Wildflower Mount Diablo Jointed Charlock Scientific Name: Raphanus raphanistrum Family: Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Blooms: March Color: Yellow-Orange Annual or Perennial Introduced Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Steve Beatty

Wildflower Mount Diablo Fringed Willowherb, Northern willow herb, Slender willow herb Scientific Name: Epilobium ciliatum Family: Onagraceae (Evening Primrose Family) Blooms: March - September Color: Red-Pink Perennial herb Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Steven Beatty Steven Beatty Leaf detail

Knobcone to Oyster Point Hike By Steve Smith Reprinted from MDIA Newsletter November 2023 November 1, 2023 Scott Hein Oyster Point is a special treat as it is a remote destination packed full of adventure and scenic beauty. With the opening of Knobcone Point Road (through Save Mount Diablo’s Curry Canyon Ranch property) the opportunity for a proper loop hike abounds, yet this is not for the faint of heart. This hike is about 11 miles with 2,200 feet of elevation gain and Fall is a good time to do it while the weather is cool and before heavy rains (and mud) come. Starting from Curry Point we meander along Knobcone Point Road eventually making our way to Balancing Rock, a seemingly gravity-defying bit of Domengine sandstone. Just beyond you will pass through the gate and onto SMD property. (Please use the boot cleaning station before continuing.) The next 1.25 miles takes you through a lovely knobcone pine forest, through deep-shaded, rock-lined canyons, and across open grasslands. Views of the Summit and North Peak abound. Find another park gate which deposits you at the top of Riggs Canyon Road. This is a very steep descent into Riggs Canyon with expansive views of the southeastern side of the park including neighboring Morgan Territory Regional Preserve. At the end of Riggs Canyon, you’ll head right along Old Finley Road until you find the single-track Oyster Point Trail on the right. Winding ups and downs take you through Jackass Canyon on a pleasantly shady 2-mile journey to the Oyster Point turnoff. A signpost marks a trail up the hillside to the actual point, however, once you enter the chapparal up top the path is less obvious and you must hunt for the signpost. It is hidden off to the right, tucked in an alcove of chamise and black sage . Be sure to investigate the rocks around it, you will see the fossilized oysters for which it gets its name. Retrace your steps back down to the main trail and continue, admiring the views of Cave Rocks and Cave Point in the foreground. After another 1.3 miles you will find Blackhawk Ridge Road heading to the right and then steeply down. Continue along the road until you pop back up onto Knobcone Point Road and on back to Curry Point. Knobcone to Oyster hike map.jpg balancing rock by Steve Smith.jpg Cave rocks by Steve Smith.jpg Oyster post by Steve Smith.png BACK TO LIST

Wildflower Mount Diablo Owl's Clover, Purple Owl's Clover Scientific Name: Castilleja exserta Family: Orobanchaceae (Broomrape Family) Blooms: Mar - May Color: Red-Pink Annual herb Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Mike Woodring Terese Dixon

Loggerhead Shrike Shrikes and Vireos Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus All Year Shrikes and Vireos Daniel Fitzgerald Similar in coloring to the Northern Mockingbird but has a hooked bill, black mask and black wings.

Mormon Metalmark Apodemia mormo Riodinidae Metalmarks Flies July to October Host Plant Buckwheat Nectar Plant Daniel Fitzgerald Daniel Fitzgerald Underwing Daniel Fitzgerald Daniel Fitzgerald

What to Look for in Summer Filter by Category Select Category Frogs Look for a frog chorus at Coulter Pond Read More Ticks Stay on the trail and check for ticks on your clothing! Read More Quail Think of quail as a California version of chickens. They can be seen in riparian and chaparral areas. Read More Hawks Shown in the photo is a Cooper's Hawk, but the Red-tailed Hawk is often seen and heard. Read More Common Poorwills Poorwills are best seen in the evening hours. Read More Migrating and Nesting Birds The Hermit Warbler is on a short list of our migrating birds. Read More Dragonflies You can see dragonflies near the summit and along the creeks throughout the park. Read More Butterflies Check out our Butterfly Guide! Read More Camping Reserve your spot! Read More Clarkias Red and pink Clarkias dot the grasslands in spring and summer. Read More Buckeyes Buckeyes are both beautiful and pathetic depending on when you see them. Read More Blooming Soap Root Soap root blooms in the evening and a special treat. Read More Tarweed Follow your eye and your nose... Read More Snakes Like all snakes, rattlesnakes do not want to attack people. Read More

Wildflower Mount Diablo Bunch-Flowered Narcissus Toxicity: Minor, dermatitis Scientific Name: Narcissus tazetta Family: Amaryllidaceae (Amaryllis Family) Blooms: Jan - Feb Color: White Perennial herb (bulb) Introduced With yellow centers; naturalized from the Mediterranean region. Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Mike Woodring

Wildflower Mount Diablo Bur Clover Invasive Scientific Name: Medicago polymorpha Family: Fabaceae (Legume Family) Blooms: Mar - Jun Color: Yellow-Orange Annual herb Introduced Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Mike Woodring

Wildflower Mount Diablo California Larkspur Scientific Name: Delphinium californicum Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Blooms: May - Jun Color: White Perennial herb Native, endemic to California White, pink and green; intermediate between ssp californicum (sepals lavender) and interius (sepals green) Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Stephen Smith Mike Woodring

Mallard Geese, Swans and Ducks Mallard Anas platyrhynchos All Year Geese, Swans and Ducks Daniel Fitzgerald Found in shallow lakes, ponds, and marshes. Green head and yellow bill of male is easily recognized; note the female’s orange bill splotched with dark gray or black. Nest is placed on the ground, usually near water. Omnivorous diet includes insects, crustaceans, mollusks, worms, seeds, grain from agricultural crops, and human food scraps.

Red-tailed Hawk by Dan Sandri January 1, 2024 Dan Sandri Keep an eye out and an ear open! The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is probably the most common hawk across the country, and is often seen above and around Mount Diablo State Park. Our Red-tailed Hawks are most numerous across California in Winter, when many hawks return from northern lands. These are large, broad-winged hawks that usually (but not always!) exhibit an orange-red tail. Along with the tail, the best indicator that the hawk you are looking at is a Red-tailed Hawk is a brown-streaked “belly-band” (sometimes dark, sometimes more finely-streaked) across the tummy, and dark patagial lines on the front edge of the underside of the wing when seen from below. See the photos for examples of the belly band and patagial lines. Identification can get tricky if the bird is dark Harlan’s subspecies or a dark-morph adult or juvenile. Their preferred food is mammals, such as voles, gophers, ground squirrels, rabbits and the like, but they will also eat lizards, snakes, birds and other animals. Because they have hollow bones, these large hawks are quite light in weight - an adult female might weigh in at only 3 pounds. Their classic, recorded scream can be heard in many a Western movie, even when the bird shown is an eagle or a kite! Bird Guide: https://www.mdia.org/birds-1-1/red-tailed-hawk red-tailed hawk1 DSandri.jpg red-tailed hawk2 DSandri.jpg BACK TO LIST