Sierra Valley & Carmen Valley

Yellow-headed Blackbird (male) - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

I've gone over to Sierra Valley three times in the past four weeks!  It's such a beautiful area, I can hardly stay away. It is approximately 120,000 acres of "big sky" sagebrush rangeland, and wetlands, located at 4,850' at the base of the northeastern Sierras. It is the largest alpine valley in the Sierra Nevada range, and one of my most absolute favorite places to explore!  It has greened up a bit over the past weeks, but there really isn't much water in the fields and canals.  It is definitely a drought year.  Fingers crossed that fires stay away from this precious valley.

Yellow-headed Blackbird males are so dramatically feathered!  Just gorgeous!  The females are remarkably plain in comparison, with a muted-yellow face and breast, and a brown back, wings, and tail.  Males are polygamists, and mate with up to 8 females which will all nest in his territory.  The females weave cup-shaped nests attached to erect cattails, incubate their 2-5 eggs for 12-13 days, and brood and feed their nestlings for 7-14 days.  The male may feed some of the nestlings, but usually only the ones in his primary nests.  Once the nestlings fledge, the female will continue feeding them for a few more days. Young and adults feed on aquatic insects on the surface of the water in spring and summer, and forage on grains and seeds in the fall and winter. Their winters are spent in Mexico.

Barn Swallow (adult) - Red-winged Blackbird (male) - Vesper Sparrow (adult)

Hirundo rustica - Pooecetes gramineus - Agelaius phoeniceus

Although there aren't the usual number of birds, due to the dry conditions, there are still quite a few birds to observe in the valley.  Over 230 species of birds have been seen in Sierra Valley, some migrate through, others are residents. Here are a few of the ones I saw!  Such beauty!

Sandhill Crane - American Bittern - Black-crowned Night-Heron - (all adults)

Antigone canadensis - Botaurus lentiginosus - Nycticorax nycticorax

This week we lucked out and saw several pairs of Sandhill Cranes, and two American Bitterns!  Last May we watched a male Bittern in breeding plumage for quite a while.  Bitterns are almost always solitary, except when they mate (for 15 seconds!). After mating, the female alone will build a platform nest out of reeds and sedges, over water, in dense wetland vegetation. The female will lay 2-7 eggs in the grass-lined nest, and incubate them for 24-28 days. The nestlings fledge from the nest in 7-14 days. The female will for care for them an additional 2-4 weeks, until they are independent. The one in the photo above (I don't know if it's male or female) is posing with its necked stretched out, showing the bold stripes on its chest.  These stripes help camouflage them among the reeds! I was SO pleased to see these unusual large birds again.

We also saw a beautiful Black-crowned Night-Heron! The Cornell Lab of Ornithology states, "Black-crowned Night-Herons are opportunists feeders that eat many kinds of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine animals. Their diet includes leeches, earthworms, insects, crayfish, clams, mussels, fish, amphibians, lizards, snakes, turtles, rodents, birds, and eggs. They also eat carrion, plant materials, and garbage from landfills. Rather than stabbing their prey, they grasp it in their bills. Black-crowned Night-Herons normally feed between evening and early morning, avoiding competition with other heron species that use the same habitat during the day. They may feed during the day in the breeding season, when they need extra energy for nesting."

American Pronghorn - Coyote

Antilocapra americana - Canis latrans

We also lucked out and saw some American Pronghorns and a coyote!  Wow!!!

I've written about them several times in previous blogs. Just use the "search this blog" bar on the top right to read more about them.

Bulson House - 5/27/21

The West Entrance of the 

Sierra Valley Preserve

In another part of the valley, the Feather River Land Trust (frlt.org) has just opened a new part of the Sierra Valley Preserve to the public, the "West Entrance". We decided to check it out last Thursday. It was a cool, windless, blue-sky morning in Sierra Valley. Expansive views of the valley surrounded us, as we followed a lovely, 2 mile round-trip, botanical trail through the sagebrush. There were many small plaques that identified the plants along the trail. It was delightful! Approximately one mile from the trailhead, a 100+-year-old ranch house, the Bulson House, stands deserted but beautiful in the bare landscape. It is totally boarded up on the bottom floor, so you can't go inside, but we enjoyed its colorful, weathered, wooden sides and open rafters.

