or refresh your memory) about all those seemingly dead stems. By February it is usually birds seen in our lagoon lately? Join birders Kathy showing quite a lot of daisy-like flower heads with Estey, Jack Friery, and others on Friday, February 17 bright yellow ray florets and central purplish brown at 7:30 a.m. disc florets. Besides attracting our attention, these Meet in the North Beach Parking Lot to ID the ducks, flowers attract butterflies, bees, and other insects. If gulls, and shorebirds in the lagoon opening. We should you see some caterpillars on the plant, they may be the have at least three scopes set up to share. Bring your larval stage of the Bay Checkerpoint butterfly, a binoculars and bird books. We can walk or drive threatened species. I have read that Bush Sunflower (depending on parking) to the area across from sap has been used to soothe sore teeth and as a hand Roberto’s to begin looking at the ducks and others from wash. that vantage point. We will then move farther east on Carmel Valley Road to get another vantage point for Other local sunflowers include the San Diego ducks, herons, and others. We anticipate leaving about Sunflower (Bahiopsis californica), which is native 9:30. further inland than Torrey Pines, for example at Heavy rain (not sprinkles) cancels. Group is limited to Mission Trails Regional Park. A related species, 25, so RSVP to Kathy Estey. Please use the Docent Bahiopsis parishii, occurs in the western higher Roster to obtain her email or phone. elevations of the Anza Borrego Desert. There are also several species in the Helianthus genus, such as H.
February 2017 Torreyana 6 Plant of the Month: Ferns by Margaret Fillius Coffee Fern (Pellaea andromedifolia) has 8- to 20-inch- long fronds that are green when new, then turn red, o pretty flowers this month! The topic this month is purplish, or Ferns, which appear in Torrey Pines after the start of N brown. It can the winter rains, then dry up when it becomes drier and mainly be found warmer. on drier, west- Ferns are a group of nonflowering vascular plants whose facing slopes. structure and reproductive cycle is quite different from At Torrey Pines flowering plants. They all produce haploid spores (1 set of it can be seen on chromosomes), which, if they find a moist habitat, give rise the south side of to a gametophyte prothallus. The latter will produce either the Guy Fleming multiple male or single female haploid gametes. The male Trail near the gamete needs moisture so it can swim to fertilize the female bench. gamete (egg), which remains on the prothallus. The fertilized egg is a diploid zygote (2 sets of paired California Adder’s Tongue (Ophioglossum californicum) chromosomes) and will is an uncommon, tiny species of fern that is found in moist grow by mitosis into a areas such as wet pastures and vernal pools. It is divided diploid, sporophyte fern. into a thick, green blade- At Torrey Pines there shaped part, are five species of fern. which is sterile, The most abundant is and a fertile stalk California Polypody lined with two (Polypodium rows of californicum), which is sporangia. This rhizomatous, perennial plant may be and drought-deciduous. hard to find. I The leaves (fronds) are don’t know of up to 14 inches long. any that can be Spores develop in seen from a trail sporangia on the lower at Torrey Pines. surface of mature fronds. The sporangia are grouped in sori, the ************************************************ oval structures you can see when you look on the underside of a mature frond. You will find this fern on shaded, often north-facing slopes along the Guy Fleming, Parry Grove, and North Broken Hill Trails and across the road from the Guy Fleming Trail. Goldback Fern (Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis) and Silverback Fern (ssp. viscosa) can be found on moist, north-facing slopes, often close to California Polypody. The upper sides of the triangular fronds of the two subspecies look similar, but Photo of coyote taken by a visitor, Sat., February 4, 2017 around 1 there is a difference in the color pm, in the canyon just north of the Razor Point Trail beyond Red (silver or gold) of the Butte. underside. Fronds are usually 2 to 2.5 inches long.
