The 3 mostly yellowish circular swaths in lower foreground of upper left photo are vernal pools. They are mostly dry and cracked earth this late in the season, but they are home to a rare plant, Centromadia parryi subsp. congdoni, Spikeweed. or Congdon's Tarplant The plant is in full bloom in September and is the yellow that shows especially in the center depression. For scale, that's a person and dog at far lower left. The other 3 photos were taken
within one of the 3 depressions.
San Luis Obispo, California

I got the scene photo during a California Native Plant Society hike and returned earlier in the day another time for the other photos. This is a rare plant and has California Rare Plant Rank: 1B.1 (rare, threatened, or endangered).

Tags:   Laguna Lake San Luis Obispo Open Spaces C

© All Rights Reserved

Laguna Lake Open Space,
San Luis Obispo, California

This species grows only in a small part of San Luis Obispo County, usually on serpentine soil, and has California Rare Plant Rank: 1B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA).

Tags:   rare plants San luis mariposa lily

© All Rights Reserved

Tyrannus tyrannus & Tyrannus vociferans,
Laguna Lake Open Space,
San Luis Obispo, California

The Eastern Kingbird is a rare bird locally and was found Sept. 1, 2023 by Brian O'Kelly.

© All Rights Reserved

Laguna Lake Open Space,
San Luis Obispo, California

As the grasses dry in late spring, native tarweeds color the grasslands. Since they are timed for such a dry time of year, I'm wondering if the drought doesn't affect them--though that seems impossible. Hayfield Tarweed, Hemizonia congesta in foreground and Clustered Tarweed, Deinandra fasciculata, the yellow further away.

Tags:   Laguna Lake tarweed

© All Rights Reserved

Hesperoyucca whipplei, Chaparral Yucca, with tarweed yellowing the grassy slopes,
Laguna Lake Open Space,
San Luis Obispo, California

I believe those two Morros in the distance are Cerro Romauldo (closer) and Hollister Peak.

© All Rights Reserved