Vesper Sparrow - Common Raven (juveniles) - Brewer's Sparrow

Pooecetes gramineus - Corvus corax - Spizella breweri

My friend Judy thought she heard some baby birds up in the rafters, and sure enough there was a nest with juvenile Common Ravens in it!  WOW!  They looked HUGE!  We also heard some other baby birds in two different locations in the building, but couldn't see them!  Additionally, we saw and heard lots of Sparrows in the sagebrush as we walked through the preserve. Sparrows are tough to identify, so I relied on iNaturalist.org to identify them for me.

Parrothead Paintbrush - Blue Flax - Aster (?)

Castilleja pilosa - Linum lewisii - (?)

There were many plants in bloom along the trail.  The lovely Parrothead Paintbrush was a new species for me! It was just fabulous that they had the names of most of the plants on little signs!

California Hesperochiron - Sand Lily - Tansy leaf Evening Primrose

Hesperochiron californicus - Leucocrinum montanum - Taraxia tanacetifolia

The Feather River Land Trust is a an amazing preservation/conservation organization. As they state on their website, "As a nationally accredited land trust, we’re experts in conserving lands forever. Since 2000, we've protected over 63,000 acres of ecologically and culturally important landscapes in the Feather River Watershed." Their multi-faceted website frlt.org is beautiful! Check it out and get involved if you can!

Carmen Valley - 5/27/21

Carmen Valley

Carmen Valley is really close to Sierra Valley, but it's a lot smaller. It doesn't have the bird population that Sierra Valley has, but it hasn't been grazed by cows and in wet years the wildflowers are plentiful. This year there was a lot less water and  fewer flowers, but it was still very lovely!

Lesser Sandhill Crane (adult) - Mountain Bluebird (male) - Wood Duck (male) 

Antigone canadensis - Sialia currucoides - Aix sponsa

For the first time ever we saw Wood Ducks in the waterway!  They flew off just about as soon as they saw us, so we didn't get to observe them for long.  My friend Judy spotted a brilliant blue Mtn. Bluebird in a snag, and my friend Tony pointed out a distant pair of Lesser Sandhill Cranes! How exciting it was to see them!

Carmen Valley - 5/27/21

Although it wasn't as wet as usual, one of the meadows was filled with hundreds of beautiful blue Common Camas lilies. In the Nez Perce language, "camas" means "sweet." The bulbs of these plants were the most important bulb utilized by the Native Americans. Areas where these bulbs were abundant were sometimes fought over! 

Blue Camas - Predacious Diving Beetle larva - Snow Plant 

Camassia quamash - Laccophilus sp. - Sarcodes sanguine

There was a small pond teeming with aquatic wildlife in one of the meadows.  We saw tadpoles, damselfly nymphs, and beetle larvae!  I caught one of the larger beetle larva and examined it closely.  It's two curved mandibles were impressive!  It turns out that it was the larva of a Predacious Diving Beetle!  

In the surrounding Yellow Pine forest there were several bright red Snow Plants in bloom.  Snow plant grows in the thick humus of montane coniferous forests from 4000' to 8000', often under pines, blooming from May to July. Since it has no chlorophyll and can't photosynthesize, it supplements its nutrient intake by utilizing the roots of pine trees through mutually shared mycorrhizal fungus. 

Arrow-leaved Balsam-root in the Rain - Balsamorhiza sagittata

More Damp Earth Art!

No rain this past week, and very hot, dry, and windy weather is coming.  It makes me worried.  Anytime I think of it, I focus on rain, rain, 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 rain inspired 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 on the North Yuba River?

Where are the Bears?

What's happening in the Lakes Basin?

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!

Cloudy, rainy weather at last!

North Yuba River - 5/20/21

"A rainy day is the perfect time

for a walk in the woods."

                                    Rachelle Carson

We are in the middle of a three-day forecast for scattered showers and thunderstorms!  On Thursday, and Friday we only got a total .02" of rain, but there were a few heavenly downpours and it was damp, moist, fragrant, and wonderful!  To me the fragrance is nature's camphor, but "petrichor" is the official name.  Petrichor was coined by Australian scientists in 1964 to describe the unique, earthy smell associated with rain. It is caused by the water from the rain, along with certain compounds like ozone, geosmin, and plant oils. One of my favorite authors, Brian Doyle, describes it perfectly in the following passage from his book Mink River.

