Date: 3/23/25 4:10 pm From: Florence Sanchez via groups.io <sanchezucsb11...> Subject: [sbcobirding] East Pinery Road March 23
I revisited East Pinery this morning after an absence of a few weeks. I was pleased to find lots of new herbaceous plants sprouting in the burned-over soil and many of the burned shrubs are also putting out new growth. There are small seedlings of the silvery-leafed Bush Lupine coming up just about everywhere. It will be interesting to visit frequently over the next couple of months to see what all the other seedlings turn out to be.
Bird highlights included a calling, visible Northern Pygmy Owl, several Mountain Quail calling, at least 3 pairs of Robins (males singing), several Steller's Jays, at least 8 Mountain Chickadees, and one Red-breasted Nuthatch. On my previous visit, I could not put up a Fox Sparrow but today in an unburned large clump of Ceanothus, I saw at least 4 (3 Sooty, one Slaty-backed). Ruby-crowned Kinglets were singing everywhere.
As for wildflowers along Figueroa Mountain Road, I found a good variety and like some of the shrubs, I found early wildflowers like Buttercups and later ones like Goldfields in various places. Overall, the flower distribution is spotty, but some of the spots are pretty spectacular. On the floor of a badly-burned forest area between Pino Alto and the campground there is a solid mass of Blue-and White Lupine, but the stars of the wildflower show right now ARE the Stars--Shooting Stars! I started to find small patches of them from about midway up the road on, but when I reached the grassy slopes between the Davy Brown Trailhead and the base of Ranger Peak, I found masses of them. They are making a spectacular show. I also found Chocolate Lilies in their usual field, something I was very glad to see as that field completely burned in the fire.
The wildflower distribution will change over the next few weeks and will be worth multiple visits, but I suggest NOT going on a Sunday as traffic on the road by noontime gets a bit hairy.
Florence Sanchez
