Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii) produces berries that persist into winter, providing an important food source for birds and mammals.

#WinterBerries #Berries #Nature #Wildlife #Madrones #California #LearnAboutNature #DiscoverPlants #NativePlants #WildPlants

Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii) is California’s most drought-tolerant deciduous oak. Its deep roots, small canopy, and tough blue-green leaves help it endure dry conditions.

#Oaks #Nature #Wildlife #California #LearnAboutNature #DiscoverOaks #NativePlants #DroughtTolerantPlants

Turkey Mullein (Croton setiger) is toxic to some animals, but its seeds are eaten by birds. Several of its common names reflect the affinity of doves and wild turkeys for its seeds.

#Nature #Wildlife #California #LearnAboutNature #DiscoverPlants #NativePlants #WildPlants #BirdSeed

Bowl-and-doily Spiders (Frontinella pyramitela) weave a two-layered web: a bowl-shaped dome suspended above a flat sheet. The spider hides beneath the bowl, safely sheltered, and bites prey that falls into the web from below.

#Nature #Wildlife #California #LearnAboutNature #NativeSpiders

Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii) hosts more than 50 species of gall wasps, the largest number known on any oak.

#Nature #Wildlife #California #LearnAboutNature #DiscoverPlants #NativePlants #GallWasps

Turkey Vulture Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology If you’ve gone looking for raptors on a clear day, your heart has probably leaped at the sight of a large, soaring bird in the distance– perhaps an eagle or osprey. But if it's soaring with its wings ...

Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) have stomach acid so strong they can safely eat carcasses tainted with anthrax, rabies, or tuberculosis. By cleaning up carrion, they prevent disease spread and keep ecosystems healthy.

#Nature #Wildlife #California #LearnAboutNature #Scavengers #EcosystemHeroes

Coastal Woodfern (Dryopteris arguta) produces sori—clusters of spore sacs called sporangia—that split open to catapult tiny spores into the wind for dispersal.

#Ferns #Nature #Wildlife #California #LearnAboutNature #DiscoverFerns #NativePlants #WildPlants

California Quail Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology The California Quail is a handsome, round soccer ball of a bird with a rich gray breast, intricately scaled underparts, and a curious, forward-drooping head plume. Its stiffly accented Chi-ca-go call ...

California Quail (Callipepla californica) broods may mix after hatching, with all parents helping care for the young. Adults that raise chicks cooperatively often live longer than those that do not.

#Nature #Wildlife #California #LearnAboutNature #DiscoverBirds #CooperativeParenting #BirdWatching

Turkey Mullein (Croton setiger) has toxic foliage, and it was traditionally used by California Native Peoples as a fish poison to stun and catch fish.

#Nature #Wildlife #California #LearnAboutNature #DiscoverPlants #NativePlants #WildPlants #Ethnobotany

Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii) sheds its bark in colorful layers—green to buff, orange, and deep red—with tannins and continual peeling working together to deter insects and other harmful organisms.

#tanins #madrones #trees #bark #nature #wildlife #california #LearnAboutNature #DiscoverTrees

Winterscene painted digitally in procreate. Has a small critter camouflaging in the snow.

Plein air painting to help appreciate the end of winter a bit more.
Can you find the rabbit🐇! Very interesting how some animals change their coats to match the environment they live in to hide from predators.
#landscape #pleinairpainting #rabbits #naturewalk #learnaboutnature