I decided to take the car up to Mt. Tam so I could carry my Nikon gear along and maybe photograph some more god beams in the fog, but even at around 7:15 a.m. the fog had already settled at a lower elevation. Glories would have to wait for another day. My wildlife cameras have only been in place for less than a week, so I didn't swap cards or batteries, or even go anywhere near them. I decided to just poke around the Rock Spring area where I was soon attracted by these big Mountain Dandelions (Agoseris grandiflorus). My eyes take a voyage in the details and become mesmerized by the concentric flower rays. The etymology of the scientific name means "chief chicory," or maybe "goat chicory" (see Jepson Herbarium).
What surprised me was how beautiful this flower was, even from underneath. I wonder if that display is attractive to insects, or if it's just the kind of gratuitous beauty in nature that makes a human being smile.
I've photographed the seed heads before and didn't want to repeat myself, but when I saw these two snow globes intertwined with each other, plus a stalk of still-green dogtail grass thrown into the bargain, I decided to see what I could do. A male California quail stood silent sentry on a nearby rock, and I wondered if he was watching over any chicks feeding in the meadow. I felt bad that I had left my long lens at home since I don't often get the chance to photograph quail on Mt. Tam.
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