A Rainbow of Feathers!

Anna's Hummingbird - Calypte anna

A lot of migratory songbirds have returned to our area in the last few weeks. Some have traveled quite a distance from their winter habitat, to mate and raise their young here.  I am always thrilled to see them return to our neighborhood!

It's mating time and many of the male birds are brilliantly colored and gorgeous! Studies have shown that most female birds prefer brightly colored mates! 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. Birds rely on their coloration and feathers to communicate with others of their kind, especially during mating season. 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!

  

Additionally, it's been recently 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!

Anna's Hummingbird - Calypte anna

Anna's Hummingbirds migrate up to our area from their winter 

residence in the foothills, or from as far away as the Arizona desert. 

What makes the different colors in bird feathers?

The following excerpts from https://www.audubon.org/news/what-makes-bird-feathers-so-colorfully-fabulous and https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/how-birds-make-colorful-feathers/ explain the source of the main colors in bird feathers.

"Structural Colors: Adding to the diversity of avian colors are colors produced by the structure of the feather. Instead of pigments, these colors are produced as light is refracted by the proteins in the feather. All hummingbirds have prism-like cells in their feathers of their neck, forehead, and back, which cause the metallic, iridescent sheen to their feathers. The iridescent colors are the result of the refraction of incident light caused by the microscopic structure of the feather barbules. The refraction works like a prism, splitting the light into rich, component colors. As the viewing angle changes, the refracted light becomes visible in a glowing, shimmering iridescent display. Many species of birds have feathers that exhibit iridescent colors."

Western Bluebird - Sialia mexicanus  

Western Bluebirds spend the winter in the California foothills, across Arizona and New Mexico, or may even migrate down to Central America!  A small number of them arrive in our neighborhood every spring to breed and raise their young.  

"Not all structural colors are iridescent. Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jays and Steller’s Jays."

Cassin's Finch - Haemorhous cassinii

Cassin's Finches are not common in our area, but pass through here at this time of year.  Some will breed at higher elevations in the western Sierra, but are more commonly found year-round in the Rockies and eastern Cascade Mountains.

"Pigmentation: Pigments are colored substances that can be found in both plants and animals. The coloration created by pigments is independent of the structure of the feather. Warm colors come straight out of the food birds eat. Carotenoids create most of the reds, oranges, and yellows in birds. There are more than 600 types of carotenoids, and they all require photosynthesis to make, so birds have to borrow them from plants and a few types of bacteria and fungi.

Birds cannot produce carotenoids on their own. For feathers with bright colors, birds must consume food items that contain these pigments, and the carotenoids circulate through the bloodstream and to the feather follicles. Birds' bodies do not have direct cellular control of synthesizing and depositing carotenoids; nor do they have control of the specialized feather structures, which react to the consumed carotenoids with a mechanism that is not regulated by specialized cells."

Red-breasted Sapsucker - Syraphicus ruber

Red-breasted Sapsuckers are found year-round on the west coast of Canada, Washington, and Oregon.  Some are winter residents of California's coast and central valley, and come up to the western Sierra to breed.

Bullock's Oriole (male) - Icterus bullocki

Bullock's Orioles spend the winter in Guatemala.  They migrate to  California and the western U.S. to breed, a distance of approximately 3,000 miles!!!

Western Tanager (male)- Piranga ludoviciana

Western Tanagers spend the winter in Central America as far south as Costa Rica!  In the spring, they migrate approximately 2,800 miles to their breeding  grounds in western North America! 

Yellow Warbler - Setophaga petechia

Yellow Warblers  spend their winters in Central America, and even as far south as Columbia and Venezula in South America!  In the spring they migrate approximately 3,500 miles to their breeding grounds across North America!!! 

Brewer's Blackbird (male) - Euphagus cyanocephalus

Brewer's Blackbirds can be found year-round in the coast, foothills, and central valley of California.  Others migrate down to Central America in the winter.  In the spring, some of them migrate up to our area to breed, while most travel to central Canada to breed.

