Gray Lodge Wildlife Area Revisited

Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus

About a week ago we decided to drive down to the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, for one last visit before all the birds migrated north.  When we got there almost all of the Snow Geese were gone but there were still quite a few ducks and shorebirds. As we drove around we saw a huge bird perched in one of the cottonwood trees.  When we got closer I realized it was a Bald Eagle!  Wow!!!  I have never seen one this close before!  Bald Eagles are LARGE birds, measuring 31" in height, with a wingspan of 80" (6.5 feet!)!!  Fish, waterfowl, and mammals are their main prey.  They are uncommon in our area, and it's a rare privilege to see one!

Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Congress made the Bald Eagle our national emblem in 1782.  However, within approximately 200 years, illegal shooting, habitat destruction, and poisoning from DDT brought the Bald Eagle to the brink of extinction.  

The American Eagle Foundation states: "Bald Eagles were once very common throughout most of the United States. Their population numbers have been estimated at 300,000 to 500,000 birds in the early 1700s. Their population fell to threatened levels in the continental U.S. of less than 10,000 nesting pairs by the 1950s, and to endangered levels of less than 500 pairs by the early 1960s. This population decline was caused by humans. The mass shooting of eagles, use of pesticides on crops, destruction of habitat, and contamination of waterways and food sources by a wide range of poisons and pollutants all played a role in harming the Bald Eagle's livelihood and diminishing their numbers. For many years the use of DDT pesticide on crops caused thinning of eagle egg shells, which often broke during incubation.

Strong endangered species and environmental protection laws, as well as active private, state and federal conservation efforts, have brought back the U.S.A.'s Bald Eagle population from the edge of extinction.  The use of DDT pesticide is now outlawed in the U.S.  This action has contributed greatly to the return of the Bald Eagle to America's skies.  The Bald Eagle is presently protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940, Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, and the Lacey Act.  It is listed as a "threatened" species in the lower 48 states."

Currently there is approximately 10,000 breeding pairs in mainland U.S. and approximately 35,000 breeding pairs in Alaska.  It is my sincere hope that they remain protected by laws, and that their population continues to thrive.  How lucky we were to see one these magnificent eagles!

Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podiceps

We also saw a Pied-billed Grebe!  These birds are uncommon.  I had never seen one before!  This one is an adult in its breeding colors.  "Pied" means having two or more colors.  They eat crustaceans, fish, frogs, and aquatic insects.  They forage for food underwater, as well as on the surface of ponds and bays.  Curiously they also eat a lot of their feathers!  Apparently this helps in the formation of pellets that they cast to rid their intestine of undigested material.  The Cornell Lab states:  "Regular ejection of stomach contents minimizes buildup of gastric parasite population in upper alimentary tract."  To escape predation they dive or sink slowly out of view, or hide underwater with only their eyes and nostrils just above the surface!  Together the male and female build their floating platform of a nest out of dead and rotting aquatic plants.  Additionally, they share the brooding of eggs and raising of the young.  They are fierce defenders of their nesting territory, often attacking other waterfowl from underwater!  What interesting, different habits this bird has!  I'm always so amazed at how everything has evolved so specifically! 

Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus

We also so a Killdeer on the shoreline!  They forage for earthworms, insect larvae, snails, crayfish, minnows, tree frogs, grasshoppers, beetles and small seeds in damp or wet soil.  They nest on the ground in shallow "scrapes" or depressions out in the open, which they often "decorate" with white objects (bones, pebbles, feathers...) which may help to camouflage their eggs!  To avoid predation of eggs and nestlings they have evolved several unique techniques.  "False brooding" is when an adult acts like they are sitting on a nest, but are actually just sitting on the ground. "Broken wing display" is when an uninjured bird acts injured and runs away from the nest area dragging its wing and crying piteously.  Both of these techniques are intended to lure predators away from the nest site!  Amazing!!!  I think they are just lovely with their dramatic black and white bands, and bright-red eye-ring!

Red-eared Slider - Trachemys scriptaelegans

Unfortunately we also saw several Red-eared Slider turtles.  Although these turtles are native to some areas in the southern United States, they are NOT native to California and have become a destructive invasive species in the sluggish waters of local ponds and lakes.  They are a worldwide problem, and are considered one of the top 100 invasive species in the world! 

Wikipedia states: "Invasive red-eared sliders cause negative impacts in the ecosystems they occupy because they have certain advantages over the native populations, such as a lower age at maturity, higher fecundity rates, and larger body size, which gives them a competitive advantage at basking and nesting sites, as well as when exploiting food resources. They also transmit diseases and displace the other turtle species with which they compete for food and breeding space."

It is currently illegal to sell these turtles or their eggs in the United States.  Hopefully, this will stop the further enlargement of their population.  

Pacific Chorus (treefrog) Frog - Pseudacris regilla 

Neighborhood Update!

This past week was rainy, with a total of 3.05" of rain.  This brings our water-year total to approximately 68.28".  Temperatures were warmer, and the river-flow rate increased to 2,500 cfs on Wednesday.  There are still 9+ feet of snow on Yuba Pass!  

With the warmer temperatures the tree frogs have emerged, and our neighborhood is filled with their cumulative male chorus!  Females do not croak!  Their color varies from green to brown, depending on their habitat!  They have spent the winter under decomposing leaves on the ground.  Now is their mating time.  Eggs will hatch in 1-3 weeks, and it will take 7-12 weeks for the tadpole to mature.  Spring has arrived!

 

 Hoary (Zephyr) Comma - Polygonia gracilis zephyrus

Butterflies have suddenly appeared!  The most common one is the Hoary Comma. These butterflies overwinter as adults, probably in some protected crevice.  Sometimes these butterflies can appear quite tattered in the spring, as they have lived for 8-10 months.  Most adult butterflies only live for a few weeks!  Right now Hoary Comma butterflies are mating and laying their eggs.  Ribes or Gooseberries are the plants that they usually lay their eggs on.  The caterpillars will hatch from the eggs within 5-10 days, feed on the leaves of their host plant, pupate, and emerge as adult butterflies by mid-summer!  It's nice to see them flitting around our neighborhood again!

Convergent Lady Beetles - Hippodamia convergens

The Ladybird Beetles are starting to move around now that the temperatures have warmed up.  Soon they will migrate to the lower elevations, where green plants are blooming, and aphids are plentiful!  They mated last fall, and the females will lay their eggs soon!  The eggs will hatch into larvae in 3-5 days.  The larvae will feed on plants for 2-3 weeks, and then pupate.  The pupae will hatch into adults about a week later and start eating aphids!  

Gray Fox - Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Next week I promise I'll talk about the Gray Foxes,

as well as what's happening on the river, and

what other birds have migrated to our neighborhood!

Check back next week for the answers to these questions and more!

If suddenly you stop getting my blog in your email, you need to sign up again. This is a glitch with blogspot.com, and I can't figure out how to fix it. Thanks!

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated. 

Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com!