“Rained gently last night, just enough to wash the town clean, and then today a clean crisp fat spring day, the air redolent, the kind of green minty succulent air you'd bottle if you could and snort greedily on bleak, wet January evenings when the streetlights hzzzt on at four in the afternoon and all existence seems hopeless and sad.”

North Yuba River - 5/20/21

The river is up, from the rain and snowmelt, but still slow at only 358 cfs.  However, any moisture is welcome!  Rain, rain come on down!

Harvest Brodiaea - Brodiaea elegans

Blooming Wildflowers!

Along the lower elevations of the North Yuba River corridor, there are lots of flowers in bloom!  Although the carpets of Sky Lupine have mainly dried up, there are still many lovely flowers to discover.  I headed out in the rain to see what I could find, and had a great time exploring!  The Harvest Brodiaea pictured above is so elegant and strikingly colored!  Their deep rosy-purple color contrasts beautifully against the dry grasses.  They are one of the last Brodiaeas to bloom.  The raindrops made them even more beautiful! 

 

Showy Phlox - Tongue/Diamond Clarkia

Phlox speciosa - Clarkia rhomboidea

To my delight I found a wildflower I'd never seen before, Showy Phlox!!!  I've seen lots and lots of Spreading Phlox (Phlox diffusa) in the Lakes Basin, but never this foothill variety!  Unlike Spreading Phlox, this does not have a heavy scent.  However, on a warmer day it might.  I lucked out and saw it during a downpour!  The plant is multi-branched, about 16" tall, and covered with clusters of pink and white blossoms.  The chewed petals indicate it's a favorite meal for some insects!

Tongue/Diamond Clarkia is one of my favorites.  It's not that common or profuse, but it can be found if you take the time to look.  The flowers are small, about 3/4", but finely patterned and colored.  The name rhomboidea refers to the diamond-shaped part of the petals.

Indian Rhubarb - Roundtooth Ookow

Darmera peltata - Dichelostemma multiflorum

Along the edge of the river are the large stalks of the blooming Indian Rhubarb.  They can reach from 1'-5' in height!  The clusters of pink flowers usually appear before the large leaves, that can be 2' wide. It grows from thick, wide rhizomes, or continuously growing horizontal underground stems which put out lateral shoots and adventitious roots at intervals. The ginger that you can buy in stores is a rhizome.

The Roundtooth Ookow is in the Brodiaea Family which is has three main genera; Brodiaea, Dichelostemma, and Tritelia.  They grow from starchy corms, or

rounded underground storage organs consisting of a swollen stem base covered with scale leaves.  The Native Americans called it "Ookow" and the corms were an important starchy food source for them.

Purple Milkweed - False Solomon's Seal/Feathery False Lily of the Valley

Asclepias cordifolia - Maianthemum racemosa

Purple Milkweed is one of the local native Milkweeds, that can be seen growing along the highway.  It's a super important plant for the Monarch Butterfly. It begins in the Spring, when female Monarch Butterflies lay 100's of eggs on the underside of Milkweed leaves. Four days later the caterpillars hatch out of their eggs! These newly hatched caterpillars will eat only Milkweed leaves for the next 2 weeks. Then each caterpillar will form a chrysalis and pupate. After 10 days a new adult butterfly will emerge from each chrysalis, and start the whole process again. This process will happen four more times in the Summer. As adults, they feed on nectar from a variety of wildflowers.

To my surprise I discovered that a plant that I had always called "False Solomon's Seal", is now officially called "Feathery False Lily of the Valley", according to calflora.org!  I like the new name better.  The older name apparently came from its thick, fleshy, white, irregularly-shaped rhizomes that bear rounded scars where the previous year's stems arose.  Supposedly it is the resemblance of these scars to the two inverted triangles that were the symbol or seal of King Solomon that gave rise to the old common name.  How odd is that?!!

