Common Merganser (male) - Mergus merganser
Just this week, many of the waterfowl that left last Fall have returned to the North Yuba River! The first ones I saw were the Common Mergansers. They probably spent the winter in southern California or Arizona. They will stay here to breed and raise their young. The males are so striking in their black & white feathers, red bills, and orange feet!
Common Merganser (female - male - female) - Mergus merganser
At first I only saw one male, but within a few days more males and females arrived. They are primarily monogamous for the breeding season. The nests are usually made in tree cavities, where 6-17 eggs are laid. Only the female broods and cares for the young, which are born precocial.
Wood Duck Couple - Aix sponsa
To my astonishment I spotted a pair of Wood Ducks near a male Common Merganser on the river! I've never seen a pair of Wood Ducks on the river before! I haven't seen this pair again, so maybe they just flew up from the foothills for the day. Wood Ducks usually live on ponds, marshes, and waterways in the foothills, valley, and coast of California year-round. They are usually serially monogamous. Like Common Mergansers, nests are made in tree cavities, where 10 to 22 eggs are laid!!!
Wood Duck Couple - Aix sponsa
Interestingly, a pair of Wood Ducks showed up on the local Joubert's Diggins Pond this week. Maybe it's the same ones I saw on the river! Such beauty!
Mallard Couple - Anas platyrhynchos
One afternoon I spotted three beautiful Mallard Couples on the river! The males have such brilliant-green feathered heads! They are primarily seasonally monogamous. Nests are made on the ground in the cover of grasses etc., near marshes, ponds, or agricultural areas, where 1-13 eggs are laid.
Mallard Couple - Anas platyrhynchos
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Canada Geese Couple - Branta canadensis
Depending on the severity of winter, about four Canada Geese live here year-round. Lately, more Geese have shown up. I heard them making a racket on the river a week ago, so I went to investigate. There were three geese below the bridge. Two were obviously a couple, and the third (most likely a male) was trying to lure the female away, I THINK! The lone male was honking and honking until the other male took off after it, chased it upriver and landed on its back in the river! The intruding male was submerged by the other male! I watched the submerged intruder "swim" underwater and surface downstream! Other than losing a few feathers it looked okay! From there it flew off downstream! Now THAT was fascinating to watch! WOW!
Common Goldeneyes - Bucephala clangula
The Common Goldeneyes have left the North Yuba River! They spent the Winter here, but are now on their way to their breeding grounds in the boreal forests of northern Canada and Alaska! It's been fun watching them this past winter!
American White Pelican - Mergus merganser
A lone American White Pelican was hanging out on an island in the river this week! It probably spent the winter on the California coast or Sacramento Delta. It was most likely migrating to its breeding ground in Pyramid Lake, Nevada, when it landed on the island. Sometimes they don't make it, due to lack of food. These Pelicans don't dive for fish, they herd them to shallow waters and scoop them up. The North Yuba River isn't a good area for that style of fishing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that somehow it keeps going. It's not easy surviving out there in the wild.
Yellow-rumped Warbler - Setophaga coronata
Early Birds!
To my delight I saw three Yellow-rumped Warblers this week! Such beauty! They probably spent their winter in California's coast, valley or foothills. They were just passing through, on their way to the higher elevations to breed and spend the summer. They may nest in the Lakes Basin or continue farther north to Canada and Alaska! Other songbirds will be arriving soon! How exciting!
Yellow-rumped Warbler - American Robin
Setophaga coronata - Turdus migratorius
Robins arrived here about a month ago, from the coast, valley, or foothills of California! They will nest here in our area, often having more than one clutch in a season! Right now there are LOTS of them in our neighborhood!
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Violet-green Swallow (female - male) - Tachycineta thalassina
To my delight the Violet-green Swallows are back from their winter residence in Central America! They nest locally on a cut bank along the highway! Such beautiful coloring they have!
Arroyo Lupine - Kellogg's Monkeyflower
Lupinus succulentus - Mimulus kelloggii
What's Blooming?
Not a lot of wildflowers are blooming yet, but I'm having fun searching for them! I'll post more every week as they blossom! How fun!
Grand Houndstongue - Western Rue Anemone
Cynoglossum grande - Enemione occidentale
Plum blossoms in the Rain!
Prunus sp.
Damp Earth Art
Not a drop of rain fell this week, and we had temperatures in the 70's. More rain is predicted for tomorrow and into Monday, hopefully an inch or more. Anything helps! Please join me in my continuing hope for precipitation! Perhaps our collective efforts may help it happen. I'm going to keep posting rain inspired writings, art, etc. on my blog at dampearthart.blogspot.com. Any submissions would be greatly appreciated.
Wishing for peace in Ukraine and
an immediate end to this senseless war!
What insects are active now that it's warmed up?
What's going on in the Lakes Basin?
What's happening at Table Mountain?
Check back next week for the answers to these questions and more!
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Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated. Please feel free to email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!
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