Unusual Sightings!

Northern Goshawk (juvenile) - Accipiter gentilis

I've had some uncommon and unusual sightings lately!  Last Thursday I went up to the cemetery to see if perhaps the Northern Pygmy-Owl was around.  To my surprise there was a large hawk up in the old Incense Cedar tree that the Pygmy-Old had perched in!  I slowly circled it from a distance, taking pictures the whole time, and eventually got this frontal photo.  What a beauty!  WOW!!!  I wasn't sure what kind of hawk it was, but loved seeing it!  When I got home I posted some photos on iNaturalist.org and they identified it as a juvenile Northern Goshawk!  Double WOW!

Northern Goshawk (juvenile) - Accipiter gentilis

Although these hawks are found year-round across Alaska, southern Canada, Europe and Russia, they are uncommon to rare in our area.  The US Forest Service has listed them on their Sensitive Species list.

Northern Goshawks have a wingspan of 41", a body length of 21", and weigh 2.1 lbs. They are the largest and most powerful of North American accipiters. Accipiters are hawks that are distinguished by short, broad wings and relatively long legs, adapted for fast flight in forests. Usually they rely on stealth and lightning quick strikes to catch their prey. If detected by their prey, they can chase them at tremendous speed through the forest, using their tail as a rudder! They hunt for birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects in the forest and forest clearings. They will attack while in flight, from a perch, or on the ground. They catch their prey with their feet.

Their preferred nesting habitat is mature old-growth forests, with a 60% closed canopy, and in close proximity to a creek, pond, or lake. Nesting begins in February or March. A large stick nest is built mainly by the female, on the largest, lowest branches of a mature conifer. The nest is approximately 3'-4' long, 1.6'-2.2' wide, and 2' tall. The interior cup is lined with leaves, and strips of bark, and is 9" long and 3" wide. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology states, "Northern Goshawk pairs build and maintain up to eight alternate nests within their nesting area. Even with options available, they may use the same nest year after year, or may switch to a new nest after a brood fails. Pairs may add fresh conifer needles to the nest during breeding. Aromatic chemicals (terpenes) in the needles may act as a natural insecticide and fungicide." Surprisingly, Northern Goshawks do not mate for life!

Just around the same time of year in 2018, I found a beautiful, dead, adult male Northern Goshawk in the woods. I found it face down, spread-eagled on the ground, at the base of a large Douglas Fir tree. Its neck was broken, and its beak was slightly cracked. It was large and weighty! I took tons of photos! The feathers were so finely detailed! Such beauty! I was sad that he had died. I feel so privileged to have been able to study and photograph him.  

 It is illegal to collect any dead animal in the woods or along a roadside, in a national forest. So, I called the Tahoe National Forest to see if they wanted it for their specimen collection. They weren't interested, but said I was welcome to donate it to an organization of my choice for educational purposes. Since I have some friends who work at the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, I was able to donate it to them!  They were happy to acquire it for their collection!  Yay!

Pebble Bee larval chamber - Dianthidium sp.

My neighbor and fellow naturalist, Cy, brought this curious little rock dome over to our house, to see if I knew what it was.  It was about an inch across, and half an inch tall, and "glued" to a rock.  I had no idea what they were so I submitted an ID Request on bugguide.net.  Within an hour they had identified it as a Pebble Bee in the genus Dianthidium!  I had never seen one of these before!  Wow!

Here's what I've learned about them! 

Pebble or Resin Bees in the genus Dianthidium are solitary but are known to nest in aggregations. Each female builds her own nest and provisions it with pollen.  They are built in exposed riverbanks, holes in the soil, sand dunes, or among plant roots, in preexisting natural cavities in wood, hollow stems, or rock crevices, as well as in exposed areas on rocks or twigs. Nests are composed of pebbles, sand, and occasionally pieces of plants, stuck together with plant resins. They have one or more cells in a single chamber or separated clusters of cells, sometimes with a parchment-like membranous lining. When the larvae mature they spin a cocoon and pupate.  Those species that have only one generation a year may overwinter one or several years before emerging as an adult in the spring.  Dianthidium superficially resemble yellowjackets, as their integument (exoskeleton) is boldly marked with yellow and black. Look for these bees on gumweed and asters.

