Black Swan Preserve & Carman Valley

Green Lynx Spider - Peucitia viridans

Black Swan Preserve

Last Monday, my friends Patti and Mike and I were lead on a hike by Hank Meals through the Black Swan Preserve. It was a beautiful Blue Oak Woodland, filled with waist-high grasses, wildflowers and RAIN!  One of the absolutely coolest critters we saw was the Green Lynx Spider pictured above!  I spotted it on a yellow wildflower where it's green body stood out!  I had never seen a GREEN spider before, in my whole life, neither had any of my friends! However, it turns out that these spiders are fairly common in California, just super camouflaged! How cool to see one of them! WOW!!!

The following information about them is from bugguide.net. "The lynx-spiders are so called because some species chase their prey with great rapidity over herbage and the foliage of trees and shrubs; they even jump from branch to branch like the attids; but other species lie in wait near flowers and spring upon insects that visit flowers." J.H. Comstock 1912

Hank wrote a blog about the Black Swan Preserve in 2019, from which I have taken an excerpt about the history of the preserve. You can read the whole blog at https://yubatreadhead.blogspot.com/2019/01/black-swan-preserve-where-deer-creek.html.

"On the border between Yuba and Nevada Counties is a former gold mining location where nature is reclaiming what was once a stark industrial site. The Black Swan Preserve is located in the blue oak–gray pine savannah belt near Smartsville, CA and it’s at a low enough elevation to be accessible all year. Here the Bear Yuba Land Trust maintains a two-mile loop trail circling a pond and wetland where there was once a hydraulic mine. The trail was made possible by a partnership between the Bear-Yuba Land Trust and California Fish and Wildlife. It’s the first trail in what will eventually become a larger network of trails accessing more diverse ecosystems in the area.

The trail circles an intact wetland that is critical habitat for the endangered Western pond turtle, as well as bass, and an array of waterfowl including the American Dipper and Belted Kingfisher. Known endangered species on the properties include Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle, Western Burrowing Owl, and Black Rail. Adjacent grassland pastures, rolling hills and meadows provide habitat for bears, bald eagles, mountain lions and deer. Near the confluence of Deer Creek and the Lower Yuba River there is riparian habitat, blue oak woodland, wetlands and groundwater-fed ponds."

Looking down at the former Black Swan Hydraulic Mine site

Initially the trail led us up to the top of a hydraulicked butte, where we could look down at the pond that was formed after the mining operation ended. Currently, you cannot hike the traditional two mile loop trail, as beavers have taken over the last section of the trail by the pond, and the water is too deep and muddy to hike through.

Hydraulicked Bluff

We then hiked down to the pond's edge, where we could see the hydraulicked bluff we had just been on top of. The overcast created beautiful, soft lighting on the landscape.

Mallard - Canada Geese

Anas platyrhynchos - Branta Canadensis

We didn't see any beavers on the pond, but there was one lone female Mallard and a group of four Canada Geese with one gosling!

Lark Sparrow - Chondestes grammacus

We heard lots and lots of birds, but the rainy weather kept us from stopping and looking for them. I did manage to get a photo of a Lark Sparrow! Love their rusty cheeks and crown!

Deer Creek

Hank led us to this beautiful view of a Deer Creek waterfall! There were lots of swallows nesting along the rocky, bedrock and boulder-lined creek.

Blue Oak Woodlands

We only saw a few other people that day as we hiked a 6 mile loop through the Oak woodlands. The rain started falling around 11:00 am, and by 3:00 pm we were pretty soaked! It was wild and fresh, but luckily not cold! Everything was bespotted by raindrops, which made it even more beautiful! 

Leichtlin's Mariposa Lily - Calochortus leitchtlinii

There was a wide variety of wildflowers growing amongst the grassy fields! Here are some of the ones we saw! Such beauty!