"Blacks and browns come from the same pigment that's in human skin. If you love the dark black of a crow or the brown stripes of an owl, you can thank a molecule called melanin: The same substance that provides color to our own skin and hair is also responsible for the darker colors on birds. Melanins are synthesized in the birds' bodies in special cells called "melanocytes," which work together with feather follicles to achieve a fine control of pigmentation. These colors are especially prevalent on birds’ flight feathers—for good reason. Melanin is very strong, and allows the hardest-working feathers to better resist wear and tear. That not only allows the bird to remain in tip-top shape, but according to a decades-old experiment, also allows it to be 4 to 9 percent more aerodynamic."

Olive-sided Flycatcher - Contopus cooperi

The Olive-sided Flycatcher travels approximately 5,000 miles one-way to reach our neighborhood, from its winter residence in Panama or the Andes Mountains in South America!!! Some will nest here, while others will travel farther north up into Alaska and Canada to breed!

Scorpion - Paruroctonus spp.

Like the Water Mite featured last week, scorpions are in the Arachnida Class, and have eight legs.  They can inflict a nasty but not usually fatal sting.  I found this one in our house!  First one ever!  Yikkes!  Wikipedia states, "Scorpions are opportunistic predators of small arthropods, although the larger kinds have been known to kill small lizards and snakes. The large pincers are studded with highly sensitive tactile hair, and the moment an insect touches these, they use their chelae (pincers) to catch the prey. Depending on the toxicity of their venom and size of their claws, they will then either crush the prey or inject it with neurotoxic venom. This will kill or paralyze the prey so the scorpion can eat it."  I caught this one in a jar and set it free outside.  Hope it stays out there!

What's blooming?

What's happening in the Lakes Basin?

Are birds starting to make nests?

Where are the Bears?

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

During these days of Covid-19 and uncertainty, I hope you are all healthy and coping with this unusual stress. Get out in nature while you have the time! It can be so healing!

Unfortunately you can no longer sign up to get my blog emailed to you. 

Something changed at Blogspot.com. Oh well...

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated!

Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com

Pond Life Update!

  Belted Kingfisher (male) - Megaceryle alcyon

It's been about two months since I wrote about the local ponds I've been watching.  Last week I visited the one closest to our home and found it to be pretty much the same with a few new residents!  

This male Belted Kingfisher is still presiding over the pond, declaring his territory with a rattling call.  Male kingfishers lack the rust-colored band across their chest, that is present in females.  Solitary except during breeding season, this Belted Kingfisher has been here all winter.  I haven't seen a female in the area, but now is the time that they would be excavating their nesting burrow.  The male does most of the excavation, but the female helps.  The subterranean burrows are usually made near the top of a vegetation free, dirt, cut-bank or cliff, and can extend for 16'-25' underground!!!  It usually takes 3-7 days or more to create the burrow.  The female lays 5-7 eggs, and the incubation period is 22 days.  Both parents feed the nestlings, which fledge after 27-29 days.  Parents continue to feed fledglings for an additional 3 weeks.  I'll check back in a week or so, and see if I can find a burrow entrance in a nearby dirt bank!  

 Wood Duck (male) - Aix sponsa

To my delight there was a pair of Wood Ducks in the pond!  I hadn't seen them there before!  They are SO beautiful!  These duck nest in the foothills of the western Sierra, usually below 3,000' - 4,000' in elevation.  They are tree-cavity nesters, but do not use abandoned woodpecker cavities.  They use natural cavities that have formed in a mature tree, often where a branch has broken off due to heart rot.  The Wood Duck is the only North American duck that regularly produces two broods in one 5-6 month breeding season!  The female lays 10-13 eggs in her feather-lined nest, anytime between March and June.  The incubation period is 30 days.  The ducklings are born precocial, and leave the nest usually within 24 hours after hatching.  They jump to the ground and their mother leads them to water, where they immediately start feeding!  After approximately 30 days, the female abandons the young ducklings, to start another brood!  This pond is in the right elevation/location for these ducks to nest.  I hope I this beautiful pair stick around!

