They're on their Nests!

Black-headed Grosbeak - Pheucticus melanocephalus     Steller's Jay - Cyanocitta stelleri            Clutch Size: 2-5 eggs/2-6 eggs     

Incubation Period: 12-14 days/16-18 days

This week I checked on all the nests I've been watching for the past month, and found 5 more of them occupied!  I also found 2 new cavity nesting birds!  All of a sudden the birds are incubating their eggs!  Why now?  I thought that the nests I've been watching were completed a month ago.  Maybe not. Maybe it takes a month to complete a nest according to the birds' standards!  Maybe the courtship and mating period is a lot longer than I thought it was!  I don't know the answer, but I am thrilled to see all the female birds on their nests!  I can't wait to see the baby birds when they hatch in another week or more!

American Robins - Turdus migratorius

 Clutch Size:  3-5     
Incubation Period: 12-14 days 

Cliff Swallows (male & female on right) - Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Clutch Size: 1-6 eggs     

Incubation Period: 10-19 days 

European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris     Violet-green Swallow - Tachycineta thalassina

             Clutch Size: 3-6 eggs/4-6 eggs              

Incubation Period: 12 days/14-15 days

Who eats Lizards & Snakes?

 OK, so it's warmed up for good and the reptiles are active!  I saw the two mating Mountain Garter Snakes in our garden!  Unfortunately, I found the Pacific Gopher Snake and the Mountain Garter Snake (top right) dead on the highway.  The little Spiny Lizard was climbing on a bridge!  Who do you think would be eating them?  

Here are a few of their main predators:

Snakes                      Lizards

       other snakes                other lizards        

hawks                            hawks

           river otter                        weasels             

crows                              birds

    owls                             snakes 

Western Tanager Male            Bullock's Oriole Male            Evening Grosbeak Male

      Piranga ludoviciana               Icterus bullockii             Coccothraustes vespertinus

Sexual Dimorphism in Birds

Dimorphism is a distinct difference in size or appearance between the sexes of an animal. It occurs in birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, amphibians, and even plants!

In most birds, but not all, the male bird is usually larger and more colorful than the female bird. The row of birds above are the male birds and the row of birds below are the female birds, of the same species. Immediately you can see how more colorful the male birds are!!! Why are they so different? Colorful males attract mates. A plainly colored female is less obvious to a predator, on a nest full of eggs.

Studies have shown that most female birds prefer brightly colored mates! Recently it's been discovered that birds can see more colors than we can! They can see all the colors we see, plus ultra-violet light! It turns out that some birds have special ultra-violet markings that we can't see, but birds can!! Even when it appears to us that both the male and female birds have the same coloring, the male might have ultra-violet markings that are visible to a potential mate!

The bright colors of male birds are also indicators of the birds' health. Studies have shown that male bird color is lessened when they are in poor health! This would indicate to a female bird that the less colorful male wouldn't be a good choice for a mate.

Color is also used in contests between males, over mates or territory. Conspicuous colors can help show that an area is already occupied, and the occupant is in good condition and prepared to fight!

Western Tanager Female         Bullock's Oriole Female         Evening Grosbeak Female

   Piranga ludoviciana                Icterus bullockii               Coccothraustes vespertinus

The locust trees are almost finished blossoming!  They are losing their petals by the thousands daily.  What is this bird going to eat next?  Can you guess what kind of bird this is?

Check back next week for the answers!

Hopefully, the Black Bears might show up 

and the river might slow down!

Maybe I'll even see some baby birds!

Canada Goose and Goslings - Branta canadensis

Mammals and More!

Birds are a lot easier to observe than mammals! 

Other than squirrels, bear, and deer, I have rarely seen mammals in my neighborhood!  I've seen more signs of mammal presence, than the actual animals. I've collected the bones and antlers pictured above, over many years of exploring the "woods"!  This week I found the little dead Shrew Mole pictured below!  

