North Yuba River 5/16/19
This week the weather totally changed! We had day after day of clouds and rain, and the daytime temperature dropped into the 60's. Our total rainfall this week, as of Sunday afternoon, was 3.92"! The river is a chilly 42°, and is flowing at 3700 cfs! Up at Yuba Pass it even snowed a few inches! The forecast is for more rain this coming week, and even cooler temperatures. Overnight lows are predicted to be in the 30's at our elevation, and in the 50's during the day!
Today we woke up to an inch of newly fallen snow, and the power was out! That's why this blog is late! All the snow melted by 9:00 am, and the power came back on at 5:00 pm. Yahoo!
Raindrops on Pine needles
Brewer's Blackbirds (male, left - female, right)
Euphagus cyanocephalus
Nesting News!
This rainy, cold weather is coming just when many birds have eggs or nestlings in their nests. It will make it difficult for the birds to find insects to feed their nestlings, as it will be too cold for most insects to be active. Keeping warm is also going to be more difficult for them in the cold rain. I must confess that I am worried about them! I've been putting out extra seed for the adults birds to eat. Luckily everything is leafed-out, so there is a lot of protective canopy. I've also done some research, and have found that birds are not as vulnerable as I thought they might be. They have several strategies to survive cold, wet weather. They tend to remain inactive as much as possible to conserve energy. They perch out of the wind and rain in sheltered areas. They also eat as much as they can during breaks in the weather, to hold them over during the night or further storms. It turns out that they are also "waterproof" to a point! The following quote, from https://ornithology.org, explains it well.
"Birds are waterproof. Their feathers, made of protein similar to our fingernails, have interlocking barbs to make them both flexible and water resistant. Feathers overlap one another like roofing tiles to make the bird both aerodynamic and water repellent. Birds also have an oil gland at the base of their tail which they use to put a waterproof coating on their feathers. You may have seen a bird reach over its back as if it was scratching an itch on its tail; it is actually squeezing oil from the gland which it then spreads over the feathers. The outer feathers of birds protect the insulating feathers underneath, just if they were wearing a down jacket with a waterproof shell. Some birds, like egrets, have what is called “powder down”, fine granules like talcum powder that are produced by the decomposition of special down feathers and repel water."
This morning all the birds were just fine, despite the weather! Yahoo!
"Birds are waterproof. Their feathers, made of protein similar to our fingernails, have interlocking barbs to make them both flexible and water resistant. Feathers overlap one another like roofing tiles to make the bird both aerodynamic and water repellent. Birds also have an oil gland at the base of their tail which they use to put a waterproof coating on their feathers. You may have seen a bird reach over its back as if it was scratching an itch on its tail; it is actually squeezing oil from the gland which it then spreads over the feathers. The outer feathers of birds protect the insulating feathers underneath, just if they were wearing a down jacket with a waterproof shell. Some birds, like egrets, have what is called “powder down”, fine granules like talcum powder that are produced by the decomposition of special down feathers and repel water."
This morning all the birds were just fine, despite the weather! Yahoo!
American Robin - Brewer's Blackbird
Turdus migratorius - Euphagus cyanocephalus
The Steller's Jays that are nesting off of our back porch, are feeding their nestlings now!!! Yahoo! We've been watching them fly in and out from their nest, through the screen door on our porch! I haven't taken any photos, because I don't want to disturb them. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the nestlings thrive! It's so exciting!
I also spotted two new nests that are occupied! One is an American Robin nest, and the other is a Brewer's Blackbird nest!!! I can zoom in on both of the nests from quite a distance, so I can take a photo without disturbing them! I still only go and look at the nests every few days, and then only for less than a minute. If you repeatedly look at the same bird nest, you can give away its location to a predator.
Red-breasted Sapsucker - Sphyrapicus ruber
The Red-breasted Sapsucker down the road is no longer chipping wood out of it's nest in the telephone pole. Maybe it is incubating its eggs right now! I just happened to see it poke its head out one evening! Wow!!! Cavity nests are probably nice and snug in stormy weather! I'll keep you posted on future developments!
Bullock's Oriole (female, left - male, right) - Icterus bullockii
Bullock's Orioles on Hummingbird Feeders!
