Alameda Creek had a nice flow today. Taken directly across the creek from the Green Barn, by the footing of the old bridge.

Eschscholzia californica (California poppy) on the way up Flag Hill. I saw exactly two open poppies today, one here and one on the slope just beyond Vista Grande.

Lots of people of Flag Hill. A youth group. It was a beautiful, fairly warm day. A goodly fraction of the Alameda County population was hiking here today.

This TV was on a familiar perch west of Flag Hill.

No flowers on Flag Hill but the plants are coming. Here, phacelia, larkspurs, and, if they count, Erodium. Not far away, yarrow and lupines.

The last surviving almond tree from the JB Ranch orchard is in bloom. Just above High Valley. Not a native tree, of course, but part of the history of the place. When I first saw Sunol, several of these were still alive. I saw two in-bloom seedings from this orchard on the margins of the Vista Grande road ahead about 1/2 and 1 mile.

The south-facing side of the Maguire Peaks is a lighter green than the park's other grassy hillsides. The dry winter is still limiting the green-up in the most exposed places. View from the Vista Grande Road.

Lupinus albifrons (silver bush lupine) on the Eagle View Trail just below Vista Grande. Only one I saw in bloom.

Cardamine californica (milkmaids) flowers. Finally. These are usually earlier, often the first non-woody wildflower of the season. Eagle View Trail. I saw them again on the Indian Joe Trail.

Platanus racemosa (California sycamore) leaf just emerging -- one of the first -- near the Cave Rocks on the Indian Joe Trail.

Ranunculus californicum (California buttercup) or R. canus (Hartweg's buttercup). Ertter/Naumovich suggests the canus replaces californicum east of the Bay Hills. Sunol is on the edge. The current Jepson key, which is not in full agreement with Ertter's notes, leads me to californicum. Indian Joe Trail. Just a few.

Primula hendersonii (mosquito bill). I hoped for some on the Eagle View Trail but saw none. On my little Canyon View trail excursion at the end of the day's hike, I looked down steep, shady, and damp north-facing slope to the side ... and spotted these. Maidenhair ferns nearby. Big zoom-and-crop on the picture: I went down a little ways didn't dare get too close for fear of mashing the soft hillside ground too much.

Adelinia grande (Western hound's tongue). There was a patch of these down by the shooting stars. I didn't dare get too close to these either. Formerly in the genus Cynoglossum.