Kit-kit-dizze/Mountain Misery - Interior Rose

Chamaebatia foliolosa - Rosa woodsii var. ultramontana

Kit-kit-dizee/Mountain Misery has a strong, oily, and to me, nauseous odor.  Kit-kit-dizze is the Native American name. They used it as an herbal remedy for colds, coughs, rheumatism, chicken pox, measles, smallpox and other diseases.  Mountain Misery is the European name, and refers to its strong-scented repellent sap that would stick to clothing.  It is in the Rose Family of plants.

There are lots of domestic "wild" roses growing in our area, but they are not native. The native Interior Rose is a much smaller shrub, but the fragrance of the roses is heavenly!  If you find one of these little roses, make sure to inhale its fragrance!

Canyon Dudleya - Heermann's Golden Sunburst

Dudleya cymosa - Pseudobahia hermannii

On the hot and dry slopes you can find the succulent Canyon Dudleya growing.

  These flowering plants demonstrate adaptations to a hot and dry environment, with thick succulent leaves, a thick waxy cuticle and a unique metabolism.  During the day the stomata close to conserve water.  During the night the stomata open, allowing CO2 to enter and be fixed as organic acids.

Heerman's Golden Sunburst is also now blooming in the hot, dry, areas along the highway.  It is one of the many wildflowers in the Sunflower Family that grow locally.

Sticky Monkeyflower - Diplacus  aurantiacus

Blooming Shrubs!

Sticky Monkeyflower bushes are in profuse bloom along the highway between Indian Valley and Downieville!  There are thousands of them, each with hundreds of flowers! It's just gorgeous!   

Western Chokecherry - Deerbrush - Mock Orange

Prunus virginiana var. demissa - Ceanothus integerrimus - Philadelphus lewisii

These lovely blooming shrubs are fairly common, with Deerbrush being the most prevalent.  My favorite is the Mock Orange which has a light, sweet fragrance.

Pale Swallowtail - Papilio eurymedon

Butterflies!

There are a wide variety of Butterflies in the area right now.  I keep seeing ones I've never seen before!  Here are some interesting "Butterfly Facts" from butterflyconservatory.org

"Butterflies have "complete" life cycles, with four different stages: egg, caterpillar (larva), chrysalis (pupa), and adult. The entire life cycle, from the deposition of the egg to the emergence of the adult, usually takes about a month for most butterflies. Each species of butterfly has a different adult life span. Some adult butterflies only live for a few days, while others live for a few weeks or even several months (if they experience dormant periods of diapause or hibernation). The average lifespan for most adults is one to two weeks.

Chalcedon Checkerspot - Euphydryas chalcedona

Butterflies have compound eyes and simple eyes. They see very differently from us; they can see ultraviolet rays (which are invisible to us).

Clodius parnassian - Parnassius clodius sol

A butterfly's antennae, palps, legs and many other parts of the body are studded with sense receptors that are used to smell. The sense of smell is used for finding food (usually flower nectar), and for finding mates (the female smelling the male's pheromones)."

Common Buckeye - Junonia coeria

The following information is from: www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/animals/butterflies.shtml.

"Butterflies are less efficient than bees at moving pollen between plants. Highly perched on their long thin legs, they do not pick up much pollen on their bodies and lack specialized structures for collecting it. Butterflies probe for nectar, their flight fuel, and typically favor the flat, clustered flowers that provide a landing pad and abundant rewards. Butterflies have good vision but a weak sense of smell. Unlike bees, butterflies can see red."

Common Checkered Skipper - Pyrgus communis

Skippers are not true butterflies. They have hooked antennae, a moth-like body, and their wings are held at a different angle than true butterflies. Like true butterflies, skippers have scales on their wings, a coiled sucking mouth part, and a complete metamorphosis.

Tamarack Lake - 5/14/21

It's not quite Spring in the Lakes Basin!

Last week we headed up to the Lakes Basin, even though the forecast was for lightning and scattered thundershowers.  Not much rain fell, but just enough to make everything damp and heavenly scented!  We decided to stay fairly low in elevation, to avoid any lightning strikes, so we headed up to a favorite lake of ours.  The ground was snow free, but the water was too high to cross a creek, so we hiked up to Tamarack Lake instead.  It was still definitely winter up there, with the alders and willows still bare, and patches of snow still abundant!

