Feeder Watch! |
| Black-headed Grosbeaks (male & female) - Pheucticus melanocephalus About 40 Black-headed Grosbeaks arrived at our feeders this week! You can hear them all day singing and chattering away, while they feast on the sunflower seeds! Unique to this species, the males and the females BOTH sing! The male is the more colorful of the two, with his black and rust feathers. They've been busy finding mates, making nests, and incubating their eggs. The females build their nests about 12'-15' high in leafy bushes or trees, in riparian environments. They usually lay 2-5 eggs, which hatch in 12-14 days. The altricial nestlings fledge in 10-14 days. The babies that show up around our feeders look just like the adults, only they beg to be fed! They should show up in a week or two. I haven't found any active nests yet, but am determined to find at least one this week, before the nestlings fledge!
The last of the Migrants!
 I photographed this lone Pelican on the North Yuba River this week! A few days later a small group of them flew over our neighborhood, headed east to their breeding grounds! (Refer to my post from Tuesday, March 28, for more information on these pelicans!) Wildflowers in the Woods! The wildflowers have been starting to show up in the Douglas Fir forest surrounding my home! I have found that when trying to identify wildflowers, common names can vary from book to book! So I try to learn the scientific name of the wildflower, which remains the same from book to book. Also, learning what "family" a plant is in, may help you narrow down your choices, when trying to identify similar wildflowers. Also, if you would like to find out if a plant is edible, or if it has medicinal uses, I would recommend that you research thoroughly on the internet before you use, or consume any plant. One very good resource is naturalmedicinalherbs.net. |
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Scarlet Fritillary - Fritillaria recurva
Liliaceae - Lily family
This beautiful, bulb forming perennial is native to California.
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| Hartweg's Wild Ginger - Asarum hartwegii Aristolochiaceae - Birthwort family This rhizome forming perennial is native to California. The brownish flower can be found beneath the leaves on the ground, amid the stems. Although "Ginger" is its name, it is not related to the commercial Ginger that is found in grocery stores, and should NOT be consumed. |
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| Grand Hound's Tongue - Cynoglossum grande Boraginaceae - Forget-me-not family This pretty, seed producing biennial is native to California. The name Hound's Tongue has two possible origins. One originates from "the belief that it (Hound's Tongue) could ward off dog attacks if a leaf was worn in the shoe." The other originates from "the broad shape of the leaves." Which one do you believe? |
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| Indian Rhubarb - Darmera peltata Saxifragaceae - Saxifrage family This large, showy, rhizome forming perennial is native to California. The flowers bloom several weeks before the large leaves appear. |
Going to Seed!
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| Willow - Salix sp. & Dandelion - Agoseris sp. This week the willows and dandelions are going to seed! The seeds are dispersed by the wind. Each willow produces thousands of fluff encased seeds! You can see these in the air everywhere this week! Each dandelion produces hundreds of seeds, each with its own tiny "parachute"! |
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| Who's Scat is That? Check back next week for the answer to this question, as well as the promised information on mammal babies, and Brown-headed Cowbirds! |
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