North Yuba Naturalist: Table Mountain in BLOOM!

My husband and I went to North Table Mountain this week to see the spring wildflowers. We'd been hearing about the "super bloom" happening in southern California, and were wondering if it was happening on Table Mountain as well. As we drove up the super windy road to the top of the butte, we passed lots of wildflowers but not in super bloom numbers! The top of the butte however was covered in great swaths of yellow, purple, blue, orange and white flowers, surrounded by large patches of green grass! It was astonishingly beautiful!

Last year it was very, very dry. This year all the rain from the recent winter has caused an incredible bloom! I don't think it is in peak bloom yet, but there were thousands of flowers everywhere. You had to walk carefully to not step on them! There are a few trails you can follow through the preserve, but usually we just amble across the reserve through acres of wildflowers ribboned with small streams.

Table Mountain is a flat topped butte, next to the town of Oroville, Ca. The top of it is capped by an ancient lava flow. It is one of the few places in California that has never been impacted by agriculture. Some cattle are allowed to graze there in the wet months, but apparently cause little impact on the native wildflowers.

The Sutter Buttes from North Table Mountain

North Table Mountain became an ecological preserve in 1993, when Francis Carmichael, a local rancher, sold 3,315 acres of it to the State of California, to be managed by the California Department of Fish and Game. Now it is open to the public. Land passes are required, and can be purchased online at https://www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales.

Sky Lupine - Frying Pans - Kellogg's Monkeyflower

Lupinus nanus - Eschscholzia lobbii - Mimulus kelloggii

This year is one of the most profuse blooms I have ever seen here! There were billions of flowers blooming, carpeting the whole preserve! I was totally entranced! Approximately 400 species of wildflowers thrive on North Table Mountain, 74% of which are native. I used the field guide, Wildflowers of Table Mountain a Naturalist's Guide by Albin Bills and Samantha Mackey, to identify the flowers. It has great photos and information on each flower, as well as tons of information on the geologic and natural history of the preserve. Here are just a few of the blooming wildflowers we saw!

Blue Dicks - California Goldfields - Frying Pans (distant)

Dichelostemma capitatum - Lasthenia californica ssp. californica

Eschscholzia lobbii

Blue Dicks - California Goldfields

Dichelostemma capitatum - Lasthenia californica ssp. californica

Bird's-eye Gilia - Frying Pans

Gilia tricolor ssp. tricolor - Eschscholzia lobbii

Kellogg's Monkeyflower - Mimulus kelloggii

Sky Lupine - California Goldfields

Lupinus nanus - Lasthenia californica ssp. californica

Bitterroot - Lewisia redivia var. rediviva

Table Mountain Meadowfoam - Limnanthes douglasii ssp. nivea

Volcanic Onion - Allium cratericola

We are going back again next week to explore the canyons and waterfalls that edge the top of the butte! We'll also take more time to check out the birds! It should be amazing once again! I'll report what we find in a few weeks!

Black-headed Grosbeak (male) - Pheucticus melanocephalus

Recent Arrivals!

In our neighborhood this week, male Grosbeaks showed up, female Red-winged & Brewer's Blackbirds arrived, more male Brewer's blackbirds flew in, and a Hermit Thrush made an appearance! More birds will be passing through on a daily basis for awhile. I'll keep you posted on what I see! Spring is definitely here!

Evening Grosbeak (male) - Coccothraustes vespertinus