Back in the Lakes Basin!

Lakes Basin - 9/19/21

Last Saturday night and Sunday morning we got .32" of rain!  Yahoo!!!  So on Sunday, I decided to go up to the Lakes Basin before the clouds left and check out the fall colors.  It had been exactly one month since I had been there, due to the Tahoe National Forest Closure, which ended on Wednesday, Sept. 15 at midnight.  I hiked the Round Lake Loop Trail and filled up with Lakes Basin Beauty once again!

Round Lake Trail - Mt. Elwell & Round Lake

It had obviously rained heavily in the Lakes Basin, as there were puddles on the trail!!!  The petrichor was fabulous, and the cloudy sky was gorgeous!

Lake Veronica

Lake Veronica was the lowest I've ever seen it!  I didn't see any Fairy Shrimp in it at all this year.  However, in 2019 there were thousands of them in the lake. (see "Ponds & Lakes" blog, Aug. 24, 2019)

Sandhill Cranes - Grus canadensis

Lakes Basin Birds!

To my delight several large flocks of Sandhill Cranes flew over during the day!  The shorter days and cooler nights have prompted them to migrate to their winter quarters in California's Central Valley, where they congregate in the tens of thousands!  I've seen and heard these cranes fly over for many years now!  Their loud rubbery calls are just as much a part of fall as the changing colors of the leaves!

Mountain Chickadee - Yellow Warbler - Dark-eyed Junco

Poecile gambeli - Setophaga petechia - Junco hyemalis

I saw several songbirds over the course of the day, including a lovely Yellow Warbler!

Northern Thick-billed Fox Sparrow - White-crowned Sparrows (adult)

White-crowned Sparrow (juvenile)

Passerella iliaca ssp. megarhyncha - Zonotrichia leucophrys

Sharp-shinned Hawk - Accipiter striatus

Neighborhood Sightings

A Sharp-shinned Hawk showed up down the street one morning this week!  Several Steller's Jays were harassing it, but it stuck around!  In the late afternoon, my neighbor spotted it eating something in one her backyard trees.

The Sharp-shinned Hawk is the smallest hawk in the US and Canada. They are forest predators, like the Northern Goshawk. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology states, "These raptors have distinctive proportions: long legs, short wings, and very long tails, which they use for navigating their deep-woods homes at top speed in pursuit of songbirds and mice." Small songbirds are the main prey of this hawk species, and there are lots of songbirds in our garden right now! They use surprise attack as their main method of capture. They will eat birds as small as an Anna's Hummingbird, or as large as a Mountain Quail! They will pluck off most of the feathers of their prey before they eat them!

They are listed as a "vulnerable" species. Wikipedia states, "A vulnerable species is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as likely to become endangered unless the circumstances that are threatening its survival and reproduction improve. Vulnerability is mainly caused by habitat loss or destruction of the species home." They do not live here year-round, and mainly breed up in Canada and Alaska.

Sierra Mountain Kingsnake (juvenile) - Lampropeltis zonata multicincta

I found a dead Sierra Mountain Kingsnake on the road this week!  This was a tiny one, about 6" long and half and inch wide.  I've never seen one in our neighborhood before!  These beautiful snakes are not considered rare, but are uncommonly seen and secretive.  They spend most of their time underground, under logs, and in rock crevices.  They prey on lizards, snakes, small mammals, nestling birds, and bird eggs.  They enter into brumation sometime in November, and emerge between February and April in the spring, depending on the weather.  Mating occurs soon after spring emergence.  Eggs are laid in June-July and hatch in 50-65 days. They live in a variety of habitats, from 1,500'-3,000' in elevation, including chaparral, oak woodlands, coniferous forests, and manzanita thickets.  

California Mule Deer fawns - Odocoileus hemionus californicus

I'm still visiting the river several times a week in the late afternoon.  I'm always surprised at what I see.  This week I spotted two California Mule Deer fawns downriver!  They were foraging on the shrubs along the river edge.  You could just barely see their "spots".  They had such huge ears!  At first I didn't see their mom, but then she showed up and lead them out of sight.  They differ from the Columbian Black-tailed Deer in ear size and tail markings.  Mule Deer tails are tipped in black.  Columbian Black-tailed Deer tails are tipped in black with a black vertical stripe along the length of the tail.  

California Mule Deer fawns  & doe - Odocoileus hemionus californicus

I was so happy to see these healthy young fawns and their mom along the river!

