Summer on the River!

North Yuba River - 7/6/22

It's been HOT this week, with the temperatures in the 90's, so I walked down to the river and spent the day! The river is low now, which is typical for summer, and easy to cross and warmer in temperature. "Our" swimming hole is just down the river a bit, and easy to get to.  The water was perfect, the air was clear, the sun was hot, and life was thriving!  I live in paradise!

The Swimming Hole - 7/6/21

There's a lovely piece of bedrock that has caused a nice depth to our swimming hole.  It is almost an island, with water on three sides, and I love to explore it every time I visit. This time I found lots of River Otter crayfish-filled-scat, two small snake skins, leopard lilies, and to my utter amazement a rare plant, Lewisia cantelovii! 

Cantelow's Lewisia - Lewisia cantelovii

I first saw this rare plant, Cantelow's Lewisia, about 5 years ago on the North Yuba Trail!  I was SO surprised to find it thriving at our swimming hole!  It is in the Montiaceae or Miner' Lettuce family.  The flowers are tiny, about as big as a fingernail, and white with fine magenta stripes!  The stems as red, 12" tall, super thin, and end in a basal rosette of succulent-like leaves.  They are related to Miner's Lettuce, Pussypaws, Red Maids, Spring Beauties, Sierra Lewisia, and Three-leaf Lewisia!  How cool to have this rare beauty right in our "backyard"! 

Sierra Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis zonata multicincta

Another surprise was seeing a Sierra Mountain Kingsnake on my way to the swimming hole!  It was sunning itself out on the dry river rocks!  The red-black-white banding was strikingly beautiful!  I've only seen these snakes twice in my life, and one of them was dead!  They are not rare, but they are secretive and spend most of their time under rocks or logs.  These colorful snakes are harmless to humans.  They are constrictors and prey on lizards, snakes, bird eggs & nestlings, and small mammals.  

Sierra Mountain Kingsnake  (head section - mid section - tail end)

Lampropeltis zonata multicincta

I watched this one for a few seconds before it headed off among the rocks and eventually disappeared under one of them!  What a lucky sighting!  WOW!!!

Belted Kingfisher (female) - Megaceryle alcyon

The loud rattling calls of a beautiful, female Belted Kingfisher declared her annoyance with my presence at the swimming hole!  I could tell it was a female by the rusty band across her chest, which the male lacks. We have a male and a female that live on our section of the river year round. They are probably a mated pair. They feed mainly on small fish which they catch in shallow water.  I love these elegant, strikingly-feathered birds!

Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius

I looked for young Spotted Sandpipers while I was at the swimming hole, but didn't see any.  The willows are thicker and more widespread than ever before, due to the lack of strong high-waters the past few winters, so the youngsters are probably just well hidden in all the vegetation.  I did see several adult Spotted Sandpipers, and got this fun photo of an adult performing an amazing one-legged neck-scratch!  Doesn't it look like it's enjoying it?!!

Common Mergansers - Mergus merganser

The Common Merganser population on the river has changed a little.  The family of 8 ducklings and their mother is doing fine!  They've gotten a LOT bigger, and I see them often on the river.  They sometimes spend the night on the two islands pictured above, and if I'm lucky I can photograph them waking up in the morning!

Common Mergansers - Mergus merganser

I don't usually see them down by the swimming hole.  I usually see them upriver, where there is a slow "pond like" part of the river in which they prefer to fish.  I love how they stay close together whether swimming, sleeping, or fishing!

Common Mergansers - Mergus merganser

The Merganser family with 5 ducklings and their mother, now consists of 3 ducklings and their mother.  The other two ducklings may be off on their own, or have become prey for another wild animal.  The 3 ducklings are definitely younger and smaller than the 8 ducklings pictured above.  They too stay together all the time in their family unit!

Common Mergansers - Mergus merganser

The merganser family of two tiny ducklings and their mother, now consists of one little duckling and its mother.  Again the other tiny duckling may be off on its own, or has become prey.  This duckling is indeed the youngest and littlest one on our section of the river. 

I find it so interesting that these three families have such differences in the age of the ducklings!  Perhaps the "oldest" family arrived the earliest on the river this spring, and the other females arrived later.

Canada Goose gosling - Branta canadensis

The Canada Goose population has changed as well.  I still see the couple that has no goslings, and the single goose that has two goslings.  The three geese, with two goslings must have moved on as I haven't seen them lately.  The goslings are almost full sized, but not quite!

Osprey - Pandion haliateus

I've been seeing an Osprey almost every day now on the river!  It has its favorite perches; the Cottonwood upriver, the Douglas Fir on the river bend, and the dead snag downriver!  I even saw it with a fish in its talons, but failed to get a photo!  They hunt by perching above a river or lake, scanning for prey, and then plunging down feet-first to catch a fish. They are the only raptor in North America that uses this method of hunting. The soles of its feet have scales with sharp points to help hold slippery fish.  I am so happy that it is back in our neighborhood!

Osprey - Pandion haliateus

It is so handsome!  The male and female are monomorphic, 

so I don't know if this is a male or a female.  So imposing!

Sierra Buttes and clouds

Damp Earth Art

It was hot and dry this week. Hopefully more rainstorms will come soon. We really need them. 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 are my neighborhood songbirds doing?

What's happening in the Lakes Basin ponds and lakes?

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

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