Western Black Widow (adult female) - Latrodectus hesperus

To my TOTAL surprise, we found a Black Widow Spider under one of our bee hives this week!  I hadn't seen one since I was a kid!  Apparently they like to live in dark damp places.  It was a female that I found, distinguished by its size, glossy black color, and red hour-glass on its abdomen.  Males are much smaller and pale beige in color.  These spiders are solitary except during mating.  Contrary to standard belief, most females do not eat their mate after mating.  

I didn't handle it with my hands.  Although these spiders are generally secretive and shy away from people, they can bite if provoked.  Their bite is rarely fatal, but can make you nauseous, cause muscle aches, and can even cause temporary paralysis of the diaphragm!  They are the most venomous spider in North America. Their venom is 15x stronger than rattlesnake venom!  Luckily the amount they inject when they bite is a tiny fraction of what a rattlesnake injects!   I kept my distance, and I suggest the same for you if you see one!

Cranefly adult ©burnpestelimination.com - Cranefly larva

Tipula sp.

I was looking for frog eggs in the roadside ditch I walk by just about everyday, when I saw this chubby worm-like creature in the water.  I saw three of them in the same section of the ditch.  I didn't know what they were, so I posted some photos on bugguide.org and they identified them as Tipula or Crane fly larva!  

Apparently, females lay eggs in shallow water in the fall.  The eggs hatch into these larva, which will pupate and become adult Crane Flies sometime in the Spring!  The following information is from insectidentification.org.

"Though they look like giant mosquitoes, they are not mosquitoes. Craneflies do not bite, they do not have a long proboscis (snout) and adults are not known to feed... on anything. Their fragile long legs break easily and may lead some people to think they are a form of giant Daddy-Long Legs (which are not spiders, by the way), but Craneflies have a pair of wings, which are easy enough to see if you get closer.

Females may have a long ovipositor, resembling a needle-like stinger, but it is used to deposit eggs in moist soil or in water, depending on the species. These eggs may overwinter, hatching in the early months of spring. Once the larvae hatch, the immature Crane flies feed on decaying matter, leaf mold and fungi."

Deer Mouse - Peromyscus maniculatus 

I was surprised to see this Deer Mouse out in the daylight this week, as they are primarily nocturnal.  It looked a little sickly.  Perhaps it had been injured by some predator.  I watched it for a short time while it dozed in the sun.  Deer Mice like to live in old woodpecker nests, knot holes in trees, stumps, brush piles, and even man-made outbuildings. Sometimes in the winter up to 10 mice will huddle together in a nest to stay warm! Deer Mice will store seeds for winter consumption, but will also actively forage for insects, seeds, and berries.

Bobcat photo by Judy Marovich - Lynx rufus

My friend, Judy, who lives up near the Lakes Basin, got this photo of a Bobcat on her property last week!  It was chasing a squirrel up in a tree!  WOW!!!  She's been feeding the birds, so naturally squirrels come to eat the seeds, and bobcats, foxes, coyotes, and mountain lions come to eat the squirrels!  Earlier this year, she saw a Mountain Lion sitting outside the entrance to an old goat "cave" they used to use.  When she walked cautiously down to see what was going on, she saw a Bobcat sitting calmly inside the "cave"!  The Mountain Lion ran off when she approached, and shortly after so did the Bobcat!!!  I'm going to spend some time with her at her wild kingdom, once all these Covid cautions and vaccines are done!  Can't wait!

Forest Finds!

I've also found some cool stuff in the woods!  On the left is a big sheet of wasp-made "paper" probably from a bald hornet's nest!  The skull is a raccoon skull.  The pair of antlers was found on the North Yuba Trail in the fall, about 100' apart.  You can see how the tips have been chewed on by forest critters!  The bleached single antler was found on a dry rocky slope in a local forest!  What treasures! 