For the first time this week I saw a pair of Bullock's Orioles repeatedly feed at our hummingbird feeders!!! I have read that Orioles frequently feed at hummingbird feeders, but never saw it happen before! It was so fun to watch!
Western Fence Lizard (male) - Sceloporus occidentalis
Reptiles!
Before the weather got cold, I was seeing lots of lizards and snakes in our area, way more than usual! I've seen several Garter Snakes and two Yellow-bellied Racers. My neighbor saw one Rattlesnake and a Rubber Boa! I saw lots of Western Fence Lizards on the rocks down by the river, and up at the cemetery. It was turning out to be a big reptile year! That's all changed since the weather got cold, but they'll be active again once it warms up.
All of the following quoted information is from www.californiaherps.org., a great website for information on reptiles and amphibians, and lots of good photos.
Western Fence Lizard - Sceloporus occidentalis
"Males have blue markings on the sides of the belly edged in black, and two blue patches on the throat. Females have faint or absent blue markings on the belly. Males establish and defend a territory containing elevated perches where they can observe mates and potential rival males. Males defend their territory and try to attract females with head-bobbing and a push-up display that exposes the blue throat and ventral colors. Territories are ultimately defended by physical combat with other males. Courtship and copulation typically occurs from March to June. Egg laying occurs 2 - 4 weeks after copulation. Females dig small pits in loose damp soil where they lay 1 - 3 clutches of 3 - 17 eggs usually from May to July. Eggs hatch in about 60 days, usually from July to September.
They eat small, mostly terrestrial, invertebrates such as crickets, spiders, ticks, and scorpions, and occasionally eats small lizards including its own species.
In California, western black-legged ticks (deer ticks) are the primary carriers of Lyme disease. Very tiny nymphal deer ticks are more likely to carry the disease than adults. A protein in the blood of Western Fence Lizards kills the bacterium in these nymphal ticks when they attach themselves to a lizard and ingest the lizard's blood. This could explain why Lyme disease is less common in California than it is in some areas such as the Northeastern states, where it is epidemic."
Southern Alligator Lizard - Elgaria multicarinata
"Southern Alligator Lizards have large scales, a long alligator-like snout, light-colored eyes, and a longitudinal fold on the lower sides of the body. They can be fairly large in size. Active during daylight, they are frequently seen moving on the ground, and occasionally up in bushes. Alligator lizards do not typically bask in the sun out in the open or on top of a rock like many other lizard species."
I saw this Alligator Lizard down at Rice's Crossing in the foothills. There's not much difference in appearance between the male and female Alligator Lizards. Eggs are usually laid between May and June, and hatch during late summer and early fall. Females lay two clutches of eggs per year, often in decaying wood or plant matter to keep them warm. Females will guard the eggs until they hatch. They eat small arthropods, slugs, lizards, small mammals, and occasionally young birds and eggs.
Western Yellow-bellied Racer - Coluber constrictor mormon
"Diurnal, often seen actively foraging in the daytime with head and forward part of the body held up off the ground searching for prey with its acute vision. Climbs vegetation and seeks shelter in burrows, rocks, or woody debris. Very fast-moving and alert, quickly fleeing when threatened, this snake is difficult to get close to.
Eats lizards, small rodents, small birds, frogs, salamanders, small snakes. Lays eggs in late spring or early summer which hatch in two to three months."
I photographed this dead Yellow-bellied Racer a few years ago. They move so fast it's impossible to get a "live" photograph! These snakes are non-poisonous but will bite if handled.
Rubber Boa (young) - Charina bottae
"Rubber Boas are nocturnal and crepuscular, sometimes active in daylight.
Sometimes active in weather that would be too cold for most reptiles, with surface temperatures in the 50's. A good burrower, climber and swimmer. Often found under logs, boards and other debris, sometimes on roads at dusk. The tail is short and blunt and looks like a head. When threatened, the snake hides its head in its coiled body, and elevates the tail to fool an attacker into attacking the tail. Snakes with scarred tails are common. Known to live as long as 40 - 50 years in the wild. Eats small mammals, birds, salamanders, lizards, snakes, and possibly frogs. Bears 1-9 live young between August and November. Young snakes are pink or tan, and can be brightly-colored."
