The Last Beautiful Days of Autumn!

First snow on the Sierra Buttes - 11/4/24

The first snows in the Lakes Basin happened about two weeks ago! My husband and I drove up to go for a hike, only to find that the trails around 6,000' had 2"-4" of snow! It was lovely to see, but a bit too slippery to go hiking! Since then we've had several rainy, cold days with a total of 1.07" of precipitation locally, which probably brought additional snow to the Lakes Basin. Luckily the Fall color is persisting and orange, maroon, pinkish-red, golden-yellow, amber, ochre, and burnt sienna leaves are still painting the landscape!

Sierra Buttes from the Deer Lake Trail - 11/6/24

This week, my friend Nancy and I decided to go for one last hike in the Lakes Basin before winter sets in. We hiked up the Deer Lake Trail to an off-trail pond where we often see salamander larvae. There was a good 3"-4" inches of snow on the ground in the shady forest, but the sunny areas were snow free. However, it was quite blustery and COLD!  The pond was dry, and covered in an inch of snow. There wasn't a salamander in sight, as it was way too dry and cold. They are probably in brumation-mode under some fallen log or forest duff. The view of the Buttes on the way back to our car was stunning! It was a wonderful end-of-the-season hike in our home away from home!

Sierra Buttes from the Ramshorn Trail - 11/12/24

The Halls Ranch to Fiddle Creek Trail

Every Fall, for the past four years, my friend Diane and I hike the Halls Ranch to Fiddle Creek Trail. The trail initially climbs to a ridgetop, with a 2,105' gain in elevation in the first two miles. Once you reach the top of the ridge, there is a glorious view of the distant Sierra Buttes! This year we saw the Buttes with its first dusting of snow! Well worth the steep hike! The trail then passes through a gorgeous mixed deciduous/conifer forest, containing Black Oaks, Tan Oaks, Canyon Live Oaks, Big Leaf Maples, Dogwoods, Douglas Firs, Sugar Pines, Ponderosa Pines, Incense Cedars, and White Firs, for the next seven miles. 

Merlin - Falco columbarius

To my surprise and delight, I spotted a Merlin perched on a pine tree on the ridgetop!  Wow!!!  It posed for us for a short time and then flew off! These tiny falcons are uncommon in our area! What a thrill it was to see one!!! 

These falcons are only 10" long including the tail, with a wingspan of 6.5", and a weight of 6.7 ounces! They're tiny! Their main diet is small to medium size birds. They usually hunt from a perch. Prey is pursued with lightning speed (30 mph or more), and caught mid-air. In the fall they eat a lot of dragonflies! Sometimes they even hunt cooperatively with another Merlin!

It turns out that these little falcons don't breed here, they breed farther north across Alaska and Canada, as well as Russia! They are not numerous in population, but they are widespread. They are uncommon visitors to our area in the fall and early winter, during their migration to their winter residence in Mexico/So. America.

Morning Mists above the North Yuba River Canyon

We were up on the ridgetop early enough to watch the mists rise from the forest as the sun rose!  Such graceful beauty!!!

Townsend's Solitaire (adult) - Myadestes townsendi

In the winter, Townsend's Solitaires are uncommonly seen on the western side of the Sierra where we live! They mainly live and breed on the eastern side, and feed on juniper berries in the winter. However, I usually see one or two of these birds on our annual hike. Apparently some drop down to the western foothills to spend the winter! So this one was probably just passing through on its way to lower elevations for the winter.  They mainly eat insects and spiders in the summer, berries and fruit in the winter.

California Black Oaks - Quercus kelloggii

California Black Oaks are one of the many native, deciduous trees in our forests. Even though it has been an extremely dry year, the local oaks still have incredible fall color. I just love how the navy-blue background of the shadowed river canyon showcases the golden-yellow and orange oak leaves! Just stunning!

California Black Oak Acorns - Quercus kelloggii

There were tons of acorns on the trail this year, literally 1,000's of them on the ground! Last year there were hardly any! They made hiking a bit of a challenge, and more than one of us slipped on them!

Acorn crops vary greatly from year to year. Some scientists have actually estimated that in a high yield year, there can be as many as 250,000 acorns per acre!!!! Bumper crops apparently occur, on average, 2 out of every 10 years. Since so many critters eat acorns, scientist think that oaks may vary their acorn production levels to control critter populations. If they had bumper crops of acorns every year the critters that eat them would also increase in population. This population increase could potentially decrease the amount of new trees sprouting from uneaten acorns.

