Sunset Clouds 5/4/19
We got a couple of early-evening rain showers in the last 10 days, that added up to almost a tenth of an inch of rain. It hasn't rained since April 5th! The rain-dampened earth smelled wonderful, and the dramatic sunset-colored clouds were incredible! Most of the days have been sunny and warm, with temperatures ranging from the 70's during the day to the 40's at night. Just perfect!
Rainbow 5/6/19
To our delight, a rainbow appeared briefly as the sun was setting on Monday!
Yellow-breasted Chat - Western Tanager
Icteria virens - Piranga ludoviciana
Local Birds
Colorful new birds keep arriving in our neighborhood! This week I spotted a Yellow-breasted Chat and a Western Tanager! Both of these birds have migrated approximately 4,000 miles from Central America to (hopefully!) breed and nest in our neighborhood! WOW!!!
Yellow-breasted Chats are really uncommon in our area. They usually nest in the foothills! At one time, these birds were common in the foothills and central valley of California during the breeding season. However, brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds and habitat destruction have reduced their numbers. I was so excited to see one in our neighborhood this week! They are more often heard than seen, as they are secretive and tend to live in dense tangles of vegetation. In the morning and evening, this male's LOUD, constantly-changing song makes me smile! The Cornell Ornithology Lab describes their song as, "a collection of whistles, cackles, mews, catcalls, caw notes, chuckles, rattles, squawks, gurgles, and pops." It is so fun to hear! Only the males sing. I initially thought that chats must be big, because they have the loudest song in the neighborhood, but they are only 7.5" long, about the size of a Mountain Bluebird! The males arrive at the breeding ground ahead of the females. Mating occurs as soon as the females arrive. Only the female builds the nest (low to the ground in tangled vegetation), incubates the 3-5 eggs, and broods the young. Both parents will feed the nestlings. I have only seen one singing male in our area. I sure hope there's a female around too!
Tropically-colored, male Western Tanagers showed up just a few days ago! Their beautiful red feathers are colored from pigments found in the insects they eat, that have themselves acquired the pigment from plants! I watched two males (one immature, one adult) hawk insects out of the air on Wednesday evening! They will also eat fruits and berries in season. They are about the same size as a Yellow-breasted Chat. Just the males sing, but their song isn't as loud or as variable as a Chat. Only the females build the nests (usually high up on the branch of a conifer), incubate the eggs (3-5), and brood the young. Both parents will feed the nestlings. We have had a pair of nesting Western Tanagers in our neighborhood for several years. We are so lucky to have them here! Such beauty!
Yellow Warbler (male) - Setophaga petechia
I spotted this male Yellow Warbler in a willow thicket, where it was gleaning insects off the leaves. Its bright, sunflower-yellow feathers made it easy to spot! This is another long-distance migrant. Yellow Warblers overwinter as far south as Panama! In the summer, they breed and nest across North America, even up to the arctic! Maybe this one will nest in our neighborhood! They are small birds, only 5" in length, with a soft buzzy song. They feed on midges, caterpillars, and other insects in the summer. In the winter they also feed on nectar and pollen, down in Central America. Only the females build the nests (in the fork of a bush or sapling), incubate the eggs, and brood the young. Both parents feed the nestlings.
Males: Evening Grosbeak - Bullock's Oriole - Black-headed Grosbeak
Coccothraustes vespertinus - Icterus bullockii - Pheucticus melanocephalus
A few weeks ago I featured photos of the above bird species, but only the males. Below you will find the corresponding females. As you can see, these birds are all sexually dimorphic, with the males being the most dramatically colored.
Females: Evening Grosbeak - Bullock's Oriole - Black-headed Grosbeak
Coccothraustes vespertinus - Icterus bullockii - Pheucticus melanocephalus
However, the females themselves are gorgeous and quite colorful on their own!
