I spent a whole day on the North Yuba River this past week! It was SO beautiful! It's still fast and cold, but I did jump in for a few minutes! Lots of different critters were active along the shore, as well as in the river!
Side-blotch Lizard - Uta stansburiana Foothill Yellow-legged Frog - Rana boylei
I am not a herpetologist, so my identification of these critters may not be correct. Why don't you try to figure out what species these herptiles are?
Let me know what you find out!
The Side-blotched Lizard (above left) was sunning himself on the boulders along the river. They like to eat scorpions, ticks, spiders, mites, sowbugs, and insects. They are primarily ground dwellers, and are one of the most commonly found lizards
in my neighborhood.
The Foothill Yellow-legged Frog (above right) jumped into the water along the edge of the river when I approached. They prefer to live along rivers and streams, not ponds. They mate from April to late June, but do not lay their eggs until the local streams and rivers subside. They eat moths, ants, grasshoppers, hornets, beetles, flies,
water striders, and snails!
I also caught a glimpse of this Western Yellow-bellied Racer Snake (above) as he zipped by! Perhaps he was out looking for something to eat. They prefer to eat rodents, frogs, toads, lizards, and other snakes. Even though they have the word "constrictus" in their Latin name, they are not constrictors! What did I tell you a few months ago about their hunting methods? Let me know what you remember!
Swallowtail Butterflies - Papilio sp.
These male Swallowtail Butterflies are "puddling". They are sipping nutrients from the damp soil near the river's edge. Only the male Swallowtail Butterflies practice this behavior! Why don't the females "puddle"? Let me know what you think!
Western Aquatic Garter Snake - Thamnophis couchii
I was just about to grab onto this dead tree, to navigate a deep spot in the river, when I realized there was a Western Aquatic Garter Snake draped along the branches! It was easily 4.5 feet long! What a surprise that was! I wasn't worried about getting bit by the snake, as they generally want to get well away from you, and they aren't poisonous. I waded back to shore and watched it for another 5 minutes while it unhurriedly slipped into the river! How fun!
Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularia
This Spotted Sandpiper (above) was walking along the edge of the river, and flew out to the rocks in the middle as I approached. The spots are very obvious on its breast, which makes this bird easy to identify! It is the most widespread, breeding, fresh water shorebird in North America!
They are usually solitary, except during the breeding season. Uniquely, the males incubate the eggs and raise the young, while the female defends the territory! They may be monogamous or the female may practice polyandry, and mate with up to 4 different males! The nest is a shallow 2"-3" depression on the ground, under broad-leaved plants, located within 100 yards from the shore of a river or stream. The young are born precocial, with downy feathers, open eyes, and the ability to walk and eat within one day of being born!
Sandpipers feed on aquatic insects, midges, grasshoppers, beetles, worms and snails. They infrequently dive underwater and feed on the bottom of a river! I'm going to go back to the river and spend a LOT more time watching this Sandpiper! I'd love to watch it dive underwater! Maybe I might even find a nest or two!
Twelve-spotted Skipper - Libellula pulchella Dragonfly nymph exoskeletons
This beautiful dragonfly landed right next to where I was watching that Western Aquatic Garter Snake! Such fancy elaborate markings it had! Dragonflies are born underwater from gelatinous "eggs", that are laid on submerged plant stems in lakes and ponds, not rivers! Nymphs will hatch from the eggs and live underwater for several years. In Spring, the nymphs will crawl out of the water on a plant stem. They will stay there for some time while their exoskeleton dries and cracks down the middle of their back. The adult dragonfly will emerge from this dried exoskeleton, pump up their wings, dry off, and fly away. As an adult, dragonflies feed on a wide variety of flying insects. They catch prey with their legs, and eat them while they are still airborne! The adults may only live for a few days or a week! Why do you think dragonflies are commonly seen hovering over rivers,
even though they are born in ponds?
Nesting News!
As of today, Saturday, July 8th, the American Robin (above) is still on her nest! Her eggs should hatch soon! I'll keep you posted! This is the only occupied nest that I've found in our neighborhood recently. Most of the other local birds have completed their nesting season for the year. Right now, in preparation for their Fall migration, they are busy eating, gaining weight, and molting their feathers!
American Robin (Juvenile) Black-headed Grosbeak Band-tailed Pigeon
Cherry Eaters!
The last of the cherries were eaten by the local birds (above) this week! Surprisingly I didn't see any Orioles! In fact I haven't seen any Orioles since the nestlings fledged a few weeks ago. Maybe they'll come back when the blackberries ripen up!
I'll keep you posted!
Leopard Lily - Lilium pardalinum
What's Blooming?
Except for the shady creek side areas, everything has dried up around here! Along our open water ditch, there are places where these lovely Leopard Lilies (above) are blooming! I even watched a hummingbird feed on them, but it was too quick for me to get a photo! They grow from bulbs, and bloom in the Summer. They are one of my all time favorite wildflowers!
These lilies are frequently, incorrectly named "Tiger Lilies."
Leopard Lilies and Tiger Lilies look alike, but they are not the same plant. Leopard Lilies are native to California, whereas Tiger Lilies are native to Asia. So if you come across an orange lily with brown spots, in a wet meadow or stream side area in California, odds are it is a Leopard Lily!
Giant Stream Orchid - Epipactis gigantea
I had to drive a little higher in elevation to find this beautiful wild orchid! It grows along one shady, wet stretch of highway 49, about 2 miles above Downieville. These orchids have formed a colony of several thousand plants in this area! They reproduce through rhizomes and seeds. The flowers themselves are about 1.5" in length, quite a bit larger than other local native orchids. I've never seen these orchids in any other area, in all my years of exploring!
I haven't seen any bears or rattlesnakes, although my neighbors have! Maybe this week I'll see them!
Are there insects living in the river?
Are there insects living in this creek?
What are the hummingbirds feeding on besides Leopard Lilies?
What else is blooming?
Check back next week for the answers to these questions and more!
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