 Wood Duck (female) - Aix sponsa

 Bufflehead (male - female) - Bucephala albeola

There were two pairs of Bufflehead Ducks swimming and diving in the pond.  Hopefully they will raise their young here!  Buffleheads are monogamous, and often stay mated for several years.  Females re-nest in the same area year after year. The tendency of an organism to stay in or habitually return to a particular area to breed and raise young is called philopatry.  They are tree-cavity nesters, usually in abandoned cavities made by Northern Flickers.  Around the first week in May, the female will lay 4-17 eggs in the nest cavity, which she has lined with feathers from her chest!  The incubation period is 30-33 days.  The young are born precocial, with their eyes open and covered in down.  They leave the nest within 24-36 hours, when their feathers are totally dried out.  They jump to the ground and their mother leads them to water, where they immediately start feeding!  After 5-6 weeks, the mother abandons them.  Typically Buffleheads nest in the boreal forests and aspen woodlands of Canada and Alaska, but since 1996 an increasing number of nesting pairs have been discovered in small mountain lakes in the northern Sierra Nevada!  I have seen Buffleheads with babies up in the Lakes Basin.  That would be so cool if they raised babies in this pond!  

 Canada Geese (mated pair) - Branta canadensis

There was a pair of Canada Geese on the pond, that has been there for a while.

It will be interesting to see if they raise their young there!  Usually, they like to forage on grasses on the ground, as well as on pond/river plants.  There's not much grass in the area of this pond, so they probably won't nest here.  I'll just have to wait and see!

 Frog eggs covered in algae - Frog eggs uncovered

   unknown species (photographed on 2/28/20) 

 Roadside Wet Ditches

It has also been awhile since I checked on the frog eggs in the ditches.  Last time I looked, in the end of February, there were eggs and frog embryos in the gelatinous masses.  Since then it snowed and rained a bunch.  Now it's warmed up and their development is progressing quickly!  I have no idea if the eggs I saw in February are the same ones I saw this week. Probably not, but I'll never know!  

Frog embryos photographed on 2/28/20 - Frog embryos photographed on 4/14/20 

The frog embryos that I saw this week were about twice as big as the ones I saw in February. Their shape had changed and they looked like little fishes!  I'll go back again this week and see if they "hatch" out as tadpoles.  It's so interesting what you can see if you just take a look, especially if you visit the same site repeatedly!

 Tadpole - Pacific Chorus/Treefrog (gray form)

sp. unknown - Pseudacris regilla

There were several adult  frogs in and on the edge of the ditches.  The most common ones were Pacific Chorus/Treefrogs.  All of them were about 1" - 2" in length.  Pretty tiny!  

Foothill Yellow-legged Frog (?) - unknown species

Rana boylei (?) - Rana sp. (?)

It was difficult to identify them.  I need to learn a lot more about all of them!

Water Mite - Greater Bee Fly
Hydrachna sp. - Bombylius major

Interesting small Critters

There were also some insects in and around the ditches.  The most conspicuous in the water, because of their color, were the tiny, bright-orange Water Mites.  Turns out these tiny critters have eight legs and are in the same class as spiders, Arachnida.  They are piercer-predators and feed on insect larva, aquatic plants, and tiny crustaceans.  The following information on their life-cycle is from the website https://www.sacsplash.org/critter/water-mite.  

"Fun facts: The larva of this red species of Water Mite is a parasite on the Water Boatman. The Water Boatman is a common insect in vernal pools. The Water Boatman helps the Water Mite larva in two ways. It shares its energy and provides a free taxi service. The Water Mite larva attaches to a Water Boatman and sucks out some of its body fluids for energy. When a Water Boatman flies to other vernal pools, it carries the Water Mite larva along. One Sacramento scientist collected 100 Water Boatmen from a vernal pool. He marked each one with a tiny drop of nail polish. Two weeks later, he found two of the marked bugs in a vernal pool 70 miles away! Any Water Mite larvae on those two Water Boatmen got a long ride to a new vernal pool.

Life cycle: Water Mites go through four stages of life: egg, larva, nymph and adult. When a vernal pool fills with water, the larvae hatch out of the eggs. Each larva needs to find a Water Boatman to parasitize. The larva will cling to the outside of a Water Boatman until the larva is fully grown. Then it drops off the host and turns into a nymph. The nymph is a predator that swims in the vernal pool. When the nymph is ready to become an adult, it clings to an underwater plant and changes into its adult form. After finding a mate, the female produces a jelly-like glob of eggs, which she attaches to a plant. Then she dies. The eggs remain there as the pool dries up. They are adapted to survive the long, hot summer. When the winter rains fill the vernal pool, the Water Mite repeats its life cycle."