More Damp Earth Art!

Since the local rainfall total at this point is way below our normal amount, around 22", I am once again sending out a "Call for Art" in celebration of rain. My intention is to focus on the need for rain, and through collective positive energy invoke rain to fall. It is just a wish, a thought, and a hope. If you would like to submit some art, or writing, or a photo please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Check out what's already been submitted at dampearthart.blogspot.com

You can view what was submitted last year at dampearth.blogspot.com.

I will be posting new art weekly. Check it out and pray for rain.

What's happening in the Central Valley?

Is Spring on the way?

Is anything blooming?

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

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

Something changed at Blogspot.com. Oh well... However, my blog looks better if you just go to northyubanaturalist.blogspot.com, rather than get the emailed version. I suggest that you just bookmark my blog and visit it every Sunday afternoon!

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated! Please feel free to email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!

Down in the Foothills

Spenceville Wildlife Preserve

Last week my friend Nancy and I drove down to Spenceville, an 11,213 acre wildlife preserve and recreation area run by the California State Department of Fish and Game, at approximately 338' in elevation.  It was wonderful be down in the foothills where spring is just beginning!

The Friends of Spenceville website, spenceville.org, states, "It is a place of gentle rolling hills and large, sheltering oaks that spread their branches over trails that meander across creeks and through grassy meadows of spring wildflowers. When March arrives, poppies, lupines, lilies and other wildflowers spread their color and fragrance over the hillsides and through riparian woodlands that provide habitat for many animals.

The Spenceville area is rich with Native America history. Some of the most obvious sites left by the Nisenan are bedrock grinding holes where acorns were ground into a flour know as ooti. Less obvious to all but the trained eye, are the earth depressions that held the ceremonial lodge pits. Many of the early village sites are found along Dry Creek and its tributaries, because large amounts of water were needed to leach the bitter tannic acid from the acorn meal. While acorns were the main food source, women also gathered bulbs, roots, fruits, seeds, fungus and insects, such as grasshoppers, and edible and medicinal plants. The men provided the remainder of the diet by hunting and fishing. Most Nisenans were forced into reservations by 1857, although some remained in the area until the 1870's."

Nothing remains of the town of Spenceville, except for a cemetery.  Wikipedia states, "Spenceville was established southwest of Rough and Ready during the 1865-1866 copper mining boom. In 1880, its population was 350. By the 1920s, the population had dropped to approximately 150. The Spenceville post office operated during the period of 1872 through 1932. During World War II Spenceville was used as a military training area by Camp Beale."  It was during these military training exercises that all remaining structures of the town were destroyed.

Turkey Vulture - Red-tailed Hawks 

Cathartes aura - Buteo jamaicensis

There are several easy trails that wind through the reserve. We almost always take the trail to Fairy Falls, a nice half-way point in a five mile loop. Right now the bird watching is good, but the wildflowers probably won't be blooming for several more weeks. We saw a few raptors on our hike including a pair of Red-tailed Hawks and several Turkey Vultures! 

Red-tailed Hawks are usually solitary except during mating season, which is right now! Perhaps this is was a mated pair! The Cornell Lab states: "Generally monogamous, this species initiates courtship and maintains the pair bond with spectacular aerial maneuvers performed by both members of the pair. Territories are vigorously defended at least during the breeding season, and may be defended year-round by non-migratory birds and where overwintering density is high. Territory size varies with habitat and food availability. At least in non-migratory birds, mates stay paired throughout the year. In interior North America, first eggs are laid in mid-late March. Clutch size is typically 2-3, and incubation lasts about 28 days. Young leave the nest 42-46 days after hatching, but may remain associated with parents up to six months longer."