Western Spring Beauty in the Rain - Claytonia lanceolata

We did see a few flowers blooming along the trail.  There were lots and lots of Spring Beauties, which you have to look at closely to appreciate!  They are one of the very first flowers to bloom in the Spring.

 

Western Spring Beauty (close-up) - Fawn Lily

Claytonia lanceolata - Erythronium purpurascens

We also saw our first Fawn Lilies of the year and a few Mountain Violets.  They were even more beautiful with the raindrops on them!

Mountain Violet in the Rain - Viola purpurea

These violets can be distinguished by the shape of their leaves, as well as the purple color on the underside of the leaves and the top two petals.

Lakes Basin Blizzard - 5/21/21

Just this past Friday we went back to the Lakes Basin for a hike.  The forecast was once again for a chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms.  As we drove up the Gold Lake Road, it started to snow and we were quickly engulfed in a blizzard!!!  Needless to say, we didn't stick around and headed home in the rain and snow.  We're so lucky to be getting all this moisture!  I hope the storms keep coming!

Corn Lilies after the Rain

More Damp Earth Art!

We just had a few days of light rain!  However, since we are indeed in a drought year, 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 on the North Yuba River? 

What are these insects?

Where are the Bears?

What's happening in Sierra Valley?

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!

Morels!

Morel - Morchella esculenta

After we got a half an inch of rain a few weeks ago, some Morel mushrooms popped up on our property! Mushrooms aren't flowers, but they are the fruiting body (spore producing organ) of a fungus. Morels are unique mushrooms, in that they appear in the spring rather than the fall. They are a type of sac fungi that aren't that common! Sac fungi get their names from the fact that they produce their spores, called ascospores, in special pods or sac-like structures called asci. In other words, the spores are found on the walls of the honey-combed exterior.

They are quite difficult to see as they are SO camouflaged with their surroundings. At first I only saw two of them, but as I carefully searched the area I saw a total of 13 mushrooms. It was a fun "treasure hunt"! I didn't pick any of them. I left them there to release their spores and reproduce. Many wild critters eat mushrooms, including deer and flying squirrels!  

Morel - Morchella esculenta

They all look alike, but each one is unique.  They were about 3"- 4" tall.  Aren't they cool looking?

Oleander Aphids - Aphis nerii

What about those Bugs?

Okay, for a while now I've been promising to talk about the bugs I've been seeing.  So I've finally done some research and here's what I've learned!  The subject of "bugs" is complicated!  For instance, in the photo above are some aphids which are "true" bugs.  True bugs have piercing, sucking mouth parts.  Many of the critters we see are NOT true bugs, but are commonly called bugs. Ladybugs aren't true bugs, and Sow Bugs/Pill Bugs aren't even insects! Sheesh!

 So to simplify I'm going to talk about Arthropods, which covers most of the "creepy, crawly" critters that you might think are bugs.  Arthropods make up the Phylum Euarthropoda.  They are divided into four main classes; Insects, Arachnids, Myriapods, and Crustaceans.  All Arthropods are invertebrates (lacking a backbone), with exoskeletons, paired jointed appendages, segmented bodies, and are bilaterally symmetrical.

Damselfly (mating) - Long-horned Beetle

Argia emma - Cerambycidae sp.

Insects

Insects are the largest class of Arthropods.  The number of described species in the United States is approximately 91,000. The undescribed species of insects, however, is estimated at some 73,000!!!  All insects have 3 body segments (head, thorax, abdomen), 3 pairs of jointed legs, 1 pair of antennae, and usually 1 or 2 pairs of wings.  This would include most of the critters you see, such as butterflies, beetles, bees, ants, grasshoppers, dragonflies, flies, moths, mosquitoes, etc.

Longjawed Orbweaver - Scorpion

Tetragnatha versicolors - Paruroctonus spp.

Arachnids

There are approximately 8,000 species of Arachnids in the North America.  Each arachnid has 2 body segments (cephalothorax, abdomen), 4 pairs of jointed legs, no antennae, and no wings.  This includes spiders, scorpions, ticks, and mites.