_______

The most conspicuous insect I observed flying around the wet ditches (other than butterflies) were Bee Flies.  The following information on their life cycle is from the website https://www.fs.fed.us./wildflowers/pollinators

"Early, in the spring it is easy to see some furry insects flying and hovering just above ground. These are flies of the genus Bombylius, members of a large family of flies, Bombyliidae, known as bee flies. Bombylius flies are widely distributed in the northern hemisphere; they are found in North America as well as in Europe and Asia.

They are among the many flies that imitate bees. But unlike them they have only two wings instead of four, large eyes, skinny long legs and very short antennae.  They are prodigious fliers that can hover in midair, move very fast and maneuver with great skill, changing directions in the blink of an eye. They possess a stiff and long tongue, or proboscis, which they use for probing into flowers to sip their nectar while hovering in front of them. By not landing on the flower they seem to try to avoid the predators that may be hiding in them, such as crab spiders or ambush bugs. Despite barely touching the flowers some pollen sticks to their furry coat and is easily transported to other flowers.

They are visitors of some early spring flowers such as spring beauty, Claytonia virginica, the same flowers that are visited by some bees such as Andrena. They are just as efficient pollinators of these flowers as are the bees and they are more frequent visitors so, all and all, they probably pollinate more flowers than these bees.

The reason why it diligently hovers over bare ground early in the spring is that it is looking for bee nests, probably the same ones with which they compete for nectar. The bees dig tunnels and lay their eggs at their bottoms after collecting enough pollen to feed the larvae. This requires numerous trips, thus the bee fly takes advantage of the mother’s absence and lays its eggs in such nests. Making use of its flying prowess, it does not even need to land but it flicks its abdomen while hovering over the open burrow, letting one egg fall in or near it.  The fly larva finds its way to the chamber where the mother bee has laid the provisions and the egg and proceeds to feed on the stored pollen. Afterwards it devours the bee larvae; when it is fully grown, it pupates and stays inside the nest until next spring."

Scotch Broom - Cytisus scoparius

Scotch Broom an Invasive Alien

Since the recent rains, I've been pulling up lots of  Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius) bushes, a non-native, invasive species.  I've been watching it move further and further up the North Yuba River Canyon over the past several years.  Last year I cut back a big patch of Scotch Broom along the highway, and hope to get a lot more removed this year.  This is the time of year to get rid of it, when the ground is damp and they haven't gone to seed.  There are special "puller" tools available on the internet for removing large Scotch Broom bushes.  I don't have one, but right now the small bushes are easily pulled out by hand!  Scotch Broom is such a fast prolific grower that it outcompetes native shrubs, and its woody limbs provide volatile fuels for wildfire.  While I was pulling out plants, I noticed that some of them had lots of woolly galls on their stems. It turns out that gall mites have started attacking Scotch Broom and are killing them! Wow! 

 The following information, from http://www.ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=17357, explains the history and current status of these gall mites.

"Scotch broom was introduced into North America in the mid-1800s from Europe as an ornamental and for erosion control. The bright yellow flowers and rapid growth has made it a prized ornamental however its ability to out-compete native plants and form dense stands has also made it one of California's worst wildland weeds. Since its introduction it has invaded millions of acres throughout the golden state. 

The broom gall mite (Aceria genistae) which is actually not an insect but more closely related to spiders and ticks has recently taken residence on the invasive plant Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius). It attacks Scotch broom by forming small growths on the plants buds which greatly reduces the ability for it to grow and reproduce. In some areas, the gall mite has even killed large stands of broom. Native to Europe, the mite was first found on Scotch broom in the Tacoma, Washington and Portland, Oregon regions in 2005. Since that time the mite has become established throughout western Washington and Oregon and even into parts of British Columbia. As of 2013 the mite had been found as far south as Ashland, Oregon with no occurrences in California. 

However, beginning in 2014, the mite has been found in many areas throughout El Dorado, Placer and Nevada counties in California. How the tiny insect got there is another mystery. The mites are nearly invisible to the naked eye and only measure about 50-60 µm or roughly the width of a human hair. Mites are known to travel long distances by wind currents or by animals, humans and equipment.

If you suspect evidence of Scotch broom gall mites, the University of California Cooperative Extension asks that you report it on their website http://ucanr/edi/broomgallmite."