In winter you can find Turkey Vultures in the foothills, California's Central Valley, and as far south as northern South America. They usually hunt and feed on their own, but readily feed communally without any fighting. In the evenings they will often congregate in large groups to roost. Turkey Vultures have a wingspan of 59", and a body length of 25". They are huge! They eat carrion, which they detect with their keen sense of smell. Their immune system is exceptional, as they never contract botulism, anthrax, cholera or salmonella from the carrion. Their heads are featherless, which keeps the carrion from sticking to them. They are fairly easy to distinguish in flight, by the lack of wing flapping that occurs. They can soar for hours moving from one updraft to another.

Lewis's Woodpecker (adult) - Melanerpes lewis

We saw over 15 Lewis's Woodpeckers performing their fly-catcher technique of catching bugs!  Wow!!!  We had never seen this many Lewis's Woodpeckers in one area before.  They weren't in a group, but rather were perched individually in the tops of trees.  They are so beautifully and unusually colored with their deep red and black heads and pink bellies!  These woodpeckers breed in eastern Oregon and Washington, Idaho, and northern Nevada.  Pair formation and breeding usually begins in May.  In the summer they are primarily eat insects, such as cicadas, grasshoppers, bees, and wasps.  In winter they rely on acorns, berries, corn, nuts, and fruit.  They will often stash excess food in crevices of tree bark.  How lucky we were to see these uncommon woodpeckers!

Acorn Woodpecker (male) - Lewis's Woodpecker (adult)

Melanerpes formicivorous - Melanerpes lewis

We also saw and heard several Acorn Woodpeckers calling loudly from their granaries!  These lovely woodpeckers are usually non-migratory and live in tight-nit groups of 2-16 individuals.  They have communal acorn grainaries, that have been "owned" by families for generations.  A granary can hold up to 50,000 acorns!  Acorns are their staple diet in the winter.  When the temperature is warmer, they also eat grubs, flying insects, sap, fruit, oak catkins, and some lizards.  They practice polygynandry, where both males and females have multiple partners.  All the females will lay their eggs in the same nest cavity, and the whole clan will incubate and raise the young! They will even all roost together in the same cavity at night! Wow!

It was a lovely, beautiful hike under the filigree of bare oak trees, with new green grass coloring the hills.  We hope to return in a month or so to check out the wildflowers and maybe some nesting birds!

South Yuba River 2/12/21

South Yuba River State Park

My husband and I also went for hike in the foothills last week, at the South Yuba River State Park.  It was another gorgeous blue-sky day, with lacy bare trees and fresh green grass on the hillsides!  We didn't see many birds except for two hawks and several Scrub Jays.  We hiked the loop trail to Point Defiance and enjoyed the quiet, fresh landscape.  The river was pretty low, but a gorgeous glass-green in color.

Common Man-root - Blue Dicks 

Marah fabacea - Dichelostemma capitatum

 We saw our first blooming wildflowers of the year on the Buttermilk Bar Trail!  There was one blooming Manroot and two blooming Blue Dicks!  That was exciting!  In a few more weeks the wildflowers will probably be profusely blooming. If you've never been here, I highly recommend you visit this park.  It's gorgeous! 

Blue Oaks and new grass

I love how the shadows of the Blue Oaks pattern the green grass below!

Grizzly Peak - 2/15/21

Weather Update!

We got a nice bit of rain these past 2 weeks, 3.04"!  Yahoo!  It was rainy and misty except for one day each week!  This brings our water year total to approximately 25", not a lot, but better than nothing!  The forecast for next week is sunny, sunny, and sunny.  I hope it's just a temporary break, and March comes through with more heavy storms!  Fingers crossed!

Mists and sun in the Forest!

More Damp Earth Art!

Since the local rainfall total at this point is way below our normal amount, around 22", I am once again sending out a "Call for Art" in celebration of rain. My intention is to focus on the need for rain, and through collective positive energy invoke rain to fall. It is just a wish, a thought, and a hope. If you would like to submit some art, or writing, or a photo please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Check out what's already been submitted at dampearthart.blogspot.com

You can view what was submitted last year at dampearth.blogspot.com.