Western Bluebird (male) - Sialia mexicana

We also saw several Western Bluebirds on our hike. In the summer Western Bluebirds are primarily insectivores. In winter they eat fruits and berries, such as juniper, poison oak, mistletoe, wild grapes, and elderberry. They like to live on the edge of open areas, such as meadows or burned areas. They are short-distance migrants, and generally move down slope in winter.

A meander on the North Yuba River!

At some points on the trail we got fantastic views of the North Yuba River. This is one of my absolute favorites, where the river makes a hairpin turn!  So cool! Can you get a sense of how high we had climbed?

Alders and Indian Rhubarb on the North Yuba River

North Yuba River Update!

The overnight temps have been in the 30's this week, and we have had several hard frosts.  The leafy plants along the North Yuba River have taken a bit of a hit! Although the Indian Rhubarb has lots its vibrant yellow colors, their new frost-touched orange color is gorgeous!

Common Mergansers - Mergus merganser

There are three Common Mergansers still on the river!  They are probably this year's juveniles, and will be taking off soon for their winter habitat in southern California or Arizona. I hadn't seen any in a while, so it was fun to have these show up! 

Frost affected Indian Rhubarb on the North Yuba River

Their beauty still lingers even after the frost!

Canada Geese - Branta canadensis

There are four Canada Geese on the river that will probably stay here through the winter if it doesn't get too cold and snowy. They forage on aquatic plants and land plants, such as grass, all year.

Joubert's Diggins - 11/9/24

 Revisiting Joubert's Diggins!

I haven't written about Joubert's Diggins in quite a while even though I check on it every week!  Right now the winter residents have started moving in! I'll keep you updated throughout this winter on this pond, as well as Charles Marsh Pond and Wood Duck Pond. I find it fascinating to watch the changes that happen!

 

Hooded Merganser (male) -  Lophodytes cucullatus

Just this week I saw four male Hooded Mergansers! I imagine the females will arrive soon! These ducks will fly north to western Canada to breed, in the spring. In the meantime, I love seeing them in our local ponds! Their diet consists of fish, crayfish, aquatic insects, amphibians, as well as a small amount of plants.

Buffleheads (female - male) - Bucephala albeola

Buffleheads are fairly common at Joubert's Diggins in the winter. This week I saw 2 males and 2 females. They must be pairing up by now. In the spring the majority of them will migrate north to Alaska and northern Canada to breed, while some may stay and breed in our local Lakes Basin!

Mallard (male) - Anas platyrhychos

A pair of Mallards also showed up this week! I wonder if they're the same pair that's been here in the winter for several years. They will stay and raise their young in these ponds. They feed on a wide variety of plants and animals.

Cattails and Cloud Reflections - Joubert's Diggins

One afternoon the reflected clouds were moving quickly over the ponds at Joubert's Diggins. It was beautiful to watch!

What about mushrooms? 

After that recent rain have they popped up yet?

What are the local mammals doing these days?

Check back in two weeks to find the answers to these questions and more!

After 8 years of posting my blog, I've decided that I'm only going to post my blog twice monthly from now on. My next post will be on the weekend of November 29th. See you then!

Also, check out my latest post on my newly re-opened Damp Earth Blog at dampearthart.blogspot.com

Your questions and comments are always appreciated. Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!

Fall on the North Yuba River

Fall Willows on the North Yuba River - 10/31/24

The recent rainfall coupled with cooler temperatures, and less hours of daylight , have caused the North Yuba River Canyon to show its Fall colors! Without the rainfall, a lot of the leaves would have just dried up and turned brown. Luckily they didn't, and the canyon is alive with the yellows and oranges of autumn leaves!

During the growing season, chlorophyll is continually being produced and broken down and leaves appear green. In early autumn, in response to the shortening days and declining intensity of sunlight, chlorophyll production slows down, stops, and eventually all chlorophyll is destroyed. The colorful yellow (xanthophylls) and orange (carotenoids) pigments that are present in the leaf, are then unmasked and show their colors. The red and purple pigments (anthocyanins) are manufactured from the sugars that are trapped in the leaf. These pigments are what cause the vivid color changes in leaves!

Willows on the North Yuba River - Salix sp.

Willows grow along a lot of the shoreline of the North Yuba River.

At this time of the year, they are one of the main plants that are vibrant yellow in color. I just love their silken reflections!

The beautifully colored Fall leaves don't last forever. As the days shorten and temperatures drop, not only do the leaves change color, but a process called "abscission" begins. The leaves don't just fall off the tree, they are actually being pushed off the tree by the tree itself! As Fall progresses a layer of cells, known as the abscission layer, starts to grow between the end of the leaf stalk and the twig supporting it. These cells slowly grow and cut the leaf off from the tree without leaving an open wound.

