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Where cattle trim back non-native grasses, native wildflowers thrive. |
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Masses of tiny white cryptantha and poppies edge the road up Kirby Cyn. |
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A single California Poppy blooms amid a tangle of cryptantha (popcorn flower). |
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Trailside serpentine boulders radiate the sun's warmth. |
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A short ways up Kirby Cyn, Annual Agoseris thrive in a drier "topo climate" area. |
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Also called Mountain Dandelions, they are a relic plant related to Mojave plant communities. |
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Another relic plant is the Wooly Desert Dandelion. |
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Bright Yellow Pincushion wild flowers grow in profusion in Kirby Cyn and on Coyote Ridge. |
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Scorpion Weed towers above poppies and tiny cryptantha wildflowers. |
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Scorpion Weed bloom stalks. |
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The rising sun illuminates stalks of the Most Beautiful Jewelflower in Kirby Cyn. |
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Close up views of the Most Beautiful Jewelflower's blossoms. |
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Poppies with a side of California Gilia. |
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View of a section of the Kirby Cyn trail known as "Poppy Alley". |
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At higher elevations, Cream Cups and Common Yarrow bloom alongside poppies. |
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Stalks of Purple Owl's Clover. |
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Fiddlenecks, cream cups, poppies and tiny white cryptantha frame view of Coyote Valley. |
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Poppies flourish on an exposed spine of Serpentine rock. |
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Stalks of fiddleneck dance in the breeze beside the trail up canyon. |
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North-facing hillsides tend to be wetter, cooler than the more arid south-facing slopes. |
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Stalks of Blue Dicks are common along the road up Kirby Cyn. |
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A white Blue Dick with fiddlenecks in background. |
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Poppies adorn an impressive outcropping of serpentine at the halfway point to the Ridge. |
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Cream Cups crowd the trail at higher elevations. |
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Illuminated by the rising sun, this startled coyote quickly disappeared from view. |
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A few minutes later, it was spotted crossing an adjacent hillside. |
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Deer are also sometimes seen grazing in the canyon adjacent to the trail. |
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Rare and endangered, the Mount Hamilton Thistle blooms only once during its life cycle. |
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The Santa Clara Valley Dudlea shown here is listed as Federally Endangered. |
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A trailside poppy display near the summit of Coyote Ridge. |
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A carpet of Goldfield wild flowers on Coyote Ridge. |
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Tidytips surround a piece of serpentine rock enameled with red lichen. |
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A fine tangle of ridge-top wildflowers. |
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Part of Coyote Ridge has been set aside as the Kirby Cyn Butterfly Sanctuary. |
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Pale Swallowtail on a coffeeberry bush - a favorite food source for butterflies. |
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Anise Swallowtail - notice how its markings differ from the Pale Swallowtail? |
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Plans to develop Coyote Valley have been set aside for now. |
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Protection of the endangered Bay Checkerspot Butterfly rests in our hands. |
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Tiny stalks of "Plantago" - so necessary to the Bay Checkerspot Butterfly's survival. |
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With wings as colorful as stained glass, a newly emerged Bay Checkerspot Butterfly. |
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With a flight life of just 12-14 days, wings wear thin and colors fade quickly. |
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Far more common in Kirby Cyn and on Coyote Ridge is the Chalcedon Checkerspot. |
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Newly hatched, with vivid color, a Chalcedon Checkerspot butterfly. |
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Smaller than a checkerspot, and much more flighty, a Mylitta Crescent. |
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Smaller still is the Acmon Blue. |
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The colorful, Common Buckeye butterfly
is often seen in Kirby Cyn and on Coyote Ridge. |
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Found sheltered for the night amid Mt. Hamilton Thistle. |
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When sufficiently warmed by the morning sun, this Chalcedon Checkerspot took flight. |
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Watch for butterflies on nectar sources, such as trailside Golden Yarrow. |
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Chalcedon Checkerspot perched on Tidytip wildflower. |
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In an instant, it became airborne. |
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Wildflowers flourish on ridge top serpentine. |
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Coyote Ridge supports a variety of birds, including the Lark Sparrow. |
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In an area devoid of trees, birds nest in ridge-top grasses. |
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And beneath rock ledges. |
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A clutch of Lark Sparrow eggs. |
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Chaparral Clematis. |
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View of inland valley from Coyote Ridge. |
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Spiny Thistle amid volcanic rock. |
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Santa Clara Valley Dudlea. |
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Indian Paintbrush with Anderson Reservoir in background. |
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A pale yellow Tiburon Indian Paintbrush. |
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A pair of Tiburon Indian Paintbrush find their way to the light. |
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Royal Larkspur. |
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A pair of bright yellow Mule Ears enjoy the ridgetop sun. |
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Hedge Nettle blooms. |
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Sticky Monkey Flower. |
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Uh oh.... company. |
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Humans are unwelcome here. |
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I have need of the sky . . . I have business with the grasses . . . |
Return to Top. Go to: Coyote Ridge Wildflowers. |