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Welcome orioles; beware fleas

July's end brings out all sorts

Hooded oriole - Image by NaturesDisplay/iStock/thinkstock
Hooded oriole

Orioles, the bright yellow or yellow-orange-and-black birds seen flitting among the palm trees, are summer residents of San Diego County's coastal areas. A century ago, the orioles preferred to nest in sycamore trees, which were then more common in our area's riser bottoms. Today these birds are most likely to take up residence in the planted palm trees, where they obtain fiber to build their nests from the easily shredded fronds.

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Fleas, the bane of pets and humans alike, are hopping all over San Diego again as the summer progresses. This year is predicted to be worse than usual because of our greater-than-average precipitation last season, and because of the predicted higher-than-average summer temperatures and humidity. Fleas were even more troublesome in San Diego County's past than they are today. Soldiers on the Portola expedition over two centuries ago named a deserted Indian village in today’s North County "Rancheria de las Pulgas” and the problem of pulgas (“fleas') in the dusty streets and dwelling places of southern California were commonly mentioned in 19th-century journals and diaries. The place-names Las Pulgas Canyon and Las Pulgas Road in Camp Pendleton are reminders of a timeless torment.

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Bait and Switch at San Diego Symphony

Concentric contemporary dims Dvorak
Hooded oriole - Image by NaturesDisplay/iStock/thinkstock
Hooded oriole

Orioles, the bright yellow or yellow-orange-and-black birds seen flitting among the palm trees, are summer residents of San Diego County's coastal areas. A century ago, the orioles preferred to nest in sycamore trees, which were then more common in our area's riser bottoms. Today these birds are most likely to take up residence in the planted palm trees, where they obtain fiber to build their nests from the easily shredded fronds.

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Fleas, the bane of pets and humans alike, are hopping all over San Diego again as the summer progresses. This year is predicted to be worse than usual because of our greater-than-average precipitation last season, and because of the predicted higher-than-average summer temperatures and humidity. Fleas were even more troublesome in San Diego County's past than they are today. Soldiers on the Portola expedition over two centuries ago named a deserted Indian village in today’s North County "Rancheria de las Pulgas” and the problem of pulgas (“fleas') in the dusty streets and dwelling places of southern California were commonly mentioned in 19th-century journals and diaries. The place-names Las Pulgas Canyon and Las Pulgas Road in Camp Pendleton are reminders of a timeless torment.

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The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

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Previous article

Poway’s schools, faced with money squeeze, fined for voter mailing

$105 million bond required payback of nearly 10 times that amount
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Trophy truck crushes four at Baja 1000

"Two other racers on quads died too,"
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