James Slavin Conservation Area

I hiked this area just 10 miles south of my home. It is a 600 acre former farm/ranch with restored wetlands. It has a varied topography from upland sage to fields of chest high grass. I am rehabilitating from a recent back injury and subsequent hip injury while I was protecting my back. It is getting better but too slow for my taste; five weeks now. I only went about 2.5 miles but I had plenty of time to stop and do some nature appreciation. In an open meadow I watched as a regal Eastern Kingbird leaped from his perch to gracefully capture flying insects. I also observed that there were no specimens of Mock Orange where I was hiking but on north facing hillsides there were many, many Ninebark bushes. They both must have very different growing preferences. The Mock Orange is blooming profusely at home right now but many of those are on south facing slopes.