Shrew Mole - Neurotichus gibbsii

This little critter has fur and forefeet like a Shrew, but has a large head and teeth like a Mole, so hence its name "Shrew Mole"!  It is the tiniest mole in North America, measuring 5"-6" in length (including its tail).  Unlike most Moles, the Shrew Mole forages above ground and underground.  It's main food is earthworms, which it finds by digging tunnels underground.  Above ground, it will climb bushes and dig in leaf litter in search of insects and their larvae, sow bugs, beetles and even some vegetation!  They prefer to live in damp, forested areas near streams.  To deal with the humidity, low oxygen, and high level of carbon dioxide found underground, the Shrew Mole has large lungs that can be up to 20% of its body weight!  Females have several litters a year, with 1-4 young.  The baby moles are 30 mm long when born, and weigh less than 1 gram!  Wouldn't those be neat to see?  I don't know why this Shrew Mole died, but I'm glad I got to see it!  

Striped Skunk - Mephitis mephitis

One reason why I haven't seen many mammals is that a lot of them are only active at night, like this Striped Skunk.  This skunk has been in our backyard nightly for quite a while, eating the sunflower seed we put out for the birds!  On Friday, it was there earlier than usual.  Since it was still light outside, I decided to use my flash to take its picture.  If it was during the night I wouldn't use my flash, as the bright light could temporarily disturb the skunk's vision.  

Skunks live in dens year-round.  They have been known to make their dens under woodpiles, buildings, concrete slabs, and rock piles.  Their dens have also been found in hallow trees, rock crevices, and abandoned ground-squirrel and fox dens!  They are omnivores, and eat just about anything they can find!  Sometime in May, the females give birth to a litter of 4-7 kits.  After 6-8 weeks they are weaned, and begin to hunt with their mother!   By July or August, young males begin to disperse and become independent. Their sisters will typically remain with their mother for almost a year. 

Black Bear   Columbian Black-tailed Deer    Raccoon

Ursus americanus     Odocoileus hemionus      Procyon lotor

Identifying animal tracks is sometimes fairly easy in mud, sand and snow.  However, in many situations following an animal's track can be quite difficult!  There are many books and websites dedicated to this subject.  Here are some tips, that I gleaned from a variety of sources, that may help you track and see more wildlife!

•Learn about the habits of the animals that live in the area you're studying, 

BEFORE you go out in the field!  This will take some time!

•Use field guides and binoculars to help you identify critters.

•Sit quietly in one spot for 15 minutes or more, and watch for movement and contrasting colors and shapes.  Visit the same area for several days.

•Wear muted colors. Bright clothing will make YOU visible to the critters!

•In addition to tracks and scat, look for animal trails, signs of grazing, midden piles, areas on tree trunks that look "rubbed" or scratched, and broken branches.

•Visit websites for tons of more information.  A good website is outdooraction.princeton.edu/nature/guide-animal-tracking

Black Bear      Columbian Black-tailed Deer    Gray Fox

  Ursus americanus          Odocoileus hemionus     Urocyon cinereoargentus
columbianus

Scat might be kind of gross to some of you, but identifying scat will help you learn what animals have passed by!  Again, there are a ton of websites with scat identifying information.  I learned the following basic, but very helpful, information from the website I listed above.  Apparently the first thing to assess when you find some scat is its shape.

• Pencil lead shape = rodents
•M&M's shape =  rabbits & hares
•Tubular = dog family, raccoon, skunks, possum, wolverine, bear
•Tubular and tapered at both ends = fox
•Tear drop or tapered at one end = cat family
•Flattened threads = weasel family
•Oblong, may have a nipple at one end = deer

 American Robin  - Turdus migratorius   &  Bullock's Oriole (female) -  Icterus bullockii

Bird Update!

The American Robin is still on her nest!  The Bullock's Orioles are still recycling old nests to make new nests!  This week I was out in our garden, and I noticed the female oriole on the right (below) exploring a willow for quite some time.  After she left, I went to see if I could find what she had been eating.  On the tips of many leaves, I found tiny, little, green caterpillars that had stitched a piece of leaf over themselves!!!  That's what she was eating!  How cool is that?!!!

The oriole on the left (below), I believe, is the young female I photographed last week!  She is getting full-sized FAST!  I watched her probe around in a cedar tree looking for bugs as well!  Do you think her mom is the one eating those green caterpillars?

