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!