March 2017 Torreyana 8 Plants of the Month by Margaret Fillius o you get confused by all the little yellow flowers at D this time of the year? This month we will look at some daisy-like yellow flowers: Sea Dahlia, Common Groundsel, Goldfields (both Southern and Common), and Tidy Tips. All of these have central yellow disc flowers surrounded by ray flowers. Although the number of disc flowers and ray flowers can be important for identifying some species, you don’t need to count them to differentiate these plants! When you find a yellow daisy-type flower, size is the first aspect to consider, followed by plant structure (e.g., stem Common Groundsel branching), then leaf structure, then any other differentiator. Sea Dahlia (Leptosyne maritima) flowers (photo below) can be 4 feet from the ground, with flower heads about 2.5 inches diameter and yellow disc and ray flowers; they are readily visible from a distance. Common Groundsel (Senecio californicus) can look like a smaller version of Sea Dahlia, being up to 20 inches tall with more flower heads per stem than Sea Dahlia. There are fewer ray flowers than in Sea Dahlia, and the flower heads are much smaller. The leaf structure is also quite different, that of Common Groundsel being undivided.
Goldfields
Goldfields are significantly shorter than the Sea Dahlia and Common Groundsel and are hard to spot from a distance Southern Goldfields unless there are many of them together, as is often the case on the bluff above Flat Rock. There isn’t much difference between the two species: The leaves of Southern Goldfields (Lasthenia coronaria) are usually lobed, whereas those of Common Goldfields (Lasthenia gracilis) are usually entire and often fleshy. The ray flowers of Southern Goldfields are often of two shades of yellow, being lighter towards the tip (perhaps this is the source of the epithet coronaria, which means garland). If you are uncertain from looking at the leaves, try smelling the plant – Southern Goldfields have a sweet smell. Tidy Tips (Layia platyglossa) are about the same height as Goldfields, but the flower heads are about twice the diameter (¾ - 1¼ inches), Tidy Tips and the tips of the relatively wide ray flowers are white (tidy!) rather than yellow.
April 2017 Torreyana 6 LJ Half Marathon Celebrates the Plant of the Month: California Torrey Pine Poppy by Ann Smith Mercandetti by Margaret Fillius n Sunday morning, April 23, twenty-one Torrey Pines n enduring symbol of the Golden State, the California O docents and docent trainees reported for “duty” at 0700 APoppy (Eschscholzia californica) has been our to help monitor the 6,000+ LJHM runners as they came official State Flower for more than a century. It grows through TPSNR. Ann Walker gets credit for being there throughout the state and as far away as southern even though a San Diego policeman would not allow her to Washington, New Mexico, and northwestern Baja pass on roads that were closed before the announced California. Central Coastal California poppies are larger and times. Those other wonderful early rising docents who deeper orange than the did get past the SD police or had no problems were: Nikki bicolored poppies we know Hrountas, Joellen Barnett, Helen Grundler, Marlis in Southern California. Sticher, Joe Meyer, Mark Embree, Gabriele Unfortunately, these orange Wienhausen, Irene Larrimore, Guy Lawrie, Jeff poppies have been Harrison, Annette Ring, Paul Dunphy, Gabrielle Ivany, introduced in this area Greg Howard, Judith Zyskind, Sheldon Krueger, Ron through roadside planting, Kuczewski, Lillian Lachicotte, Maureen Buckley, Ken revegetation projects, and King, and Steve Neal. horticulture and have Around 8,000 participants support the host organization, the escaped into the wild. La Jolla Kiwanis, which nets $200,000 from sponsoring this The California Poppy can annual event. The La Jolla Kiwanis Foundation distributes be either annual or 100% of its net proceeds to organizations right here in the perennial, growing from a tap root. The flower has a base San Diego area to support children, seniors, and other of a pink or purple ring called a torus below its four shiny, community groups. deep orange to light yellow petals, which enclose the pistil and surrounding cluster of stamens. The flowers open in bright sun and close up at dusk or in overcast conditions. The compound leaves are deeply divided. The fruit is a long, bivalve capsule that forcefully