 

Raindrops on a Western Black Widow spider web - Latrodectus hesperus

Damp Earth Art

Rain is in the forecast again for Monday night and Tuesday morning! Yahoo! Once again I hope it pours! The Dixie/Jarbo Gap and the Caldor fires have diminished even more. Fingers crossed that they continue to diminish. I am so grateful that there aren't any fires in our immediate area. My heart goes out to those who have lost their homes in this unprecedented fire season. My unending thanks go to the fire fighters who continue to battle these dangerous fires every day.

I so wish it would rain! We can't do anything about the drought, the wind, hot temperatures and fires. Worry makes it harder to bear. So anytime I think of it, I think 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. I've created a blog, dampearthart.blogspot.com, where I post photographs, quotes, and artworks that feature rain.

Whose pulling the stuffing out of our scarecrow's head?

What are the squirrels doing right now?

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

Unfortunately, you can no longer sign up to get my blog via email. Just go to northyubanaturalist.blogspot.com directly. It looks better than the emailed version!

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

Goldfinches!

Lesser Goldfinch (female & fledglings) - Carduelis psaltria

Down in our garden there have been lots of Lesser Goldfinches feasting on the sunflower seeds.  I love hearing their tiny calls, and watching their acrobatic maneuvers to get seeds.  When the temps get cooler, these little birds will migrate down to the foothills and valleys of California for the winter. It is so fun to watch these little birds (4.5" in length), the smallest of all goldfinches, feast in our garden!

A few years back I figured out approximately how many seeds a Lesser Goldfinch might eat in a day. My research was based on the information that birds eat 1/2 to 1/4 of their weight daily, and that a Lesser Goldfinch weighs about .33 oz. I pried the sunflower seeds from the dried flower heads (It's not as easy as you would think!) and found out that 37.5 seeds add up to .01 oz. in weight. However, the seeds I weighed were still in their hulls. The actual weight of JUST the seeds is probably at least half that weight. So I assumed that it would take 75 seeds to add up to .01 oz of weight. So, if a Lesser Goldfinch ate 1/4 of its weight (.0825 oz) in a day, it would need to eat approximately 619 seeds. If a Lesser Goldfinch ate 1/2 of its weight (.165 oz) in a day it would need to eat approximately 1,238 seeds!!! WOW! That is a lot of seed hulling! It also explains why they appear to eat continuously during the daylight hours! This is just an estimate, but it was fun to figure out! 

Lesser Goldfinches usually have 2 broods a year, sometimes even three!  Right now there are several fledgling goldfinches begging for food in our garden!  These are probably from second broods.  This video shows a full-sized fledgling fluttering its wings, hoping an adult will feed it!

Lesser Goldfinch (female - male) - Carduelis psaltria

The black cap easily distinguishes the male from the female Lesser Goldfinch.

Fundraising for Wildlife!

I've been busy lately, selling my art and photo-cards to raise money for the Wildlife Disaster Network, out of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.  So far I've raised over $400 this week, thanks to the generosity of the local residents of Camptonville and Downieville!  The art I featured last week. The photo-cards are blank notecards featuring 16 different photos from this blog (see sample composite above).  I'm headed out the door to do more fund raising right now!  If you would like to donate to an organization that helps wildlife check out my Sept. 3 blog, where I have links to three different wildlife organizations. Thanks! 

Northern Bluet Damselfly - Enallagma cyathigerum

Recently some dear friends of mine astonished me by giving me a pair of Close-Focus Binoculars!  I had read about this type of binoculars in naturalist Kate Marianchild's book Secrets of the Oak Woodlands: Plants & Animals among California's Oaks, but had never looked through a pair.  They are astonishing!!!  My friends gave me  a pair of Pentax Papilio II, 8.5 x 21, Extremely-Close Focusing, 0.5m/1.6ft binoculars!  The clarity and optics of this model are absolutely excellent!  I highly recommend them.  With these binoculars you can look closely at the underbelly of a lizard, watch a bee gather pollen on an anther, see the scales in a butterfly's wings, and count the hairs on a plant stem!  Another level of natural history observation and beauty is revealed through these binoculars!  I love the focal length of these binoculars, and the way the background goes out of focus when close objects are in focus.  Although not as powerful for distant objects, you can still "bird watch" with them!  Try a pair, you'll love them!

Sunflowers & Honey Bees - Anna's Hummingbird - Western Fence Lizard

Here are some photos that are similar to what you can see with Close-Focus Binoculars!  Such beauty!

Dragonfly Wing

Grizzly Peak and Storm Clouds

Damp Earth Art

Rain is in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow morning!  Yahoo!  Once again I hope it pours! The Dixie/Jarbo Gap and the Caldor fires have diminished a lot. Fingers crossed that they continue to diminish. I am so grateful that there aren't any fires in our immediate area. My heart goes out to those who have lost their homes in this unprecedented fire season. My unending thanks go to the fire fighters who continue to battle these dangerous fires every day.