I photographed this young rubber boa up in the Lakes Basin a few years ago. These snakes are non-poisonous and quite docile when handled.
Sierra Valley wetland 5/17/19
Sierra Valley Revisited
On Friday, there was a break in weather so we drove over to Sierra Valley. We saw lots of wildflowers and birds! The rain clouds heightened the dramatic beauty of the valley! It was just gorgeous!
Red-winged Blackbird - Yellow-headed Blackbirds - Yellow-headed Blackbird
male - females - male
Agelaius phoeniceus - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
Red-winged blackbirds and Yellow-headed Blackbirds often associate with each other. Both species like to live in agricultural fields and wetlands, and feed on the insects and grains found there. They are both polygynandrous, males and females have multiple mates. Red-winged Blackbirds will have up to 15 female mates, while Yellow-Headed Blackbirds have up to 6 female mates. In both cases only the females make the nests, incubate the eggs, and brood the young. Both parents feed the nestlings, but the females do most of the feeding. The Red-winged Blackbirds live across the U.S. year-round. The Yellow-headed Blackbirds spend their winters in Mexico! The males of both of these birds are strikingly colored. They are just gorgeous!
Sierra Valley dry land 5/17/19
Wildflowers!
All though the valley wasn't in full bloom, there were still quite a few wildflowers to enjoy. The flowers differed from the wetlands to the dry land areas.
Hooker's Balsam Root - Lemmon's Onion - Common Camas Lily
Balsamorhiza hookeri - Allium lemmonii - Camassia quamash
Hooker's Balsam Root was blooming profusely in the dry areas. I'd seen it in Carmen Valley a few weeks ago, but not in Sierra Valley. The flowers smell like chocolate!!! They REALLY do! Check them out the next time you see one!
Lemmon's Onion and a few Camas Lilies were growing in a damp area. Both of these plants were used by the Native Americans. They used the onion like we use onions. The camas bulbs were probably the most important bulb utilized by the Native Americans. They were used as a trade item between tribes. Areas where these bulbs were abundant were sometimes fought over. The bulbs were roasted and then dried or mashed, and baked as cakes. I only saw five of these flowers in one area. I've been in other local, wet meadows where thousands of camas bloom! Sierra Valley is grazed by cattle, which might be the reason I only saw a few camas plants growing there.
Hooker's Balsam Root was blooming profusely in the dry areas. I'd seen it in Carmen Valley a few weeks ago, but not in Sierra Valley. The flowers smell like chocolate!!! They REALLY do! Check them out the next time you see one!
Lemmon's Onion and a few Camas Lilies were growing in a damp area. Both of these plants were used by the Native Americans. They used the onion like we use onions. The camas bulbs were probably the most important bulb utilized by the Native Americans. They were used as a trade item between tribes. Areas where these bulbs were abundant were sometimes fought over. The bulbs were roasted and then dried or mashed, and baked as cakes. I only saw five of these flowers in one area. I've been in other local, wet meadows where thousands of camas bloom! Sierra Valley is grazed by cattle, which might be the reason I only saw a few camas plants growing there.
Caterpillar - Ceanothus Silk Moth
species unknown - Hyalophora euryalis
There were lots of theses caterpillars climbing on the willows at the edge of the wetlands. I don't know what kind of caterpillar this is, but I posted it on www.bugguide.org, and hopefully they will identify it for me. I'll let you know what they determine.
This Ceanothus Moth cocoon was also on the willows. I didn't see any of the adult Moths, so maybe this is an old cocoon in which a caterpillar overwintered. I didn't check to see if it was occupied or not. The adult moths are over 5"-6" wide! They are the largest of the Saturniid, or Giant Silkworm, Moths. As adults their mouth parts are reduced and adults do not feed. They exist to mate and lay eggs!
Native Americans used the cocoons to make ceremonial rattles. Several cocoons were attached to one or both ends of a stick, which was sometimes decorated with feathers.
What other birds have nests with babies?
Are bugs are out and about?
Where are the foxes, deer, and bears?
Check back next week for the answers to these questions and more!
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