I will be posting new art weekly. Check it out and pray for rain!

Sierra Buttes - 2/9/21

Lakes Basin Update

About 10 days ago I drove up to the Lakes Basin and Yuba Pass.  At that time there was about 1.5' of snow on the Sand Shed road, and 3' of snow on the pass.  Since then it has rained and snowed, but the snow level has been pretty high, and a lot of the the snow on the Gold Lake Road has diminished.  It's also saturated with water and hard to walk on.  So I haven't been hiking up there at all.  Maybe this coming week I'll give it a try!

Sierra Buttes from the Ramshorn Trail 2/16/21

Only one person took the quiz I posted last week, my sister!!!

I have entered the correct names on last weeks post, in case you're interested!

Are there any insects around?

Where are the deer?

Is anything blooming?

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

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

Something changed at Blogspot.com. Oh well... However, my blog looks better if you just go to northyubanaturalist.blogspot.com, rather than get the emailed version. I suggest that you just bookmark my blog and visit it every Sunday afternoon!

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated! Please feel free to email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!

Wetlands!

Ponds are amazing ecosystems. Every one is different! In the winter I love watching the waterfowl that inhabits three local ponds. The species and number of individuals vary from pond to pond, and changes all the time. Under the surface of these ponds, an incredible population of aquatic critters also thrives. Let's take a look! You will be amazed at the complex community that lives there!

Protozoans 

by Frank Fox, Sergey Karpov, CDC/ Dr. Stan Erlandsen, Picturepest, 

Thierry Arnet, Dr.Tsukii Yuuji, https://commons.wikimedia.org

The majority of the underwater pond inhabitants aren't visible to the naked eye.  However, with a microscope a whole new world can be revealed. Bacteria, fungi, and protozoans live off the dead and decaying matter that sinks to the bottom of the pond. Nematodes, bloodworms, flatworms, snails, leeches, and crayfish can dwell here as well, along with other bottom dwelling crustaceans, such as isopods, amphipods, and ostracods.

Signal Crayfish - Pacifastucus leniusculus

Floating Pondweed - Narrow leaved burr reed
Potamogeton natans - Sparganium angustifolium

Growing out of the bottom of the pond, aquatic plants are home for lots of underwater critters, including the nymphs of mayflies, dragonflies, and damselflies, and the larvae of caddisflies, and beetles. These plants also provide food for ducks, geese, shorebirds, and muskrats, as well as oxygen for underwater critters such as fish. 

Muskrat - Ondatra zibethicus

 

Plankton

©by Christian Sardet/CNRS/Tara expeditions

Then there are the free floating/swimming organisms: plankton, aquatic insects, and vertebrates. Plankton consists of microscopic plants (phytoplankton) and animals (zooplankton) that come in a multitude of sizes, shapes, and species. Diatoms and desmids are the main phytoplankton. Protozoans, rotifers, and crustaceans are the main zooplankton.

Mosquito larvae pupae - species unknown

Mosquito larva/pupa, Water Boatmen, Predacious Diving Beetles, and Backswimmers are airbreathing aquatic insects. These insects prey on other insects (even their own species), protozoans, algae, and sometimes small fish! There are also aquatic insects that dwell on the pond surface, such as whirligig beetles and water striders. They feed on each other as well as insects that land on the surface of the water. 

Small Water Strider - Common Water Strider (inset) 

 Gerris incognitus - Gerris remigis

Frogs - species unknown

A wide variety of vertebrates can live in ponds including frogs, toads, newts, fish, snakes, turtles, muskrats, river otters, and, of course, waterfowl! They may feed on each other, aquatic insects and their larvae, or the vegetation that grows there.  

River Otter - Lontra canadensis

Ponds aren't just a place for waterfowl to live, they are fascinating complex ecosystems!  I'm going to start sampling the water in the ponds I visit, and keep you posted on what I find.  In the meantime check out your local ponds!  You never know what you might discover!

