Field Notes for January 2025

 Welcome back to year two of Field Notes!

January 1, 2025

Happy New Year! I see this view of San Francisco on my daily walk up the hill, and it reminds me to raise up my eyes periodically to see the bigger picture. It's easy to get caught up in the here-and-now (which is important), but good to pull back from the fray and look for context and meaning.

A new year, and a new view toward the future!

January 3, 2025

My sister spent Christmas with our family in Southeast Alaska, and sent this picture of the Chilkat Range taken from the front porch of our folk's house. The sun and shadow reveal the Chilkat mountains in all their glory! This shot was taken about 12:30 pm local time and the foreground is already in shadow from Douglas Island. I took the same shot from the porch in spring, summer and fall during my recent trip to Alaska (see Three Seasons of Sunsets in Juneau, Alaska). It's nice to have winter now represented, even though it is not technically a sunset. However, the sun sets early in Alaska this time of year, so it soon will be!

Winter not-quite sunset in Juneau, Alaska
(photo by Marianne Van Kessel)

January 6, 2025

"Who-who" is new in the neighborhood? According to the Merlin Bird ID app, it is a great horned owl. I've been hearing its characteristic call on my daily late-afternoon walk, up by the reservoir near the redwood and eucalyptus trees. I haven't seen the bird yet, but its deep call reverberates through the grove of trees. I wonder if it is looking for a new home, has moved into the neighborhood, or is just passing through!

Great horned owl in the neighborhood!

January 9, 2025

It's mushroom season here in the Bay Area. After all the rain in November and December, shrooms are popping up all over the yard. I'm using the iNaturalist app on my phone to identify them, but the results are not definitive. Some appear to be edible, but I'm not planning to harvest any of them to eat. Harvesting them to dry for a future dye project is another matter, especially the orange peel fungus!

 

Clockwise: Boletes spp.
Possibly Poplar Field cap 
Possibly another Boletes
Orange peel fungus (Aleuria aurantia) 

January 12, 2025

I'm enjoying the morning sun on this flower bulb collection from my folks in Alaska. Bulbs are a winter favorite because you can force many of them to bloom indoors, out of season. This collection from White Flower Farm includes Daffodils, Tulips, Hyacinths and Muscari. I'm looking forward to the blossoms, but in the meantime I'm enjoying the fresh green foliage in the winter sun. Thank you, Mom and Dad!

Spring Panache Bulb Garden - a bit of Spring in Winter!

January 15, 2025

I joined another Over-the-Hills Gang group hike in the Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park. The weather was beautiful - cool and crisp, but warm in the sun. Mari (retired colleague and friend) and Josephine and Carol  (friends of Mari, and new friends for me) and I joined the January hike, lead by Anthony Fisher. We had the best time hiking, learning about the hibernating Lady Bugs, and seeing mushrooms, with a group of about 25 walkers. The pace and company was excellent (and Anthony brought ginger and lemon flavored cookies)! Check the website to learn more about upcoming events at Reinhard Redwood.

Hibernating lady bugs in Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park

Clockwise, possibly: Spectacular Rustgill (Gymnopilus junonius)
Hare's foot inkcap (Coprinus lagopus)
Candlesnuff fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon)
Questionable Stropharia (Stropharia ambigua)
Redwood rooter (Caulorhiza umbonata)

January 18, 2025

While hunkered down in the cool, dark, winter months, it is a good opportunity to try some indoor projects. I saw a post about growing green onions from grocery store onion bulbs. Looks interesting, so I'm giving it a try!

Growing green onions from grocery store onion bulbs

January 20, 2025

I finally saw the great horned owl! It was high in a eucalyptus tree up by the reservoir. A small crowd of dog walkers had paused to watch him (we've all been hearing the "Who-who" call over the last few weeks). Dakota the Husky waited patiently as I snapped a picture and tried out my "who-who" bird call. The owl was really high up in the tree, so it is difficult to see details.

Great horned owl - high in a tree around sunset

January 22, 2025

Our Bird Buddy feeder has been a very popular place this time of year. We get many of our local visitors, such as oak titmouse, dark-eyed junco,  and red house finch (male and female), but I was surprised to see this mourning dove in the feeder! A group of five or six mourning doves typically forages together on the ground below the feeder. Possibly not enough seed had fallen to the ground, so one of them flew up to spread some seed. (I have seen some species select the seeds they like and shove the unwanted seeds over the side)!

Mourning dove in the bird feeder

January 29, 2025

January has been so beautiful - cold, clear, and sunny on most days. Thankfully rain is forecast over the weekend (we need it to combat the dry season ahead). I've been enjoying long walks with my husband and Dakota the Husky, hikes with the Over-the-Hills Gang, and inside activities like books, puzzles, movies and trying new recipes. I've been harvesting green onions from my kitchen window sill for salads. And, I have been waiting for a crop of cherry tomatoes to ripen on a self-seeded tomato plant in the front planter - IN JANUARY!

Clockwise: the desktop bulb garden from Mom and Dad brings so much joy
Perpetual green onion farm on the window sill, from grocery store onion bulbs
Self-seeded cherry tomatoes are ripening in January
A hearty chicken and "wet noodle" dumplings stew cooked by our son (yum!)
Idyll Scandinavia puzzle (Ravensburger)