If everyone got out and pulled out 50 or 100 of these plants, the benefits would be huge! So if you're looking for something to do, get out there and start pulling!

I'll talk about this critter next week!

What's blooming?

What's happening in the Lakes Basin?

Are birds starting to make nests?

Where are the Bears?

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

During these days of Covid-19 and uncertainty, I hope you are all healthy and coping with this unusual stress. Get out in nature while you have the time! It can be so healing!

Unfortunately you can no longer sign up to get my blog emailed to you. 

Something changed at Blogspot.com. Oh well...

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated!

Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com

The River Corridor

Osprey - Pandion haliaetus

Just this morning I came across this spectacular Osprey sunning itself above the river!  WOW!!!  It had its wings stretched out and really lowered!  I've never seen an osprey do this before!  They plunge feet first into rivers and lakes, up to a depth of 3', in their pursuit of fish.  Obviously, they can get really wet!  I watched this Osprey for about half an hour, until it folded its dried wings back into place and flew off!  It was such an incredible experience! 

Every year an Osprey appears in our neighborhood in the spring, and spends the entire summer on our river.  I have frequently seen one perched on this dead tree.  I think it must be the same one, but I'll never know for sure.  Apparently, most Ospreys spend the winter on the coastal areas, rivers, and lakes of Central and South America!  They are known to breed farther north in Oregon, Washington, Canada and Alaska.  This one must be an exception to the rule!  I was thrilled to see an Osprey back in our neighborhood!

Mountain Lion Track - Felis concolor / Stormy Sunrise

Right in the area above the river, from which I was observing the Osprey, I found Mountain Lion tracks in the snow!  They were HUGE, a little less than 5" wide!  The distance covered by four footprints was more than 5'!  I followed the tracks for 100 yards until they dropped down into a steep forested slope.  I didn't see the Mountain Lion, but my neighbors have seen one twice in the past two weeks!  They also found the remains of a fox that it had apparently killed and eaten!  Wow!  I have only seen one in my entire lifetime, crossing the highway at night!  They are mainly nocturnal, but have been seen during the day and in the evening.  I would love to see one, from a good distance!  (The sunrise, above right, was a dramatically beautiful sight this morning!)

Canada Geese - Branta canadensis

In the same spot earlier this week, I spotted two Canada Geese in the river alternately dunking their heads underwater!  They did it over and over!  First one would dunk its head, and then the other one would dunk its head!  I thought this was quite unusual, as it was a behavior I had never observed before.  

Canada Geese mating - Branta canadensis

I stayed and watched and sure enough, within another minute of head dunking the male climbed up on top of the female and mated!  The mating only lasted for a few seconds, and then they just went back their normal behavior!  Wow!!!  These lovely, elegant, large geese mate for life!  What a great sighting!

Common Goldeneye (2 males - 1 female) - Bucephala clangula

A little bit farther down the river, there is a big wide-open, unforested slope that drops down to a straight stretch of the North Yuba River.  I have watched Common Goldeneyes foraging on this part of the river all winter long.  They like to eat fish, crustaceans, aquatic insects, molluscs, tubers, and seeds.  

Common Goldeneye - one on the surface, three underwater

Bucephala clangula

Luckily last week, before the snow melted, the river was quite shallow and I was able to watch them forage underwater on the river bottom!  They kept their wings pressed to their sides underwater, and swam with their webbed feet!  First one would dive, and then the rest would follow.  It was so cool to watch them probe under and around the river rocks!  Such amazing beauty!

 Common Merganser (male - female) - Mergus merganser

The Common Merganser males are in their full mating plumage and have paired with a female.  These mergansers pair off in the winter, and sometimes keep the same partner for several years.  The female will lay 6-17 eggs in a tree cavity sometime between May and June.  The incubation period for the eggs is 28-35 days.  So we should see ducklings in June or July!  Only the female cares for the young.

 Common Merganser (male - female) - Mergus merganser

Luckily I was on the bridge when these mergansers flew by.  

Interesting how they hold their wings as they fly down the river corridor!

