The delights and dangers of Spring

The first day of spring was last week, and the wildflowers are putting on a great show in the hills. Although the most commonly noticed wildflowers are mustard (yellow) and radish (pink, purple and/or white), which are non-native invasive plants that cover large areas, many of our native plants are also in full bloom. Wild cucumber has clusters of small, star-like white flowers along its creeping vines, and morning glory and field bindweed are also vines but with white funnel-shaped flowers.

Some of our native coastal sage scrub species in bloom right now are California bush sunflower with its lush display of large, yellow daisy-like flowers, and purple sage with its small purple flowers in pom-pom clusters; the Arroyo Pescadero trailhead off

of Colima Boulevard is a great place to see these flowers.

Smaller wildflowers are also in full bloom, especially in areas disturbed by fires (such as upper Turnbull Canyon) or recent Habitat Authority restoration activities (such as along Harbor Boulevard near the wildlife underpass). These include our state flower, the California poppy, purple lupines including the small miniature lupine and the larger Arroyo lupine, and other small purple phacelia wildflowers, including wild Canterbury bells, common phacelia and Parry’s phacelia.

Also, with the weather warming up, rattlesnakes are coming out of their winter hibernation dens. Since they are cold blooded reptiles, they like to be out when it is warm and sunny, and so can be active during all parts of the day in the Springtime. During the summer, they can’t handle the intense heat of midday, so they are most active in the evening, nighttime, and early morning. They can be easy to spot when they are basking in the sun in the middle of a road or trail or on a pile of rocks, but they are also known to seek refuge in crevices and shady spots especially during peak heat. Their coloration allows them to blend in well with surrounding vegetation and dappled shade. Therefore, it’s always best to stay on an established trail, stay alert, and hike with a friend if possible. Never reach down into a hole or crevice or into underbrush where you can’t see, and always step on top of rocks or logs when you have to cross over them (don’t step over them if you can’t see what’s on the other side). Just remember, rattlesnakes only attack when they feel threatened, and don’t attack randomly. And also remember that they, like all of the native plants and wildlife in our hills, serve an important ecosystem function – they help to control resident rodent populations. If you are bitten by a rattlesnake, remain calm, try to keep the bite below the heart, do not overexert yourself, and get to a hospital immediately.

Poison oak - the shapeshifter

Poison oak seems like one of the hardest plants to identify, especially to those who are not botanically-inclined. But it seems like it is the one plant everyone on trails wants to be able to identify so they can avoid its agonizingly itchy effect on the skin.


But why is poison oak so hard to identify? One main reason is that, although it is a perennial vine, it is deciduous - therefore, its leaves turn colors (generally red) in the fall and then drop off in the winter. This also means that, in the winter, it just looks like a bunch of dead branches until you accidentally brush up onto one or, heaven forbid, snap one with your hands! See photo above.



This also means that in the spring, when the new leaves emerge (for many that is right now), they are very small and it is difficult to discern the typical "leaves of 3, let it be" leaf arrangement. The young leaves are also generally a reddish color, as opposed to the deep green of the mature leaves. See photo to the right.



However, even the mature leaves can look different depending on their location. Leaves that are in full sunlight are often smaller and glossy with toxic oils, while leaves in full shade are often big and sometimes lack that glossy shine. See photo to the left - this plant is in partial sun.


So, if all else fails, and you can't remember the phrase "leaves of 3, let it be" then fall back on the phrase "when in doubt, do without" and avoid it!


If you would like to learn more interesting facts about poison oak (for example, that it is related to pistachios!) please read our previous blog from July 2, 2008 in the Archives.

Love is in the air – literally!

There is a public display of affection everywhere these days, even over our heads. Spring is just around the corner and the hawks in our area (such as red-tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks, Cooper’s hawks) are letting us know through their aerial courtship displays in the hills. Many of you undoubtedly see hawks flying overhead during the daytime, sometimes in pairs or small groups. This is especially common in the late morning or early afternoon, when hawks and turkey vultures take advantage of “thermals” which result when the air heats up and rises, helping to lift these large birds high up into the air. However, right now you may see them not only flying together, but diving toward each other or trying to land on top of each other while in the air. In fact, red-tailed hawks, the most common hawk in our area, have been reported to actually lock their talons (claws) together mid-air and plummet toward the ground together. These acrobatics are the hawks’ mating rituals or courtship, and it indicates that they have already staked out a suitable nest site, started building a nest or repairing an old one, and will be laying eggs soon. Many hawks mate for life and often return to a nest they used the previous season. So, keep your eyes peeled in the skies for some “PDA” – public display of affection – and you might be in for a great show!

Photo credit: Tom Clifton

Coexisting With Wildlife

The Puente Hills is surrounded by a large perimeter of urban edge (approximately 25 miles). This presents challenges to people living near or adjacent to the natural areas, as well to the plants and animals that occupy the open space. On the urban side of the urban/wildland interface, people living adjacent to natural areas often experience visits from wildlife. The smaller wildlife, such as rodents, raccoons, and skunks often go unnoticed; whereas larger mammals such as coyotes draw the attention of humans. This is not something that should alarm people, but instead should make people aware.