Pink Millipede - Stone Centipede - Millipede (inset)

Lithobius sp. - Brachycybe sp. - Tylobolus castaneus

Myriapods 

There are about 10,000 species of Myriapods in the world.  Each myriapod has 2 body segments (head, trunk), many pairs of jointed legs, 1 pair of antennae, and no wings.  This includes millipedes, centipedes, pauropods (tiny critters that feed on dead organic material, such as decayed leaves etc.), and symphylans (tiny soil-dwelling critters that feed on new root growth).

Wood Lice (commonly called Sow Bug/ Pill Bug/ Roly-Poly)

 Onicidea sp. - photo ©moyerpest.com

Crustaceans

There are around 42,000 species of crustaceans in the world, and most of them are marine. Unlike most other arthropods, there are few species of crustaceans found on land or in freshwater.  Each crustacean usually has 3 body segments (head, thorax, abdomen), more than 4 pairs of jointed legs, 2 pairs of antennae, and no wings. This includes lobsters, shrimp, crabs, crayfish, copepods, ostracods, and Wood Lice (Sow Bug/Pill Bug/Roly-Poly - one of the few land-dwelling crustaceans)! 

Okay, so now you know that at least most of the critters that you thought were bugs, really aren't, AND Wood Lice are crustaceans!!!  The differences between all of these critters are way more complex than I have listed.  I just gave you the BASIC distinctions.  The information is out there if you're curious!  The more I learn, the more I realize I really don't know much at all!

Lazuli Bunting(male) - Passerina amoena

This week several brilliantly colored songbirds arrived in my neighborhood!  Most of the them have flown here from their over-wintering grounds in Mexico, a distance of more than 2,000 miles!!!  Some of them will raise their young in our neighborhood, others will travel further north to breed.  

The Lazuli Bunting above was a total surprise!  I've seen a few in the past, but not for a long time!  I saw two together, and the field guide indicates that they could nest in our area!  Wouldn't that be lovely?  The Cornell Lab of Ornithology states, "This widespread songbird breeds in brushy habitats from sea level to more than 3,000 meters throughout the western United States and southwestern Canada. Appropriately named after the blue gemstone lapis lazuli, this species (especially the male) has spectacular plumage."

Hopefully I'll see them again!  I'll keep you posted!

Black-headed Grosbeak (female) - Pheucticus melanocephalus

This year there are LOTS of Black-headed Grosbeaks in our neighborhood!  They are loud chirpers, and seem to be chirping all day long! They are probably nesting right now.  The female builds a nest on the outer branches of a deciduous tree, near a stream, about 12'-15' off the ground.  Both the male and female incubate the 2-5 eggs, for 12-14 days, and help raise the young.  The nestlings will fledge 10-14 days after they hatch.  Both parents will continue to feed the fledglings for another month or more, but less and less as they mature.

Black-headed Grosbeak (male - male) - Pheucticus melanocephalus

On the left above is a typical male Black-headed Grosbeak, with a rusty orange throat and breast.  The male grosbeak on the right has an unusual yellow throat.  I don't know if this is a rare occurrence, or common.  I have to do some research!

Western Tanager (male) - Piranga ludoviciana

We usually have a pair or two of Western Tanagers nesting in our neighborhood. These beautiful birds fly all the way to Costa Rica for the winter! This gorgeous male posed for me in one of the many blooming locust trees!  I haven't see a female yet, but they are a grayish yellow-green in color and much harder to see!

Bullock's Oriole (male - female) - Icterus bullockii

I've been waiting for these Bullock's Orioles to arrive, and at last they're here!   Yahoo!   A pair of them have been nesting in a tree right near our house for the past 4 years.  I was really hoping they'd come back, and I think they have!!!  I have written lots about them in the past, just use the "search this blog" bar on the top right to read all about them.  I'll keep you posted on this year's developments!

Apple Blossoms in the Rain

More Damp Earth Art!

The forecast is for rain on Saturday and Sunday this coming weekend!  Yahoo!  I hope it pours!  However, since we are indeed in a drought year, 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 on the North Yuba River?

Where are the Bears?

What's blooming?

What's happening in the Lakes Basin?

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!