I so wish it would rain! We can't do anything about the drought, the wind, hot temperatures and fires. Worry makes it harder to bear. So anytime I think of it, I think 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. I've created a blog, dampearthart.blogspot.com, where I post photographs, quotes, and artworks that feature rain.

Acorn Woodpecker - Melanerpes formicivorous

This is an Acorn Woodpecker!  It flew over our garden a few weeks ago!  This type of woodpecker usually lives year-round in the foothills where it eats mainly acorns and insects!  I've never seen one in our neighborhood before!  Maybe it's too hot and dry in the foothills, so this male came looking for food!  We don't have very many oaks in our neighborhood, but there are a lot nearby on some south facing slopes.

What's happening in the Lakes Basin?

Are the bears and bucks still around?

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

Unfortunately, you can no longer sign up to get my blog via email. Just go to northyubanaturalist.blogspot.com directly. It looks better than the emailed version!

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

Wonders never Cease!

American Black Bears - Ursus americanus

On Wednesday morning I went for a long walk in my neighborhood.  The smoke had totally cleared off, the air was clear and fresh, and the sky was a brilliant blue dome with no clouds!  It was glorious!  At the end of my walk, as I turned at the last corner and headed home, I was astounded to see this American Black Bear and her three cubs walking down our road! I don't see bears very often, and have never seen one with THREE cubs!!  The mom looked like she might head my way, so I slowly backed up.  Just then, a neighbor started up her car and the noise made all four bears bolt into a blackberry thicket just off the road!  I heard them crash off into the thicket, but couldn't see them anymore.  I had watched them for a total of about 20 seconds!  How lucky I was to see them at all!  WOW!!!

Black Bears usually give birth every other year, but sometimes wait 3-4 years.  Their litters range from 1-5 in number, but are usually 2-3. These cubs were probably born sometime in January or February, and weighed 7-16 ounces at birth!  They would have stayed in their den with their mother, nursing, until springtime. When they emerged in spring, they weighed 5-11 lbs.! They are usually weaned by 6-8 months, but stay with their mother through their second winter, until they are about 17 months old. Adult males do not care for young, and only come together briefly with females to mate.

Bear Scat: Apples & Grapes - Blackfruit Dogwood Berries - Blackberries

At this time of year bears are feeding heavily, usually consuming 5x their normal amount of food, to build up fat for the winter months.  Their diet consists of fruit, berries, tree cambium, grasses, flowering plants, acorns, nuts, carrion, insects, honey, fish, and grubs. Right now in our neighborhood there are lots and lots of apple trees covered in ripe fruit, blackberries can still be found, Blackfruit Dogwood berries are ripe, pears are ripening, and grapes are in season!  There's plenty here for this family to eat!  They even ate some of the carrots out of our garden this week!  You can tell what they've been eating by looking at their scat, which is all over our neighborhood right now!

Common Merganser - Mergus merganser 

Wonderful River!

The North Yuba River is such a river of life!  Wildlife is here and visible because of the river.  I'm always constantly amazed at what I see!  This week an astounding group of 21 Common Mergansers swam below me at the bridge!  Although mergansers are social, I've never seen this many together on the river.  Such beauty!  Although they all look like females, there are probably lots of males in this group.  The males have molted their striking black and white breeding plumage and are currently in their "eclipse" plumage, which is very similar to the female's year-round plumage.

Columbian Black-tailed Deer (fawn & doe - buck)

Odocoileus hemionus columbianus

This week I was also surprised to see a spotted fawn crossing the river with two does!  WOW!!!  I haven't seen any does or fawns recently, so this was a real treat!  The fawn was probably 2 or 3 months old as it wasn't tiny but it still had its spots!  I also watched a single buck on the river bar this week!  It might be one of the two that I've been seeing together lately, but I'm not sure.

Signal Crayfish - Western Aquatic Garter Snake (juvenile)

Pacifasticus leniusculus -Thamnophis couchi

I usually only find crayfish pincers in the river, but this week I found a whole dead crayfish.  It was only about 6" long, and the pincers weren't orange, so it was probably a young one.  Although it looked intact on the surface, upon investigation I found that all its intestines were missing!  