  OK so NEXT week I'll talk about...

What eats snakes and lizards?

Where are the Black Bears?

What's happening in and along the river?

Check back next week for answers to these questions 

and MORE!!!

Robbing the Nest!

Bullock's Oriole (female) - Icterus bullockii

This week I was SO THRILLED to find this female Bullock's Oriole recycling nest material from two old nests!!!  For a few days this week, she visited two nests that were about 20' apart, and pulled and pulled to get the nesting material out of them!!!  It was AMAZING to watch her!  The male and female Orioles work together to weave a hanging pouch out of plant fibers, and whatever else they fancy!  The females, however, do most of the work.  It may take them a week or more to construct the nest! Once the nest is completed, the female will lay 3-7 eggs in the pouch, and incubate them for 11 days.  The altricial nestlings fledge in approximately 14 days!

I photographed the two oriole nests above, in late winter.  Below are the same two nests this week, after the Bullock Oriole had taken what she needed!  The nest on the right had a bunch of fishing line it it! 

 Beautiful Bullock's Orioles!

These Bullock's Orioles showed up in our neighborhood in the last 10 days!  The color of their plumage is so brilliantly beautiful!  An adult male has black and bright golden-orange coloring. Adult females have bright golden-yellow and light-brown coloring.  They really stand out in the forest!  They overwinter in Mexico and Central America.  In the Spring, they fly north to nest in riparian areas with tall deciduous trees.  They forage in trees and bushes for caterpillars, ants, bugs and nectar.  The local Black Locus trees are in full bloom right now, and full of nectar.  Every morning I see the Bullock's Orioles flying from one tree to another, with both the males and females chattering and singing away!  Below are the photos I took this week of our vibrantly colored new residents!  

Top:  Adult Male                      Young Female                        Adult Male

Bottom:  3 photos of the same Oriole, an "almost" adult male

The immature male on the bottom hasn't changed into the full golden-orange plumage of a mature adult, but has the white wing bars, and black crown of an adult.  The young female oriole in the top middle doesn't have her mature plumage either, but has a sharp, finely-pointed beak, just like the adults. 

Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and Grizzly Peak 

If you read about Black Locust trees, you will find that they are thought of as an invasive species.  They are native to the Southeastern United States, but have spread throughout North America.  I've noticed that Black Locusts are the favorite tree of many of our local birds!  It is one of the tallest deciduous trees in my neighborhood, and birds love to perch in them.  I also saw the Evening Grosbeaks eating the seeds out of the dried Locust pods, when they first arrived this Spring!  3 out of the 3 old Oriole nests I've found, have been in Locust Trees.  Also, the nectar from the blossoms is eaten by many insects, as well as birds.  I think that even though it is an invasive species, through my observation it appears to be beneficial to the birds!  I'm glad that they grow here!

I finally found an occupied nest!

American Robin - Turdus migratorius     Adult on nest (left) - Young Robin (right)

I've been watching this nest for the past two weeks, but haven't seen any birds in it.  I thought it must be an old nest!  Yesterday, I pointed out this nest to my neighbor and she said, "There's a bird on it right now!"   WOW was I surprised!  Finally I've seen a nesting bird, thanks to my neighbor!  Yahoo!  Robins can have up to 3 broods a year.  However, only 40% of the nests successfully produce nestlings, and only 25% of those nestlings survive to November!  There are Robins that have lived for 14 years, but most live for 6 years.  I'll keep watch, and post how this brood turns out!

I photographed the young Robin, on the right, earlier this month!  Apparently successful broods do happen!

Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) with nesting material  -  Steller's Jay eggs

I saw this Steller's Jay gathering nesting material just yesterday!  The female Jays lay 2-6 eggs in a largish twig and mud nest, once a year.  They incubate the eggs for 16-18 days. The nestlings fledge in approximately 16 days.  I couldn't find information about the nestlings' state when they hatch.  So I don't know if they're born altricial or precocial.  I'll keep looking for an answer!

