Palo Alto Baylands birds

I dropped by the baylands on the way home for a couple of hours to see what was afoot, or awing as it were.  Nothing too exciting, but lots of the usual variety, and myriad egret chicks.

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Bradley Grove (Calaveras Big Tres SP)

Sebby & I did our annual walk in the Bradley Grove in Calaveras Big Trees State Park near my family’s cabin, and had a great time, just like last year. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite wildflower walks anywhere!

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Limantour birding & wildflowering (Point Reyes)

Verrry good wildflowering & OK birding around the Limantour area of Point Reyes this weekend! Although we were late for the Irises, a few stragglers remained. We didn’t see anything new-to-us, but it was neat to see twinberry in fruit, as we’d only seen it in flower previously (at the nearby Drake’s Estero area of Point Reyes, in fact!).

We saw but a modest number of birds. The highlight was definitely a GREAT HORNED OWL and fledging OWLET, but there was a good variety of the usual suspects throughout our hike.

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Mmmm, salsa….

I’ve been on something of a salsa kick the past week, and after making a tasty, but piquant, salsa fresca from Jacques Pepin’s “Shortcut Cook,” and a basic, but incredibly easy chipotle salsa from “Hot Peppers,” I came across this recipe on Epicurious for a proper roasted salsa.

I made the recipe this evening, and in a word – WOW! Deep smoky flavor, and quite a bit of heat. I’m sure it’ll get better over the next day or so in the fridge. Anyhow if you’re into making salsa, I highly recommend this recipe. The only cooking skill it requires is basic knowledge of roasting veggies.

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