Belted Kingfisher (male) - Megaceryle alcyon

The Joubert's Diggins Pond

Just above and below are photos of the birds I've seen this winter at our local ponds.  I've written extensively in previous blogs about their diet, as well as their social, breeding, and migratory behavior. Just use the "Search this Blog" bar on the top right of this page and type in "Ponds", or the specific name of a bird, to access this information.

Buffleheads (2 males - 4 females) - Bucephula albeola

Mallard (female - male) - Anas platyrhynchos

Hooded Merganser (female) - Lophodytes cucullatus

Red-shouldered Hawk (adult) - Buteo lineatus

Wood Duck (female - male) - Aix sponsa

The McCourtney Road Pond

Ring-necked Duck (female - male) - Aythya collaris

Mallard (female - male) - Anas platyrhynchos

The Charles Marsh Pond

Hooded Merganser (1 female - 2 males) - Lophodytes cucullatus

Canada Goose (adult) - Branta canadensis

Oak Titmouse (adult) - Baeolophus inornatus

The Sutter Buttes and White-faced Ibis - 1/20/21

The Marysville Rice Fields

About three weeks ago we went down to the Marysville rice fields to check out the birds.  It was so lovely!  The flooded rice fields cover a huge area, so the waterfowl are more spread out.  Unlike Gray Lodge with its thousands of Snow Geese, there were mainly ducks, swans, and ibis!  In fact, we didn't see any Snow Geese at all!

White-faced Ibis - Pelagis chihi

We saw more White-faced Ibis here than any other wetland.  

They were iridescent in the sun!

Northern Pintail (male - female) - Anas actua

Northern Pintails were the most common waterfowl we saw.  

The males were so elegantly feathered!

Tundra Swan - Cygnus columbianus

Tundra Swans were numerous!  They must prefer the less crowded conditions of the rice fields, or perhaps they prefer the vegetation.  Such grace and beauty!

"Love Rain!"   

©Jenny Matsumoto 2021

More Damp Earth Art!

Since the local rainfall total at this point is way below our normal amount, around 22", I am once again sending out a "Call for Art" in celebration of rain. My intention is to focus on the need for rain, and through collective positive energy invoke rain to fall. It is just a wish, a thought, and a hope. If you would like to submit some art, or writing, or a photo please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Check out what's already been submitted at dampearthart.blogspot.com

You can view what was submitted last year at dampearth.blogspot.com.

I will be posting new art weekly. Check it out and pray for rain!

Happy Valentine's Day!

How much snow fell in the Lakes Basin and at Yuba Pass?

What's happening in the foothills?

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

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

Something changed at Blogspot.com. Oh well... However, my blog looks better if you just go to northyubanaturalist.blogspot.com, rather than get the emailed version. I suggest that you just bookmark my blog and visit it every Sunday afternoon!

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated! Please feel free to email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!

Leave Wild Things Wild

Pine Siskins - Spinus pinus

Due to the recent deadly outbreak of Salmonella in finches, especially the local beautiful little Pine Siskins, I have quit feeding the birds in my neighborhood. Apparently there has been an incredible number of these birds across the U.S. this winter, due to a failure of cone crops in Canada. Providing feeders and/or scattering bird seed concentrates these birds and greatly increases their risk of getting disease, which is passed through droppings and saliva. I was so alarmed by the news of these birds dying. I have since raked up the seed in my feeding station, bagged it, and disposed of it. Although I thought I was helping birds by feeding them, I wasn't. I am personally never going to feed birds again. I am going to focus on growing plants in my garden that birds can feed on.  The following information about the current salmonella outbreak is from a local news station, yubanet.com.  I highly recommend that you follow their advice and quit feeding birds for now.  It's vital to leave wild things wild.

"Salmonella Outbreak in Finches 

Across Western States

Sick and dying birds found in the Lake Tahoe area
by the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) February 3, 2021

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. February 3, 2021 – The Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) and Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) are asking the public to be on the lookout for sick or dead finches associated with bird feeders.