Winecup Clarkia - Common Madia - Narrrowleaf Flax

Clarkia purpurea - Madia elegans - Linum bienne

Roundtooth Ookow - Bridge's Triteleia - Twining Brodiaea

Dichelostemma multiflorum - Triteleia bridgesii - Dichelostemma volubile 

Inside Out Lily - Fairy Lanterns - White Brodiaea

Odontostomum hartwegii - Calochortus albus - Triteleia hyacinthina

Foothill Penstemon - Chines Houses - Slender Larkspur

Penstemon heterophyllus - Calochortus albus - Delphinium gracilentum

California Buckeyes - Aesculus californica

The California Buckeyes were in total full bloom, and so beautifully fragrant!

Hank enjoys the view to the northwest!

It was a fabulous rainy day in the foothills, with Hank as our guide. 

We hope to visit this amazing area for years to come!

Western Buttercup - Ranunculus occidentalis

Carman Valley

On the previous Friday, my husband and I, along with our friends Mary and Patti, drove over to Carman Valley to see what was blooming! Carman Valley is located near Sierra Valley. We were a bit early for the full bloom, but thousands of Western Buttercups filled the meadows as far as we could see! Mixed in with the Buttercups were lots of American Wintercress flowers (pictured below), which are also bright yellow in color. We hope to come back in another week or so, to see the usual thousands of Common Camas, Bistort and Larkspurs in bloom!

American Wintercress/Yellow Rocket - Western Peony - Snowplant

Barbarea orthoceras - Paeonia brownii - Sarcodes sanguinea

On the pine-needled covered, shady forest floor we discovered Western Peonies, Woolen-Breeches, Mahala Mat, and Snowplants in bloom!

Woolen-breeches - Mahala Mat

Hydrophyllum alpestre -Ceanothus prostratus

Unusually the Woolen-breeches have their flowers at the base of their stems, not on the tops! The Mahala Mat flowers are quite tiny, but up-close their yellow stamens, spoon-shaped exerted petals, and folded-in central petals are amazing!!!

Mountain Bluebirds - Sialia currucoides

Perched on an old wooden corral, we were lucky enough to see several brilliant-blue Mountain Bluebirds!  The males are just exquisite with their sky blue heads, breasts and backs, highlighted by their even deeper-blue wings. The females are overall gray in color, with some blue on their wing tips. In the past, I saw one Mountain Bluebird nest in a fence post. Hopefully these will nest here, and we'll see them feeding their young when we come back in a week or two! Apparently they spend their winters in northern Mexico and come here to breed and raise their young!

Wood Ducks - Aix sponsa

We also visited a pond in another part of Carman Valley, and right away I spotted a pair of Wood Ducks! Wow!!! These have probably spent the winter in the foothills or Central Valley of California, and are here to breed and raise their young. The males have such striking, colorful plumage! What a lucky sighting!

Beaver Lodge

The pond may have been created years ago by the damming of beavers! There is a beaver lodge visible at the far end of the pond, and the trees along the edge of the pond have been cut down by beavers for use in the dam as well as their lodge.  Their favorite food is the cambium layer of deciduous trees, not evergreen trees.

 A tree recently being "cut" by beavers. 

They will gnaw a "waist" into the tree, which eventually causes the tree to fall down.

Beaver cut evergreen trees

Here are just a few of the many beaver-cut trees bordering the pond. Since they are gray and bleached by the sun, they were apparently cut down quite a while ago. I hope when we return in the near future, that we get lucky and maybe see a beaver or two!

What's happening on the river?

What migratory songbird birds have arrived recently in our neighborhood?

What's happening in the Lakes Basin?

Check back for the answers to these questions and more on Sunday, May 24th.

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated! Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!

Wonders Never Cease!

I apologize that I'm late AGAIN getting my blog posted, but my husband ended up in the hospital for three and a half days this week! Luckily he's okay and back home now! However, I don't have time to write a lot on my blog, so it's mainly photos this week! I happened upon lots of amazing nature in the past two weeks, including the beautiful, sculptural, driftwood heart (above) that I found on the river's edge!  Such beauty! 