The Habitat Authority periodically receives calls from residents encountering coyotes and other wildlife, including neighborhoods that are more than a mile away from the Puente Hills open space. This morning we received a call about a coyote that was walking down a residential street in Whittier more than a mile from the nearest natural area. Coyotes are one of the most adaptable animals, occupying virtually every habitat type in North America, including urban areas. As with many other types of wildlife, coyotes are more commonly out from dusk to dawn, moving through urban areas along railroad tracks, greenways, parks, and drainage facilities. However, encounters do occur during the day.

Occasionally, people will experience a more personal encounter with a coyote, including the loss of pets, and very rarely an attack on humans. However, people should not be fearful of coyotes. Coyotes play an important role in the ecosystem, helping to keep populations of rodents (rats and mice) and other small mammals under control. Naturally coyotes are fearful of humans, however coyotes readily lose their fear of humans when people intentionally (or unintentionally) provide food/water or shelter for them, or otherwise do not try to deter them from visiting. It is not feasible to completely eliminate coyotes, but removing sources that attract coyotes can go a long way to avoiding a conflict.

It is unfortunate when a person loses a pet to a coyote, and this may elicit a very emotionally negative response from the pet owner towards coyotes in general. However, the coyote views the pet as one of many food sources, and this type of encounter is almost always preventable. People that live in areas with coyotes should not leave their pets outside at night. If a pet cannot be brought inside, then the pet should be kept in some type of an enclosure that other wildlife cannot get in to. In areas where the occurrence of coyotes is much higher, pets (especially smaller dogs and cats) should ideally be placed outside only while being supervised, even possibly during the day. For areas where coyotes are attacking pets, there should be a heightened awareness towards this behavior, and if necessary the appropriate wildlife authorities can be notified. Local authorities may investigate these occurrences, but they may not actively trap and remove coyotes simply in response to attacks on pets.

The presence of unwanted wildlife in urban neighborhoods (especially in yards) is often due to one or more factors caused by the residents themselves, in some instances knowingly. As noted above, the presence of small pets left outside is a big attraction for coyotes as a food source. Other things that attract coyotes include pet food that is left outside; unsecured garbage cans; ripened fruit that has fallen off of trees; shelter such as dense shrubbery; and water sources such as pet bowls, fountains, ponds, and swimming pools. It may be difficult to remove all attractants (such as ponds and swimming pools), however at the very least people should not provide food to coyotes or any other type of wildlife. Besides it being a bad idea ecologically, it is against the law to feed or otherwise provide food to specific types of wildlife. This includes ground squirrels, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, and opossums; all of which are common in urban areas.

As noted above, coyote attacks on humans are rare. Of those attacks that have occurred to humans, a significant number of the attacks have been towards small children. Coyotes can view small children as prey animals (particularly when a child is crouched down while playing). Particularly in areas with a higher occurrence of coyotes, children should be supervised by an adult at all times while outside. If you are approached by a coyote, or even if you see one in your yard, every effort should be made to frighten the coyote away and make the coyote fearful of humans. Make yourself as big as possible by raising your arms. Make loud noises to startle the coyote. Spray the coyote with water if a hose is available. If the coyote still will not leave, then throw an object such as a rock as near the coyote as possible but not at its body. If this still does not work, then throw an object at the body, though not at its head.

If a coyote does not retreat after trying all feasible measures, if a coyote bites a human, or if one otherwise truly acts aggressively, then the appropriate wildlife authorities (including Animal Control) should be contacted immediately. If necessary and feasible, then the appropriate authorities may determine that elimination of a coyote is warranted. Simply seeing a coyote in a residential area is not a reason to be alarmed, and does not justify removal, however it should make people aware that coyotes are present, and what can be done to reduce the likelihood of a closer encounter. Also, there is a difference between a coyote that is being bold and one that is acting aggressively. A coyote coming into a yard looking for food is acting boldly, but is not necessarily exhibiting aggressive behavior towards humans. The difference between bold and aggressive may be a fine line at times, but people should be aware that the sheer presence of a coyote is not a cause to call for its removal, especially for people living very near to natural areas. Coyotes that have become bolder have done so by losing their fear of humans. Even though a bold coyote may not be a cause for removal, its reasons for being bold should be addressed. Do not simply ignore a bold coyote.

There are many resources available for information and guidance on coyotes and other wildlife. Please visit our website (http://www.habitatauthority.org/) for more information on coexisting with wildlife. In addition, the websites of the California Department of Fish and Game, and many other agencies and organizations provides valuable information. If you are interested in a DVD on coexisting with wildlife or other literature, please contact the Habitat Authority at (562) 945-9003. A ranger or other staff member would be pleased to personally visit people with questions or concerns, or alternatively we could mail materials to you.