Ene and I hiked through the forest, along Willow Creek to the coast. Usually a gushing torrent this time of year, the creek was a barely audible gurlge beneath the mossy bays and redwood. Along the way,we spotted many new wild blossoms, including several that we could not identify. Please let me know if you can:
A wild iris
A climbing, sweet pea-like legume, and these mystery flowers:
Once we reached the coast, we were greeted by raptors on the wires and fence posts, including this Swainson’s hawk:
Named after the 19th century British naturalist, William John Swainson, The Swainson’s hawk (Buteo Swainsoni) is also known as the grasshopper or locust hawk, and is rarely seen in our neck of the woods.