UC DAVIS ARBORETUM REVISITED

Back on Valentine's Day we wandered about the UC Davis Arboretum. It was the second time we had visited in February & we made the decision to come back later in the spring to see more of the flowers in bloom. This morning we enjoyed a 1-1/2 hour walk along the outdoor arboretum.

These are a type of giant poppies that were in full bloom. The flowers were 4 - 6 inches across. I know this because there was a sign.

There was no sign for these beautiful pink flowers that covered the bushes. We thought they might be azaleas but the leaves didn't look right. Maybe they were oleanders? 

The creek & lake were covered with bright green algae today. Back in February it was pretty clear.

I'm not too good at plant identification but I love taking photos of flowers we don't see every day.

We are planning on making this a regular half day outing once or twice a year. Each time we think we won't take many photos since we've been there before. But each time we see more & more interesting things to photograph.

This is a close up of some interesting growths on a cactus.

For some reason I loved the textures of these flowers & foliage next to the tree bark.

Another unique flower. It amazes me just how many flowers occur in nature. God really out did Himself!

Nothing but grass, algae & a tree stump but it made for a pretty cool picture.

And, of course, what stroll along the water would be complete without all the assorted critters. Another wonderful short trip for some great photo ops.

There are always turtles sunning themselves on the edge of the creek.

It must be baby duckling time. There were several families swimming through the algae covered lake. This mama duck had her hands full, but the babies seemed to line up pretty nicely.

Lou says this is a Western Scrub-Jay. It looks like a blue bird to me but it did sit still long enough for a decent picture.

This butterfly wasn't as cooperative but I was persistent. It took at least ten photos to get one that wasn't blurry or with closed wings. 

This a Green Heron (didn't even know there was a green one). Lou confirmed it in our bird identification book. It was really colorful & stayed still for his portrait.