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!