American Dippers nest building - 3/9/26 - Cinclus mexicanus

 

Back in the beginning of March, two American Dippers started building their annual nest on a local bridge pillar. For several weeks I observed them in an unusual pattern of nest building! One day there would be bits of moss on the ledge, and then the next day there wouldn't be any moss! This happened again and again over the period of a month. I was a bit worried that something was wrong.

American Dipper Nest - 4/15/26 - Cinclus mexicanus

Then on April 12th, when I checked on the nest, they had built the whole nest perfectly! WOW!!! Since then I have observed them at the entrance to the nest, coming and going. What a relief! Hopefully telltale drips of white bird poop will start showing up, indicating the presence of nestlings. I'll keep checking and let you know how things progress! So happy that they persevered and finally made their usual nest!

Scorpion - Paruroctonus spp.

 On one of our walks in Indian Valley Campground, my friend Mary spotted a scorpion underneath some bark! So I lifted up a piece of bark and immediately found another one! The one I saw was quite small, about 1.5" in length. I'll write all about them in my next blog.

Mink - Mustela vison

My friend Keith came by to tell he thought he had just seen a River Otter on the side of the road! So of course I went with him and walked down to where he had seen it, and it was still there! 

Mink - Mustela vison

But it wasn't a River Otter, it was a Mink!!! It ambled off when it saw us!  I only managed to get two quick photos as it walked away from us into the thicket.  How exciting!!! More info in two weeks...

Annaphila Moth on an Oregon Grape - Annaphila sp., Berberis aquifolium

Wildflowers and shrubs are in bloom everywhere! I luckily caught this photo of an Annaphila Moth on an Oregon Grape that was in bloom!  More in two weeks...

Hartweg's Ginger - Asarum hartwegii

In the shaded areas of my neighborhood, Hartweg's Ginger has been putting on a show! They are one of the "hairiest" wildflowers I've ever seen!  They are not carnivorous. They "hairs" aren't sticky. Why are they so hairy? Some articles say the hairs keep the plant warm, or act as camouflage! More in two weeks...

Hartweg's Ginger - Asarum hartwegii

I think the hairs make them extremely beautiful, especially in the sun!

Indian Rhubarb - Darmera peltata

The Indian Rhubarb flowers are in bloom along the edge of creeks and the river. The flowers have two to three styles (red in color), which may be mistaken for multiple ovaries, but they all connect to one, single-chambered ovary. More in two weeks...

Showy Phlox - Phlox speciosa

I'm happy to report that the one patch of Showy Phlox that I've ever seen, is in bloom again! They are SO lovely! More in two weeks...

Western Wallflower - Erysimum capitatum

I love the bright orange of these Wallflowers! They are a striking contrast to the surrounding, dark green forest! More in two weeks...

My Scarecrows in the Fall

I used to make and sell life-size scarecrows on line. They were called "Garden Folk" and over the years I sold over 600 of them! Sunset Magazine even did an article on them many years ago! I made the heads/faces and created their outfits from thrift store clothes, while my husband made the support sticks! I stopped making them 12 years ago, but I still make some for our current garden. The above photo was taken last Fall. 

My Scarecrows this Spring

A few weeks ago I noticed that the male scarecrow wasn't looking too good, 

and a few days later the head was gone!!!  It turns out that a Douglas Squirrel had been pulling all the stuffing out of its head, to use in a nest!!! How fun! Glad he/she could use the fiberfill! I'll see if I can find the squirrel's nest! It should be pretty obvious, maybe! Hah!

Sierra Buttes 4/7/26

What's happening in the Lakes Basin?

What migratory birds are showing up?

What's blooming?

What herps are showing up?

Check back for the answers to these questions and more, 

in my next blog (a little less than two weeks from today) on Sunday, May 9th.

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated! Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!

 

Scarlet Fritillary - Fritillaria recurva

So sorry to not post my blog yet. Just TOO busy! Check back next Saturday, April 25th, for my next blog. Thanks!