American Pipit - Anthus rubescens

My friend and I walked down to a lovely beach on the river this week.  While we were there, two of these little (6" long) birds were foraging on the beach.  We didn't know what they were, but inaturalist.org identified them for me as American Pipits.  I have never seen them before, and apparently they are on the way to their breeding grounds in the high Arctic or perhaps alpine areas in the Sierra!  The following information is from allaboutbirds.org.  How lucky we were to have seen them!

"American Pipits are among the very few species of American songbirds that nest in both Arctic tundra and alpine meadows. American Pipits nest in tundra in the far North, including grassy meadows and dwarf shrub habitat. Farther south, they nest at high elevations including alpine and subalpine meadows, boulder fields, and fell fields (scree slopes above timberline). American Pipits eat mostly insects and their larvae, including mayflies, caddisflies, lacewings, stoneflies, dragonflies, moths, butterflies, grasshoppers, ants, aphids, and beetles."

After the Storm

Weather Update!

Last Sunday we got another 6" of heavy wet snow!  Our total precipitation for the week was another 4.04", bringing us to a water-year total of 33.94".  We had several gray and cloudy days during the week, but now we're into a sunny stretch!  If feels great!  Hopefully spring weather is here to stay!


Brewer's Blackbirds (male-female) - Sharp-shinned Hawk - Downy Woodpecker (male)
Euphagus cyanocephalus - Accipiter striatus - Dryobates pubescens

When the sun came out, so did the birds!  They love to perch in the top of my neighbor's walnut tree.  The first bird I saw in the morning was a Sharp-shinned Hawk!  Wow!  I haven't seen one here before!  It was up in the top of the tree, probably surveying the surrounding area for potential prey, including songbirds!  New birds are showing up all the time.  I'll write more about them next week!

Sierra Buttes - 4/10/20

Yesterday, we drove up to the Buttes to see how much new snow had fallen, and were happy to see that they were just as snowy as a month ago!  It will be a while before we're hiking up there again!  Yahoo!  So glad we have a good snowpack in April!

What's this?

What's blooming?

What's happening at the ponds and ditches?

Are birds starting to make nests?

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

During these days of Covid-19 and uncertainty, I hope you are all healthy and coping with this unusual stress. Get out in nature while you have the time! It can be so healing!

Unfortunately you can no longer sign up to get my blog emailed to you. 

Something changed at Blogspot.com. Oh well...

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated!

Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com

A Wet Spring!

Northern Flicker (female) - Colaptes auratus

Since March 15th, it's been snowy, rainy, and cold with a few sunny days interspersed! More rain is predicted for this coming week, and it's snowing heavily right now! If this wet weather continues into May, the threat of drought and fire will be greatly reduced! We received about 2.27" of rain/snow this past week, bringing our water-year total to 29.90". The 2.5' of snow, from the previous heavy snowstorm of 2 weeks ago, has melted and the river is up slightly. Up in the Lakes Basin there are several feet of new snow on the ground, substantially increasing our snowpack!

The wet, cold weather has caused some delays in the flowering of plants, the activity of insects, and the seasonal migration of birds!  Typically, this is the time of year where there are lots of blossoms on the fruit trees, and tons of insects in the air.  It is also when some of our winter residents move on to their breeding/nesting territories,  and non-resident birds migrate through.

Dark-eyed Junco  (male) -  Dark-eyed Junco with feather pigment mutation

Junco hyemalis - subspecies "Oregon"

The Dark-eyed Juncos have usually migrated to higher elevations by now, but are currently staying in our neighborhood due to the recent snows.  I spotted the unusual Junco on the right, because of its distinct pigmentation.  It had a lot more white on its face than a "normal" junco.  Pigment mutation in birds can be caused by genetics (eg.defects in pigment cells during development), diet, or injury (damaged feathers that are re-grown can lack pigment).  This Junco has "leucism".  Leucism is when a bird has one or many abnormal white feathers, but still retains its normal eye and skin color. 

Mountain Chickadee - Poecile gambeli

The Mountain Chickadees left for higher elevations a few weeks ago, but have now returned!  They'll leave for their breeding areas when the weather warms up! 

Varied Thrush (male - female) - Ixoreus naevius

These beautiful Varied Thrushes pass through our neighborhood in the Spring and Fall, on their seasonal migrations.  This year, this pair of Thrushes has been around longer than usual due to the snowy, wet weather.  How delightful it's been to watch them!

