Day 74: Greenery

The island is in bloom again. All the late rain we've had means the island is surprisingly green for this time of year. Of course most of the plants currently blooming are not native to the island but the Farallon weed is making another go of it as well.

Day 21: It's Hairy

Happy May Day! Another feature from small world today. This lovely little flower is called marsh sand spurry (Spergularia marina). It's fairly common on the island, a low growing shrub that creates a low green carpet in some areas.  Its leaves and stem are covered in fine hairs that glow when backlit by setting sun.

Day 3: Bloomin' Weeds

This time of year the island is green. I mean really green. The main culprit is this plant, fondly known as Farallon Weed (Lasthenia maritime). It's one of the few plants that thrives in the high nitrogen environment of the seabird colony. The birds, especially the cormorants, love it for their nests and they spend much of their time busily weeding and arranging into piles as they prepare for the breeding season.