We hiked around Lac du Bois, climbing over the hills on one side.   This 6 km hike had some fine views, but also provided a number of habitats for an exploration of nature.

Fern-leaved desert parsley (lomatium dissectum) was flowering with its purple-brown umbrella-shaped inflorescences.

On the wet lakeshore shrub zone, heracleum maximum was developing all of its basal leaves.   Stems and flowers will follow afterward.

On a grassy slope, I took a a close-up of an emerging upland larkspur.

Various ducks were on the lake, including these Barrow’s golden eyes.

In the hills above, yellow bells were in bloom among the western spring beauties.

A few butterflies were out, including this azure on western spring beauties.

On the rocky hilltops were a few stonecrops.  We found one in a location that will restrict its growth because of robust competition so brought it to the home garden.

Most of the western spring beauties were white with pink stripes and yellow at the base of the petals, but this one had more pink than the others.

Desert parsley (lomatium triternatum) was in bloom on open soils in open areas.

Pixie cups were in abundance behind a rock outcrop, with a north-facing aspect/

A bald eagle did circles over the hilltops as we hiked along the ridge.

There were about 10 western painted turtles perched on adjacent logs sunning themselves as we finished our hike.

We spotted a muskrat swimming across the bay too.  I will be returning to paddle the lake, drifting in to take photos of ducks, muskrats, and turtles on another day.