I just got back from a (mostly) morning hike on the Lakeside of Calero Co Park. Sadly I have to say, at least this far south in the South Bay, Spring color may have peaked already. Many of the grasses are definitely looking worse for the wear of the lack of rain. Not that there still isn't enough color to make it worth getting out and seeing, just here it was more smaller ground cover and not many dense patches of color ( I hiked the Los Cerritos, Figueroa and Javelina Loop Trails).
On the plus side the Butterflies were out in full force. I was frequently surrounded by 8 or 10 butterflies flitting around me. Most were those kind of small tan-ish white ones that never seem to land anywhere so photos were hard to get. Of course there were also a wide variety over flying insects bees, flies, grasshoppers etc.
I spotted a couple deer and even came across two coyotes, one on the trail and one in a nearby field. Unfortunately I was not able to get a photo (wrong lens) but I got a great view in my binoculars of the one in the field. He/she looked pretty well fed.
The birds were also out. I caught a group of 6 or 7 turkey vultures soaring over a nearby valley looking for lunch (and a couple wild turkeys too) and several varieties of small finch size ones that I don't know the names of (I'm working on that slowly). One had some of the most iridescent maroon highlights I've ever seen on a bird. Both the Lake and the small pond at the Fish Camp on the Javelina Loop were great spots to stop and birdwatch.
I plan on hitting somewhere in the Santa Cruz Mts. Monday in the mid-peninsula area so maybe more flowers will still be happening there. Stay tuned.
bc