Western Aquatic Garter Snake are excellent swimmers, and can stay underwater for several minutes. They eat fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, earthworms, insects, slugs, small rodents, eggs and nestlings of birds! They do not poison or constrict their prey. They catch their prey with their teeth, and then swallow them whole! The females are ovoviviparous, and carry their eggs internally. The young snakes, up to 30 in a clutch, are born in late summer. They are 5" in length when born, and can reach up to 50" in length as adults.

River Otter - Lontra canadensis

To my delight, there were two River Otters in "our" swimming hole this week!  I only saw them briefly, just a few seconds, before they disappeared! 

I’ve been lucky this year and have seen River Otters four different times in the past 8 months! Many local residents have never seen an otter, because these beautiful animals are not common although they are indeed native to our river. They are uncommon because the food they eat isn’t abundant. They hunt night and day, and consume approximately 2.2-3.3 lbs of food a day. Slow moving fish (such as Sacramento Suckers which are also native) are their preferred fish (but will eat any species), crayfish, mussels, turtles, molting ducks, bird eggs, snakes, newts, and frogs compose their diet.

The reason why I’ve seen so many River Otters, is that I look for them almost every day, and I’m probably seeing the same ones again and again! Most of the time the sightings are brief, just a few seconds. One time I saw one eating a fish on land for several minutes! Usually I just see their heads above water for a few seconds, and then they disappear. They are powerful swimmers and can stay underwater for up to 8 minutes, swim at a speed of 6-8 mph, and travel underwater for 440 yards without surfacing! This time I was close enough to hear it’s snorting breaths! WOW!!!

Osprey (adult - juvenile) - Pandion haliaetus

I saw two different Ospreys on the river one morning this week.  Later, when I looked at my photos on the computer, I realized that one of them was a juvenile!  Juveniles have red eyes, adults have golden eyes.  Was the juvenile the offspring of the adult?  That would be so cool!

Confusing Petrophila Moth - Spotted Cucumber Beetle 

Petrophila confusalis - Diabrotica undecimpunctata

I revisited the Bush Mint on the river's edge that had a variety of insects feeding on it a few weeks ago, and it was still blooming!  I saw a few of those amazing Confusing Petrophila Moths, along with the wasps and bees I saw before.  New this week there was  a Spotted Cucumber Beetle and a Gray Hairstreak Butterfly!

Spotted Cucumber Beetle adults overwinter under leaves and debris around woodlands and buildings. Adults leave their hiding sites in late March and females oviposit from late April to early June. Larvae feed on roots and stems under the soil where they mature for two to four weeks before pupating. First generation adult emergence occurs from late June to early July.

Gray Hairstreak Butterfly - Strymon melinus

This tiny butterfly was rubbing its hindwings together!  I'd never see a butterfly do that before!  Apparently, scientists think that by rubbing its wings together, the appendages on the hind wings might look like moving antennae to a predator.  That movement, together with those orange eyespots, may keep a predator from biting its head and killing it!  Wow!

 

Grizzly Peak in the rain and mist

Damp Earth Art

IT FINALLY RAINED!!!  On Thursday night and into Friday morning it rained and rained!  We ended getting a total of a little more than a third of an inch of rain, and the Lakes Basin got over a half inch of rain!  Yahoo!  It smelled heavenly!  I spent the whole day outside on Friday, which was cooler and cloudy and exquisite! For the past five days, there hasn't been any smoke in the air! Probably because the Dixie/Jarbo Gap and the Caldor fires have diminished somewhat. They even got some of the rain as well!  Fingers crossed that they continue to diminish. I am so grateful that there aren't any fires in our immediate area. My heart goes out to those who have lost their homes in this unprecedented fire season. My unending thanks go to the fire fighters who continue to battle these dangerous fires every day.

I so wish it would rain! We can't do anything about the drought, the wind, hot temperatures and fires. Worry makes it harder to bear. So anytime I think of it, I think 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. I've created a blog, dampearthart.blogspot.com, where I post photographs, quotes, and artworks that feature rain.

What kind of bird is this?

Is the Lakes Basin going to re-open this week?

I'll talk about "close-focus" binoculars next week.

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

Unfortunately, you can no longer sign up to get my blog via email. Just go to northyubanaturalist.blogspot.com directly. It looks better than the emailed version!

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

Wildlife Rescue!

Photograph: Chelsea Stein Engberg/Courtesy of Gold Country Wildlife Rescue

I just read a fascinating article in The Guardian online newspaper about the Wildlife Disaster Network. This organization is a partnership between the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.  This group of volunteer disaster veterinarians is currently treating animals injured in California’s devastating wildfires. It usually gets calls from first responders located in fire zones, and then requests authorization from officials to go look for injured wildlife. Once captured, the animals are transported to animal rescue facilities where they sometimes spend months receiving treatments and recovering from their injuries. 