Table Mountain, South Yuba River State Park, and Sierra Valley in early Spring!

We have had some unusually HOT weather these past two weeks, with temps in the 80's! The lush green grasses have been quickly turning brown, so we knew we'd better get to Table Mountain before it dried up! Last Monday my friends Nancy, Patti, Mike, and I drove up there to see what was blooming! 

North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve is a flat topped butte, next to the town of Oroville, Ca. The top of it is capped by an ancient lava flow. It is one of the few places in California that has never been impacted by agriculture. Some cattle are allowed to graze there in the wet months, but apparently cause little impact on the native wildflowers.

North Table Mountain became an ecological reserve in 1993, when Francis Carmichael, a local rancher, sold 3,315 acres of it to the State of California, to be managed by the California Department of Fish and Game. Now it is open to the public. Land passes are required, and can be purchased online at https://www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales.

The majority of the "tabletop" had dried up already, but there were lots of wildflowers bordering all the small flowing creeks! We spent the day following these creeks and "botanizing" along the way! 

Butter and Eggs/Johnny Tuck - Rusty Popcorn Flowers - White-tipped Clover

Tryphysaria eriantha - Plagiobothrys nothofulvus -Trifolium variegatum

These flowers were found in both the dry and wet/damp areas. The Rusty Popcorn Flowers have bright yellow centers when they first bloom, which fade to white as the plant ages.

One of the many creeks on the top of North Table Mountain

The sky was overcast and lovely, and fresh cool breezes came and went while we hiked. Since there weren't thousands of wildflowers in bloom, we found some plants we hadn't noticed before!  Always a delight for us amateur botanists!

Hartweg's Doll Lily/Inside Out Lily - Table Mountain Meadowfoam

Odontostomum hartwegii - Limnanthes douglasii ssp. nivea

Mike and Patti had never seen the Inside Out Lilies before, and Nancy and I hadn't seen them on Table Mountain before! It turns out that they are the only species in their genus, and are found only in California!!! Wow! 

  

Table Mountain Meadowfoam was a growing in the dry as well as the wet/damp areas, and was a familiar plant to all of us. I love the thin, clear, converging lines on their petals.

Bent-stem/Dudley's Monkeyflowers - Erythranthe geniculata 

There was a long beautiful bank of basalt columns along one creek, that were encrusted in a gorgeous, colorful variety of lichens! Growing in small niches on these columns, were Bent-stem/Dudley's Monkeyflowers that we weren't familiar with, as well as some Pipevines that we didn't know grew on Table Mountain!! So exciting!!! 

Bent-stem/Dudley's Monkeyflowers - Erythranthe geniculata 

I couldn't get enough photos of the Monkeyflowers on the 

lichened columns! Such beauty! We lingered there for quite some time among the ancient basalt columns!

Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars on Pipevines

Battus philenor hirsuta - Aristolochia californica

Patti spotted a huge patch of Pipevine across the creek and in the sun that had lots and lots of the Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars on it!! We scrambled up the rocks and checked them out. Not surprisingly we didn't see any Pipevines in bloom, as they bloom in February, but we only saw one seed pod! Maybe they didn't bloom much this year, or the flowers dried up in the heat???

Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars - Battus philenor hirsuta

We had been seeing Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies all day, sipping nectar from all the wildflowers. They weren't in large clusters or groups, but they were flitting around the whole reserve! I wondered why they weren't getting eating by birds. It turns out that they are inedible to predators, because they ingest toxic aristolochic acids from their Pipevine host plant when they are caterpillars. These acids stay in their bodies even when they pupate into adults!

Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars on Pipevines

Battus philenor hirsuta - Aristolochia californica

After Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies mate, the female lays her eggs (which also contain toxic acids) on the underside of Pipevine leaves. When the caterpillars first hatch, they stay together in small groups and feed on Pipevine leaves. When they grow larger they head out on their own to feed and pupate. It takes approximately one week for an adult to develop and emerge from it's chrysalis. The adults usually live for a month, feeding on wildflower nectar.