My neighbor gave me this Steller's Jay nest last year, when the bird parents never returned.  The eggs were a surprising turquoise blue, like a Robin's egg, but they also had brown spots, unlike a Robin's egg!  

The dreaded Brown-headed Cowbirds have arrived!

This week a flock of about 20 Brown-headed Cowbirds arrived in our neighborhood.  This is NOT a good thing!  Cowbirds do not make their own nests!  They are nest parasites of other birds!  The females will lay their eggs in another bird's nest!  Each female Cowbird produces over 3 dozen eggs in a season!!  The Cowbird nestlings usually hatch earlier than the host bird's nestlings.  They are also usually larger than the host bird's nestlings!  Since they are born sooner, they push the unhatched host bird's eggs out of the nest!!!  If the other nestlings hatch at the same time as the Cowbird, they will even push nestlings out of the nest!  Also, the larger size of the Cowbird nestling improves its odds for getting fed more by the host bird.

Some birds can detect that a Cowbird egg is not their egg, and will destroy it, toss it from the nest, or build a whole new nest on top of it!  Unfortunately, most birds don't realize that a Cowbird egg is in their nest, and raise the Cowbird nestling as their  own.  Originally a bison-following bird of the Great Plains, the Brown-headed Cowbird spread eastward in the 1800's as forests were cleared. The Brown-headed Cowbird's habit of nest parasitism can threaten species with small populations.  I'm glad only about 5 females are in our area!

Who's scat is that?

I'll talk more about mammal scat next week.  

Can you guess what canine mammal left this scat?

Lizards and snakes don't talk.  They don't even have vocal chords!  They communicate by using body language!!  What do you think this lizard is saying?

What eats snakes and lizards?

Where are the Black Bears?

What other scat is easily recognizable?

What's happening in and along the river?

Check back next week for answers to these questions 

and MORE!!!

It's Heating Up!

Some of our daytime highs this week were in the 80's!  All of a sudden lizards, snakes and insects appeared!  More birds also arrived, some of them coming all the way from Central America!  Flowers, trees, and bushes burst into bloom, and pollination was happening everywhere!  It was an amazing week!

Spiny Lizard - Sceloperus sp.

This Spiny Lizard was in our garden, where we watched her eat a fly!!  They will also eat spiders, scorpions, centipedes, beetles, wasps, ants, and sometimes buds and leaves!  There are over 80 species of Spiny Lizards in the world, and I'm not sure what species this one is.  I think this is a female, because male Spiny Lizards have a bright blue patch on each side of their belly, and their throat.  After she mates with a male, she will lay 3-15 eggs in sandy soil.  She doesn't incubate the eggs!  Air and soil temperatures are sufficient for the eggs to develop on their own.  They will hatch in approximately 2 months, into 1" long baby lizards!!!  

 Spiny Lizard and Western Aquatic Garter Snake - Thamnophis couchi 

I found this snake lying on the road, warming up in the sun. All critters, except for mammals and birds, are ectotherms.  They rely on external  sources, such as sunlight and heated surfaces, to regulate their internal body temperature.  Garter snakes are the most aquatic of all our local snakes.  This Western Aquatic Garter Snake is an excellent swimmer, and can stay underwater for several minutes.  They eat fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, earthworms, insects, slugs, small rodents, eggs and nestlings of birds!  They do not poison or constrict their prey.  They catch their prey with their teeth, and then swallow them whole!  The females are ovoviviparous, and carry their eggs internally.  The young snakes, up to 30 in a clutch, are born in late summer.  They are 5" in length when born, and can reach up to 50" in length as adults.

Carpenter Bees - Xylocopa sp. and a Bumblebee - Bombus sp.

The Pollinators!  

The onions in our garden are now blooming and attracting a variety of pollinators!  Carpenter Bees have been there for days, drinking the nectar from the flowers!

