June 21, 2012: Flaming Geyser State Park. "Geyser" is a little charitable, but it's pretty cool anyway. A really nice riverside park with some pretty hiking areas, but a bridge is out so not sure if all the trails are accessible. There is also a whole set-up there for people to fly radio-controlled airplanes.
The Flaming Geyser pit. No railings! I was both surprised and pleased by the absence of public overabudance of caution. The orange caution netting behind it is in reference to the washed-out bridge.
One of the accessible trails.
Wood sorrel (Oxalis oregana) in flower.
Band-tailed pigeon (Columba fasciata)
Spotted Cucumber Beetle. Although it looks like a ladybug, this is actually NOT a beneficial insect.
Sad to see this dead butterfly with a torn wing (strangely, saw the other piece of wing before I saw this, and it had been under another butterfly resting on the ground. Do butterflies fight?) but they are so pretty it seemed a shame to not still appreciate its patterns and coloring just because it has expired.
At recent native plant walk, the leader noted that although native plant likers hate Himalayan blackberries, without them we might not have honey bees in this part of the world.
I think this is Narrow-Leaved Bur-Reed (Sparganium angustifolium).