How fun it was to watch these colorful caterpillars eating away at the Pipevine leaves! Enjoy!

Savannah Sparrow - Passerculus sandwichensis

 We didn't see a lot of birds, but we heard them in the tree filled canyons. I did manage to photograph this lone Savannah Sparrow! These sparrows spend the winter in the southern U.S. or down in Mexico. They breed across the U.S. and up into northern Canada and Alaska. Right now some of them are back on Table Mountain to breed and raise their young! 

Western Meadowlark - Sturnella neglecta

We also saw and heard several Western Meadowlarks! They are quite camouflaged when seen from the back. From the front, they have a beautiful golden-yellow breast and throat! Such beauty! They have probably flown up from California's Central Valley, to breed and raise their young on North Table Mountain.

The following information about Western Meadowlarks is from Cornell's website at https://birdsoftheworld.org.

"Female locates nest in pasture, prairie, or other grassland habitat; rarely in cultivated fields. Well concealed, on ground, often in shallow depression and usually in fairly dense vegetation. Nest constructed of coarse dried grasses, stems of forbs, or fine bark, more or less interwoven with and attached to surrounding vegetation and lined with finer grasses. Usually partially arched or roofed, with conspicuous runway extending from the nest entrance. Construction variable, from completely open nests without runways to nests with complete roofs and elaborate entrance tunnels, sometimes several feet long."

Western Meadowlarks usually lay 4-5 eggs in a nest. Eggs hatch within 12-13 days. Young birds fledge when approximately 21 days old.

Ravine Falls

We also made it to Ravine Falls that still had some thin streams of water falling. It sounded lovely in the cool, shaded ravine!

Canyon Delphinium - Purple Owl's Clover

Delphinium nudicaule - Castilleja exserta ssp exserta

Just above the waterfall, there is a shaded slope where bright red Canyon Delphiniums usually bloom. This year they weren't on their usual slope, but we spotted some a bit farther away on a really steep slope. Mike tried to climb down to them but it was TOO steep! I managed to peak at them with my telephoto lens. Such Beauty! Another treat was this unusual double-blossomed Purple Owl's Clover that formed a heart!

We reluctantly left Table Mountain in the late afternoon, with hopes to possibly visit again in the near future!

South Yuba River 

During the recent hot weather, my husband and I met our friend, Suzanne, at South Yuba River State Park. We were curious to see what flowers had bloomed since we were there three weeks ago. We didn't see a many of flowers, just a scattering of a variety of species, but it had definitely leafed-out and gotten a lot greener!

South Yuba River and springtime Blue Oaks 

The river was also a gorgeous green, and was fuller and faster than last time!

  Orange Sulphur - Silver Bush Lupine  - Pipevine Swallowtail on Hairy Vetch

 Colias eurytheme - Lupinus albifrons - Battus philenor hirsuta - Vicia villosa

There were LOTS of Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies feeding on flower nectar, as well as a few Orange Sulphur Butterflies!

Western Rattlesnake - Crotalus oreganus

It was definitely reptile weather, but we were still surprised to come across a Western Rattlesnake alongside the trail!!! WOW! It had 12 "buttons" at the end of its tail, which indicated that had been around a while. It didn't have the same markings of the rattlesnakes I have seen in my neighbor hood. The one's I've seen locally  have lots of blotchy brown patches on their white body! This one has thin white bands on a brown body!  We watched for a few minutes before it disappeared in the trailside grasses! How cool!

The following information is from the website at Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, https://www.mdia.org/articles/northern-pacific-rattlesnake.