Adult male and female Carpenter Bees hibernate in separate tunnels, in winter.  In the Spring, they mate and then clean out an old tunnel, or create a new one, for their larvae.  The female lays 6 to 8 eggs.  Each egg is placed in a separate chamber, along with some "bee bread" (a ball of nectar and pollen).  The chamber is then sealed off with wood particles.  When the egg hatches, the larva eats the bee bread, pupates, and emerges out of its chamber as an adult.  This complete metamorphosis takes several months!  Meanwhile, the adult males and females can be seen feeding on nectar throughout the Summer.  They do not eat wood.  Male Carpenter Bees don't sting, as they have no stinger.  Females do have a stinger, but rarely sting!

White-lined Sphinx Moth Caterpillar and Adult - Hyles lineata

Bleeding Heart Flowers - Dicentra formosa

The Bleeding Hearts are in full bloom in our garden!  I've seen the White-lined Sphinx Moth busily gathering nectar in the late afternoon and evening.  I saw the caterpillars of these moths in the desert!  They were huge, measuring almost 5" in length!  They were voraciously eating the blooming wildflowers!  After 2 weeks of eating, the caterpillars burrow into the ground to pupate.  After 2-3 more weeks, they emerge as adults.  In Spring the adults will mate, and the females will lay eggs!  They are also called the "Hummingbird Moth", because of their size, and the way that they hover and rapidly flap their wings!  

 White-lined Sphinx Moth - Hyles lineata & Calliope Hummingbird - Selasphorus calliope

While I was photographing the White-lined Sphinx Moths a hummingbird showed up and started feeding on the Bleeding Heart flowers!  I was so excited to realize that it was a Calliope Hummingbird that I had never seen before!  These hummingbirds are the smallest bird in the United States, measuring 3.25" in length, and a 4.25" wingspan!!  They are also uncommon, and nest between 4,000' and 11,000' in the Sierras!  So I luckily saw him while he was passing through our area!  They feed mainly on nectar and tiny insects.  The female make a tiny well-insulated nest, that holds two, tiny, .5"eggs.  The incubate their eggs for 15-16 days.  The altricial nestlings fledge about 18-21 days after they are born.  I would LOVE to see one them!  In the winter they migrate to the lower elevations and coastlines, sometimes as far south as Mexico!

Western Tanager (male) - Piranga ludoviciana

These beautiful Western Tanagers showed up this week!  The colors of these male birds are so amazing!  The females are a pale grayish lemon yellow, but I haven't photographed one yet.  They winter in southern Mexico and Central America!  They stop by my neighborhood for a few weeks, and by late May they move up-slope into the coniferous forest to nest.  I always feel like Summer has begun, when these lovely birds show up! 

Red-breasted Sapsucker - Sphyrapicus ruber 

I've seen a few of these beautiful red-headed sapsuckers in my neighborhood this week!  The coloring is very similar between the male and female birds. Both are brightly colored.  They aren't as noisy as their relatives the Northern Flickers, but they do peck tons of shallow holes, in horizontal rows, in living trees!  They feed on the sap that oozes out of these holes, as well as the insects that are attracted to the sap.  They nest in the mixed conifer zone, so hopefully that means my neighborhood!

Like other members of their woodpecker family, they excavate a new nest in a dead tree, or in a live tree with dead heartwood.  The female lays 4-7 eggs, and incubates them for 14-16 days.  The altricial nestlings fledge in a few weeks!  Maybe I'll get lucky and see some this month!

Empty Nests Again!

I have been searching and searching for active bird nests, but with no luck!  I've found about 20 nests, all unoccupied, so far!  I did see the female Brewer's Blackbird below, with a twig in her beak.  So maybe I've been looking too early!  I will keep looking, with my fingers crossed!!!

Brewer's Blackbird - Euphagus cyanocephalus

Chickaree or Douglas Tree Squirrel - Tamiasciurus douglasii

If you guessed that last week's scat was Black Bear scat, you guessed right!  I haven't seen any bears at all, even though I photographed that scat 3 weeks ago!  I haven't seen any baby mammals either, probably because they're out and about at nighttime.  However, I did see this young-looking Chickaree in my backyard!

Neither have I seen any Brown-headed Cowbirds!  

Is that a good thing?  Do lizards and snakes make sounds?  How do these reptiles communicate?  What other kinds of animal scat can be easily identified?  What other birds are out there singing?  Check back next week for the answers to these questions!