Indian Summer, the last bright flame of the year

Oak woodland on a private elk preserve (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation), seen from York Road rising into Willow Creek Mountain.

Spooky things start appearing at this time of year: a one-inch wolf spider looking like a tiny tarantula, a willow bush flaming out in the meadow.

High summer in the mountains

Mt Shasta and Goosenest rise to the south of Little Shasta Meadows.

Above, a dragonfly rests from his ceaseless patrolling over the meadow. We think this is a California Darner.

To the right, our tadpoles turned into Pacific tree frogs (despite the lack of trees in the vicinity!). The headwaters of the Little Shasta River were drying up to little more than muddy ditches in the meadow, but the frogs didn't seem to mind.

Celebrating Pollinators, again

The Klamath N.F. scheduled another wildflower walk to celebrate National Pollinators Week.  We listened to our famously funny entomologist, Dr. Carlson, and a rep from the Klamath Bird Observatory on bees, bugs and hummingbirds.  Then we toured a short section of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Siskiyou Crest above Mt. Ashland.  Here, a bumblebee in the horsemint (also beloved of rufous hummingbirds!).  
A cool 82 degrees in the high country, while Yreka broiled to 102.

Be still, my heart

The mariposa blooms!  Little Shasta Meadows Botanical Area, Goosenest District, Klamath N.F., July 13, 2013.  And for more (fornicating beetles and martial cicadas), see LSMBA-Pt.III.

Still no sign of the lily in bloom

So we went back 10 days later.  Still no Greene's mariposa lily flower.  Yet, again, treated to a few surprises:

a monarch butterfly in the butterweed,

a field of harlequin calico flower in a drying mud puddle,

and lots of wild, white hyacinth (triteleia hyacinthina).

For more of what we saw on this trip to the Little Shasta Meadows Botanical Area, see LSMBA-Pt. II

Summering cranes and lively lomatiums

We visited the Little Shasta Meadows Botanical Area in the Goosenest District of Klamath National Forest to see the endemic Greene's mariposa lily, but alas! The lilies were only beginning to put up their flower stalk.

But!  We did see a pair of sandhill cranes and some lovely lomatiums gone to seed.

To see more of what we saw at the botanical area, go to LSMBA-Part I