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For a nature photographer like me, green is a beautiful color, indicating vibrant life around me. Unfortunately living in Southern California means green is actually not a common sight. Any plant or grass growing in the winter starts green, only to turn yellow or brown by the time the summer sun starts its baking process. I’m lucky enough to live right by the San Diego River, which is heavily surrounded by poplars and their pretty green leaves. They’re turning yellow right now, and they’re just as pretty.
Remember you can click on most of the photos below to see a larger view of this WordPress weekly photo challenge: Green.
Here are a few examples of green I’ve encountered in Southern California. I’ll start with my very favorite, which I captured at Dos Picos State Park last spring. This green hue was so surreal, I felt I had just walked into a secret fairyland. I can’t wait to go back there next spring and hope to see similar sights. If you’re wondering what the purple blooms are in the back, it’s Ramona lilac. They make beautiful clusters of flowers, but alas no scent.
I love the green lush surrounding this Stellar Jay bird, making its blue feathers stand out even more.
Finally, you can find a lot of green in Southern California if you look by a source of water. Here are a few green plants, including ferns, that love water and shade. I took this photo in the small mountain town of Idyllwild, California, by Strawberry Creek, this past summer.
milkapejovic.com 
That top image does indeed look like a secret place. Could serve as a background for a book cover!
Very true! Well, if you ever decide to write a book on a secret fairyland, you can have this photo!
Haha. Thanks, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. Unless there’s a killer virus or killer psycho involved…
Some dreadful fungus could be growing in that grass, you know.
Ahh, good point! And just think of what its spores could do to one’s lungs…
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I wouldn’t have know these were taken in Southern California, it looks so lush!
It’s amazing what a little water can do. I could show you tons of yellowish brown tones all day long, but you’d probably fall asleep…
Love the Stellar Jay…I’m an avid birdwatcher myself….love to photograph them!! =) Never seen one of these before-beautiful!!
I think they only live in Southern California. We do have blue jays too, but I don’t have the patience to capture them with my camera. There are hundreds of species of birds in San Diego, just waiting for me to take their pictures!
Blue Jays are hard little rascals to capture…fortunately I have been able to capture them but I’ve spent hours upon hours outside trying to get a glance of them! I may have to visit SD at some point…we see alot of finches, cardinals, and blue jays here in NC!