expels the seeds when ripe. The whole plant contains isoquinoline alkaloids and is toxic, causing a decrease in respiratory function if ingested. This is particularly a problem for livestock in Australia, where the plant is invasive. Germination of the California Poppy seeds occurs in cool, moist soil. There is a germination inhibitor in the skin of the seed, and sufficient rain is needed to wash it away before germination can occur. Because of this, in years of low rainfall many fewer poppies germinate and grow than in wet years. This adaptation helps preserve the seed bank. Poppies produce lots of pollen and so attract many different Photo by Ken King native bees as well as honey bees, thus ensuring pollination. The inspiration for this year's LJHM medal and T- Other pollen collectors include beetles, flies, butterflies, and shirt design was the Torrey Pine. The medal is given to all thrips. Bees find the pollen with the aid of their UV vision, runners who complete the 13.1 mile course in 3 hours. With as the poppy’s anthers stand out more against the central this emblem, there is no one better to monitor and part of the flower when viewed in the UV wavelength. encourage the LJHM runners through TPSNR than our Also, bumblebees build up a positive charge as they fly, and Torrey Pines docents. One runner, from within the CA plants often have a negative charge. As a bumblebee State Park system, specifically thanked Gabrielle and approaches the charged flower, pollen is attracted to the Judith for our docent/volunteer presence and encouragement positive charge of the bee’s hairs, making it more likely for through the Reserve. pollination to occur on the next flower the bee visits. The flower remains discharged for long enough to not attract Another great job of docents caring for the Torrey Pines another bee right away. State Natural Reserve on our fifth year of monitoring the LJHM. THANK YOU!!
May 2017 Torreyana 8 Plants of the Month: The two spineflowers that are more plentiful – Chorizanthe Buckwheat Family fimbriata (Fringed Spineflower) and Chorizanthe by Margaret Fillius staticoides (Turkish Rugging) – tend to be more showy his month’s group of plants are “belly flowers” in the when flowering than the others. The single-seeded T Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) family. They are annual Chorizanthe fruit is encased by the involucre. The whole Spineflowers, and at Torrey Pines there are four in the involucre drops free from the plant to be dispersed by wind Chorizanthe genus and one in the Mucronea genus. As the or animal. common name implies, this group of plants is usually Various Spineflowers are scattered around TPSNR, not prickly. Plants in the Chorizanthe genus have basal leaves, always in plain sight. Orcutt’s Spineflower is all off-trail; and pointed bracts along the stems. The Mucronea has one the best places to see Knotweed Spineflower is by the leaves along the stems. Spineflowers are found in western turnoff to go out to the Broken Hill overlook; you will North America and South America. Of the 64 species of usually find California Spineflower on the east side of the Chorizanthe, 52 are found in California. Of the two species Guy Fleming trail north of the Shaw’s Agave; most years of Mucronea, both are in California, and one (Mucronea there is Turkish Rugging near the south end of the “Elfin californica) is at TPSNR. Forest” trail; Fringed Spineflower tends not to be near the Many of these plants are threatened or endangered species. trail at TPSNR and is more abundant elsewhere, for Chorizanthe orcuttiana (Orcutt’s Spineflower) is federally example at Carmel Mountain. endangered CNPS 1B.1; Chorizanthe polygonoides var. Editor’s Note: This will be Margaret Fillius’s final regular longispina (Knotweed Spineflower) is CNPS 1B.2; and Plant of the Month column. It has been my great pleasure Mucronea californica (California Spineflower) is CNPS and honor to work with her on this project for the past two 4.2. Chorizanthe procumbens (Prostrate Spineflower) was years. Margaret will continue to write occasional pieces for removed from the threatened list a few years ago. Being the Torreyana and to enrich TPSNR in countless ways. diminutive doesn’t seem to be good for survival in this part – DH of the world!
Orcutt’s Spineflower Knotweed Spineflower California Spineflower
Prostrate Spineflower Fringed Spineflower Turkish Rugging
June 2017 Torreyana 8