Photograph: California Department of Fish & Wildlife

“It [Wildlife Disaster Network] aims to quickly and efficiently mobilize the people and resources needed to aid wildlife affected by wildfire and other disasters. The Wildlife Disaster Network includes veterinarians, wildlife biologists, ecologists, trained animal care volunteers and rehabilitation centers. It involves field reconnaissance in the aftermath of fires, conducted by UC Davis-affiliated staff, with the approval and oversight of Incident Command, when conditions are deemed safe to do so.

Photograph: California Department of Fish & Wildlife

Simply locating the animals, though, is often a grueling, time-consuming task. Some of their days involve hiking 10 to 15 hours through waist-deep ash into the red zone. 

Photograph: California Department of Fish & Wildlife

Recently, the Wildlife Disaster Network went to find a bear cub, who was injured in the 700,000 acre (283,000 hectare) Dixie fire. Using binoculars, they spotted him up in a tree about a half mile from where firefighters had initially seen him near Taylorsville.

Photograph: California Department of Fish & Wildlife

The orphaned bear cub from the Dixie fire was admitted to Gold Country Wildlife Rescue, and is receiving IV fluids and veterinarians are treating its second and third degree burns with medical grade manuka honey. They’re optimistic about his recovery. He hasn’t had much of an appetite, the rescue says, but enjoys cantaloupe.”

Gold Country Wildlife Rescue, in Auburn, CA, is a nonprofit that rehabilitates and releases wounded wildlife. It is currently treating multiple animals rescued from wildfire zones along with the birds, squirrels and foxes in its care that weren’t injured in fires. Right now it is caring for two bear cubs, including the orphan from the Dixie fire, and a bobcat injured in the Lava fire.

Original Art - ©NYN 2021

If Everybody did a Little...

For two summers I volunteered at the Wildlife Rehabilitation & Release intake center in Grass Valley, mainly taking care of injured songbirds. It was an incredible experience! This organization works closely with Gold Country Wildlife Rescue. Due to family circumstances, I couldn’t volunteer this summer. However, I am donating my art (see images above) to an art auction/fundraiser at the intake center on September 25, from 6:00-9:00 pm. This fundraiser is open to the public. Please come if you can! If you are interested in purchasing any of my art prints, please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com.

If you are interested in donating to any of these wildlife

organizations please use the following links:

Wildlife Disaster Network (Davis, CA) – (530) 752-7024    https://give.ucdavis.edu/VWHC/V670WDN

Gold Country Wildlife Rescue (Auburn, CA) – (530) 885-0862

https://goldcountrywildliferescue.org/donate/

Wildlife Rehabilitation & Release (Grass Valley, CA) – (530) 477-5774

https://www.cawildlife911.org/donate/

Sierra Buttes - 7/24/21

US Forest Service Extends Closure 

of National Forests

The Tahoe National Forest, as well as 8 other National Forests in California have extended their forest closures until September 17. No driving, hiking, camping, fishing, swimming, boating or recreating is allowed. Anyone breaking this closure may be fined $5,000!!! I still think this is a great idea. Less people = less chance for wildfires. So stay home and prevent wildfires! I imagine the closures will continue even longer if we don't get any rain.

Red-shouldered Hawk in the Rain - 2019

Buteo lineatus

Damp Earth Art

The two, local, major fires, the Dixie/Jarbo Gap and the Caldor, have diminished a little.  Fingers crossed that they continue to diminish. I am so grateful that there aren't any fires in our immediate area. My heart goes out to those who have lost their homes in this unprecedented fire season. My unending thanks go to the fire fighters who continue to battle these dangerous fires every day.

I so wish it would rain! We can't do anything about the drought, the wind, hot temperatures and fires. Worry makes it harder to bear. So anytime I think of it, I think 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. I've created a blog, dampearthart.blogspot.com, where I post photographs, quotes, and artworks that feature rain.

Wood Duck female and duckling - 7/05/21

Aix sponsa

Pond Update!

Okay, the local ponds surprisingly still have a few waterfowl!  The pond closest to me has a few juvenile Wood Ducks and Mallards, and the water is quite low.  The Charles Marsh Pond has a few Mallards, and is filling up with pond weeds.  I haven't been able to visit the Wood Duck Pond so I don't know its status. 

What's happening on the river?

What are "close-focus" binoculars?

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

Unfortunately, you can no longer sign up to get my blog via email. Just go to northyubanaturalist.blogspot.com directly. It looks better than the emailed version!

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