Finches across the western states are dying from an outbreak of salmonellosis, a common and often fatal bird disease caused by the salmonella bacteria. The problem appears to be especially bad along coastal Northern California, Oregon, and Washington, with reports of many sick and dying birds. Most affected by salmonellosis are Pine Siskins, but Lesser Goldfinch and other finch species can fall victim to salmonellosis as well. In recent weeks, dead siskins also have been found in backyards in the Carson Valley and Truckee.

The bacteria are spread through droppings, and where bird seed piles up beneath feeders, or in tray feeders where the birds can simply stand among the seeds, droppings can accumulate in the seed itself.

Members of the public can help to stop the spread of salmonellosis by discontinuing backyard bird feeding through February, to encourage these birds to disperse and forage naturally. If you continue to feed birds, please keep an eye out for signs of visibly sick or dying birds, and remove and thoroughly clean your feeders immediately, leaving them down for several weeks. Pine Siskins often can be tame, but sick siskins will be exceedingly so, and appear lethargic, puffed up, and often show sunken eyes.

Tube feeders and thistle socks may have reduced risk of transmission, but it is highly recommended that any feeders be cleaned regularly: any time the feeder is refilled, but at least once a week. Effective feeder cleaning involves soaking feeders in a 10% bleach solution, scrubbing, rinsing, and allowing them to dry. Many bird-lovers elect to maintain duplicate feeders, so that they can deploy a fresh feeder while the other is being cleaned.

Given the widespread and lethal impacts of this outbreak, tray feeders should not be used at this time.

Note that it is possible, although quite rare, for salmonella bacteria to transfer from birds to humans through direct contact with infected birds or droppings. When handling dead birds or bird feeders, remember to wash hands thoroughly afterward.

Please report any dead or visibly sick finches to either LTWC (530.577.2273) or TINS (775.298.0060)."

American Kestrel - Falco sparverius

Resilience!

On a better note, the "open slope" American Kestrel that I wrote about several weeks ago, is still alive and well!  I was concerned for its welfare during the heavy, snowy weather we had a week ago, but it made it through it just fine!   Read on to see how it also overcame another threat to it's existence just before the snowstorm hit! 

Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis

Two weeks ago, I was driving past the open slope when I noticed a large raptor on the top of a pine tree, which the American Kestrel was harassing!  I pulled over and saw that the raptor was a Red-tailed Hawk, which are known to eat American Kestrels!  Wow!  I hadn't seen one in the area for about a month!  

Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis

I watched these two raptors for a good 20 minutes and in that time, the Kestrel continued to watch and hassle the Red-tail until it flew off and perched in a distant cedar tree.  Later that afternoon, I drove by and was happy to see the little American Kestrel presiding over the open slope, with no Red-tail Hawk in sight!  Yahoo! 

American Kestrel - Falco sparverius

My friends say I get too attached to wild creatures.  I do, but from a distance!  Time and time again my concerns have been unfounded.  They are far more resilient than I thought!  Wild creatures are so adapted to living in the wild!  

It never ceases to amaze me!

More Damp Earth Art!

Since the local rainfall total at this point is way below our normal amount, around 22", I am once again sending out a "Call for Art" in celebration of rain. My intention is to focus on the need for rain, and through collective positive energy invoke rain to fall. It is just a wish, a thought, and a hope. If you would like to submit some art, or writing, or a photo please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Check out what's already been submitted at dampearthart.blogspot.com

You can view what was submitted last year at dampearth.blogspot.com.

I will be posting new art weekly. Check it out and pray for rain!

Sierra Buttes - 3/16/19

What's happening in the Lakes Basin?

What's happening at the local ponds?

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

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

Something changed at Blogspot.com. Oh well... However, my blog looks better if you just go to northyubanaturalist.blogspot.com, rather than get the emailed version. I suggest that you just bookmark my blog and visit it every Sunday afternoon!

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated! Please feel free to email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!