Two prickly locals
Lilac sunbonnets (top, Langloisia setosissima) begin blooming in the Owens Valley in late March or early April. Look for broad-leaf gilias (above bottom, Aliciella latifolia)… Read More »Two prickly locals
Field notes
Sheridan’s hairstreaks
Sheridan’s hairstreaks (Callophrys sheridanii) specialize in buckwheats (the wildflowers–e.g., Eriogonum–not the domestic food crop). Tiny adult male butterflies emerge and perch on sagebrush in early… Read More »Sheridan’s hairstreaks
Side-blotched lizards
Small side-blotched lizards, Uta stansburiana, emerge to bask on warm days in late winter. Orange-throated males roam and mate with multiple females; blue-throated males prefer… Read More »Side-blotched lizards
Anderson’s buttercups
Anderson’s buttercups (Ranunculus andersonii) bloom as the snow melts. Look for this Great Basin wildflower in gravel on gentle slopes beginning in early February.