Arroyo/Suculent Lupine - Applegate's Paintbrush - Silverleaf Lupine
Lupinus succulentus - Castelleja applegatei - Lupinus obtusilobus
Wildflowers!
Wildflowers are blossoming everywhere! The highway is bordered with lupine, paintbrush, Blue Dicks and more! In the forest, buttercups and several different lilies are blooming! More flowers will show up soon! Now is the time to get out and explore! It's lovely!
Wildflowers are blossoming everywhere! The highway is bordered with lupine, paintbrush, Blue Dicks and more! In the forest, buttercups and several different lilies are blooming! More flowers will show up soon! Now is the time to get out and explore! It's lovely!
Scarlet Fritillary - California Buttercup - False Solomon's Seal
Fritillaria recurva - Ranunculus californicus - Maianthemum racemosa
Arrow-leaved Balsam Root - Blue Dicks - Yellow Cat's Ear/Star Tulip
Balsamohriza sigittata - Dichelostemma capitatum - Calochortus monophyllus
South Yuba River and Poppies 5/15/17
South Yuba River State Park
We went for hike down in the foothills to catch the last of the Spring bloom and were amazed at the hundreds of flowers we found, especially on the north-facing slopes! I highly recommend going there in the near future before it dries up! It's gorgeous!
Chinese Houses - Pretty Face - Twining Brodiaea
Collinsia heterophylla - Triteleia ixioides - Dichelostemma volubile
Hairy/Winter Vetch - Indian Pink - Globe Gilia
Vicia villosa - Silene californica - Gilia capitata
(American Lady Butterfly - Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly - Beetle, unknown species)
Western Kingbird - White-breasted Nuthatch - Oriole (sp)
Tyrannus verticalis - Sitta carolinensis - Icterus sp.
We saw a White-breasted Nuthatch, a year-round foothill resident, as well as a Western Kingbird and an Oriole, both long-distance migrants!
Yellow-headed Blackbirds (males)
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
Sierra Valley & Carmen Valley
This week we went to Sierra Valley and Carmen Valley to check out the birds and flowers. We saw many birds as well as the beginning of the Spring bloom. I love the big sky and the crowds of swallows at the Steel Bridge! The whole area is so alive! We'll be going back again soon and I'll let you know what we find. Can't wait!
This week we went to Sierra Valley and Carmen Valley to check out the birds and flowers. We saw many birds as well as the beginning of the Spring bloom. I love the big sky and the crowds of swallows at the Steel Bridge! The whole area is so alive! We'll be going back again soon and I'll let you know what we find. Can't wait!
Hooker's Balsam Root - California Hesperochiron - Water Plantain Buttercup
Balsalmorhiza hookeri - Hesperochiron californicus - Ranunculus alismifolius
White-faced Ibis - Plegadis chihi
Bullock's Oriole (female) - Steller's Jay - Red-breasted Sapsucker
Icterus bullockii - Cyanocitta stelleri - Sphyrapicus ruber
Nesting News
We were down in our garden one evening when a female Bullock's Oriole landed in our neighbor's garden across the street. I took a few quick photos, and only realized later that she was getting a piece of fishing line off his fence! They use fishing line a lot in their nests, and will often take it out of an old nest to use in a new nest! How fun to see her collecting some!
To my surprise we have a pair of Steller's Jays nesting right out our back porch (center photo above)! A female is on the nest all day, with a male occasionally showing up to feed her! How exciting! A few years ago, I watched a tree squirrel rob the eggs out of a Steller's Jay's nest, while the parent birds hopped and screeched at the squirrel. I really hope that doesn't happen with this nest! I'll keep you posted!
The Red-breasted Sapsucker is still hammering away at it's nest. The female should move in soon and lay her eggs! It's so exciting to have them in such a visible area!
North Yuba River 5/9/19
How cold and fast is the river?
What bugs are out and about?
Where are the foxes, deer, and bears?
Where are the foxes, deer, and bears?
Check back next week for the answers to these questions and more!
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