Male and female wood duck on our pond, diving for food and later preening on the banks. They returned at least three more times during the day, and again the next day.
Flat needle like leaves, red-ish bark.
There is a small patch with open area underneath but there are around 6 that circle around the path. They are actually western red cedars.
Seen somewhere along Cuddy Valley Road heading to the Mt. Pinos Nordic Base parking lot. Unfortunately I can't remember exactly where.
pinion pine? see the habitat change near the creek, versus the common habitat for the area/elevation. Some areas are juniper and other dry area plants including a few cacti. Others like the road coming in from the south, have a lot of buckwheat and astragalus. There were a lot of dead fiddlenecks alongside part of the road to the mountain.