"In late summer to early fall, we enter the birthing season for snakes. Rattlesnakes are one of the few live-bearing snakes (opposed to egg-lying). Mother rattlesnakes can give birth to 7-15 young who actually stay with her for the first couple of weeks. The young are distinctly patterned replicas of the adult except they initially have a single button on their tail. They will not get a second rattle until they shed their skin for the first time, generally within a few weeks. Rattlesnakes get a new rattle every time they shed and may shed three to four times in the same year. Therefore, the number of rattles does not tell the age of the snake. Secondly, as the snakes age, rattles will commonly break off."

In the past two days, we got 3.70" of rain!!! This should make the wildflowers bloom more down in the foothills. Hopefully we'll be back soon to enjoy a continued bloom! 

A week ago my husband and I, along with our friends Mary, Mike, and Patti, traveled over to Sierra Valley to hear a lecture on ungulates at the Feather River Land Trust Visitor Center!  We drove out to the Steel Bridge before the lecture to see what birds had recently arrived!

Greater Yellowlegs - Tringa melanoleuca

Greater Yellowlegs migrate through Sierra Valley to their breeding grounds in the swampy, muskeg habitats of central Canada and southern Alaska. They spend their winters as close as northern Mexico or as far south as southern Chile! While in Sierra Valley they feed on small aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, small fish, frogs, and occasionally seeds or berries. We only saw this lone adult.

Cinnamon Teal (male - female) - Spatula cyanoptera

The Cinnamon Teal breeds in freshwater or brackish wetlands in the northwestern half of the U.S., not in the prairie-pothole region of Canada. The males are gorgeously colored. The female isn't, which is a good strategy if you want to be undetected while on a nest. These Teals are known to stay year-round in California's Central Valley, or they could also migrate to breeding grounds in the western half of the U.S., including Sierra Valley! 

Cinnamon Teal (male) - Spatula cyanoptera

The male Cinnamon Teal is so brilliant in its rusty-read mating colors! Even its eyes are red! The transition from the eclipse phase back to their mating colors begins in the fall and ends in early winter.

Mallard (female) - Song Sparrow

Anas platyrhynchos - Melospiza melodia

At the Steel Bridge, Mary spotted this female Mallard on a nest! The male was sitting down in the long grasses near the nest. Mallards are primarily seasonally monogamous. Nests are made on the ground in the cover of grasses etc., near marshes, ponds, or agricultural areas, where 1-13 eggs are laid.

Mallards usually nest on the ground, and will lay 1-13 eggs per clutch. Only the female hen will incubate and care for the young. The ducklings hatch within 28 days. They are born precocial with downy feathers and open eyes. They usually leave the nest within 24 hours of hatching, and start feeding immediately!

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Song Sparrows spend the winter in the lower elevations. They are mainly fruit and seed eaters but supplement their diet with a variety of invertebrates including spiders, snails, and even earthworms!

Marsh Wren (adult) - Cistothorus palustris

Their nests are initially made by lashing upright tules together with sedges and grasses, and then constructing a basket shaped nest "hanging" between them, with a short tunnel-like entrance on top.

The following information on Marsh Wren's is from Cornell's website birdsoftheworld.org.

"If female approaches male's territory, he flies toward her and, with tail cocked over his head, delivers rapid volley of songs. If she enters his territory, he flies toward his courting center (where his nests are under construction), and she sometimes follows. Escorted by the male, the female then visits and often enters several nests in succession. During this courtship, male does little singing but much displaying, often leading females from one nest to another, “nervously” bowing with tail held high, commonly touching back of his head. By destroying nearby nests, wrens undoubtedly reduce competition for food, both intra-and interspecifically, in immediate area around their own nests."

Sunset colors in Sierra Valley

After the talk at the Visitor Center, we had a lovely picnic outside with a fabulous view of Sierra Valley. The sunset colors were accompanied by the loud calls of Sandhill Cranes! We didn't see the cranes, but loved hearing them! We'll be back soon, to see what new birds have arrived for the summer!

What's blooming locally? What's happening on the river?

Check back in two weeks, on Sunday, April 19th, 

for the answers to these questions and more!

.

Your questions and comments are always appreciated! Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!