Mountain Quail - Oreortyx pictus

The Mountain Quail have also delayed their departure from our neighborhood!  Usually they have left for higher elevations by now.  Warm weather is predicted after this current storm system.  Perhaps spring will get underway then!

Gray Fox - Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Mammal Update!

To my delight I saw these foxes on our property this week!  I'm pretty sure I've seen them before!  Each fox that I've seen has a unique, recognizable face and personality.  The one in front is smaller than the one in the back, and might be its juvenile offspring!  Gray Foxes mate for life, and breed sometime between January and early March.  Kits are born two months after mating.  Dens are made in underground burrows, in hollow logs or trees, under large rocks or ledges, or up in a tree canopy in a hollow trunk or branch. (Gray Foxes are the only North American fox that can climb trees!  They descend down a tree trunk like a bear does, with its hind feet first.)  Both parents take care of the kits.  After 10 months, the kits are sexually mature and disperse from the family unit.  Gray Foxes are omnivores and eat plants, insects, eggs, small mammals, and birds.
  

Gray Fox (possible female with juvenile) - Urocyon cinereoargenteus

I hope I see these lovely wild beauties again soon!

Columbian Black-tailed Deer - Odocoileus hemionus columbianus

For two evenings in a row, I watched this doe forage on the newly greened grass in a neighbor's field.  She was all by herself, and quite wary of my presence. Mule deer mate in the fall, and fawns aren't born until June or July.  Does have one fawn in their first birthing year, then twins or triplets in following years. The spotted fawns will lose their spots 90-120 days after they're born.  Only the does care for the fawns.  There has been a Mountain Lion seen in our neighborhood over the past two weeks.  I hope this doe is successful in evading this formidable predator!

Western Gray Squirrel - Sciurus griseus

Western Gray Squirrels are active year-round in our neighborhood.  Right now is the beginning of their mating season.  The nests or birthing "dreys" are usually built in the top third of a tree.  They consist of many sticks and leaves wrapped into a ball-like shape with long strands of grass.  The nest is lined with hair from their molted winter coat.  There are usually 3-5 kits in a litter.  The young are weaned 10 weeks after they are born.  However, the kits don't leave the nest until they are fully grown, which takes approximately 6 months.  Only the mother takes care of them during this time! 

Downy Woodpecker (female) - Dryobates pubescens

Woodpeckers!

I've been watching Downy Woodpeckers forage for food for several weeks, right outside my studio window!   These woodpeckers live here year-round.  They will excavate a roosting cavity for winter, and return to it every night!  Yesterday I saw two males hassle each other for about an hour!  Downy Woodpeckers pair bond in the fall. This dispute was probably over nesting territory, not mates!  Males will compete with each other over territories.  Females are also known to compete with other females for the same reason!  

Downy Woodpecker (males) - Dryobates pubescens

The two males were definitely scrabbling, chasing, and giving each other the "hairy eyeball"!  Eventually one of the males flew off.  A little later, I saw a male and a female together, with the female inspecting a nest hole in a trunk!  I'm really hoping they establish a nest nearby, where I can watch them!

Hairy Woodpecker (male) - Dryobates villosus

The Hairy Woodpecker is also a year-round resident.  It closely resembles the Downy Woodpecker, but it is somewhat larger and has a longer bill.  Like the Downy Woodpecker, the Hairy Woodpecker will roost in a cavity in winter.  Both of these woodpeckers eat insects as well as fruit and berries in season.  I've seen these lovely birds many times in my neighborhood.  One year they nested in a local Alder trunk, and I watched them feed the babies until they fledged!  Maybe I'll get lucky and find one of their nests again this year!

Red-breasted Sapsucker - Syraphicus ruber

Lately I've been seeing a Red-breasted Sapsucker in the neighborhood!  They don't live here year-round.  Their winters are spent in California's interior and coast, as well as down into Baja.  They migrate up to our neighborhood to nest and raise their young.  Last year I was super lucky and watched them excavate a nest hole where they raised one nestling!  

What's blooming?

What's happening in the Lakes Basin?

What's happening on the River?

Are birds starting to make nests?

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

During these days of Covid-19 and uncertainty, I hope you are all healthy and coping with this unusual stress.  Get out in nature while you have the time!  It is so healing!

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Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com