Indian Rhubarb on the North Yuba River - Darmera peltata

Indian Rhubarb grows along rocky streams and river beds throughout the Sierra, up to 6,600' in elevation. The leaves are huge, up to 2' wide, and the leaf stalks can be 1-3' tall! They grow from rhizomes that hug the underwater rocks. In fall, the leaves turn yellow-orange and sometimes a lovely salmon pink in color! They are one of my absolute favorite river plants! 

American Dipper with Indian Rhubarb in the background 

Cinclus mexicanus - Darmera peltata

American Dippers live year-round on the North Yuba River. I wonder if they enjoy the fall colors like I do! I know they can see the fall color changes. In fact, birds see many more colors than humans! Humans can see red, blue, and green, and colors and shades made from combinations of these. Birds, however, are able to perceive the familiar rainbow of colors we know and parts of the ultraviolet(UV) spectrum that we can’t see. The following information is from the website at https://northamericannature.com/can-birds-see-color/.

"Bird vision is also sharper than humans. Birds can distinguish small differences between similar shades, so they can see colors that we can’t. Birds generally have four types of cones in their eyes instead of three like humans, and they perceive color differently. Not all birds have four cones, but birds normally have more cones in their retinas than humans and other mammals.

Each cone in the retina has a drop of oil in it. This oil filters out different colors, allowing the birds to see different shades, much like a camera filter. The oil is either transparent, pale, or red, or yellow and gives them greater contrast between colors. This helps birds filter out leaves, bushes, and trees to find their prey, and can even help them find fish in deep water. Mammals, including ourselves, do not have this oil in their eyes.

Humans can see one non-spectral color, purple. We can see purple when our blue and red cones are stimulated. Scientists believe that birds can see up to five: purple, ultraviolet and purple ultraviolet and green, ultraviolet and red, and ultraviolet and yellow."

American Mink - Neovision vision

To our TOTAL surprise, we spotted an American Mink in the North Yuba last week!  I hadn't seen a Mink in the river for five years!!!  It was initially standing on a rock in the middle of the river, then it dove in and resurfaced several times! WOW!!! It looked to be good-sized, maybe over 2 feet in length! We got to watch it for about a minute before it disappeared!!! How exciting! What a thrill! Fingers crossed that we see it again in the near future!

American Mink - Neovision vision

Minks aren't seen that often because they are mainly nocturnal, and are especially active at dawn and dusk. They are called "aquatic weasels" because they can pursue prey underwater. They eat muskrats, crayfish, frogs, ducks, waterfowl, and fish, in rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes. They can swim a distance of 100' underwater, and can dive to a depth of 15'!!! They also hunt on land and eat shrews, mice, and rabbits. They are mainly solitary, except briefly during mating. Both males and females are polygynandrous, and have multiple mates. Mating takes place in the winter. The female makes the nesting burrow in the bank of a stream, river, or lake and lines it with grasses and the fur from prey. 1-8 young are born sometime between April and May. The female solely feeds and cares for the young. American Minks are native to North America. They live in every state in the U.S. except for Arizona!

Coastal Rainbow Trout - Onchorhynchus mykiss irideus

Right now the river water clarity is extreme! I was able to catch this photo of a Coastal Rainbow Trout from our bridge! Adult trout can be 18-20" in length. The one pictured above was probably around 15" long! Right now the river is a chilly 42 degrees! Being coldblooded, trout become less active when the the water temperature drops below 40 degrees. Their metabolism and respiratory rates slow down. Adult trout usually stay in deep pools during fall and winter. 

View through the Cottonwoods of the Sierra Buttes 

from Salmon Creek Campground

Autumn in the Lakes Basin

The Aspen leaves have finally changed color in the Lakes Basin!  A week ago they were still mainly green! My friend Nancy and I decided to take a hike in the Lakes Basin to check out some of our favorite areas for Fall color. 

 

Black Cottonwoods - Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa

The Salmon Creek Campground borders an incredibly beautiful, dryish, tangled wetland. It has small creeks and meadows, as well as Dogwoods, Cottonwoods, Aspens, Junipers and Pines. The grasses are long and thick, currently blanketed in Cottonwood leaves, and lying on the ground. So of course we had to lie down on the grasses, and watch the overhead cottonwood trees drop their leaves one by one! Such beauty!

Gray's Lovage seedhead - Ligusticum grayi

 In the summer, thousands of wildflowers bloom there. Now, in the fall, the wildflower seedheads bring a new delicate beauty to the area!

Quaking Aspens & American Dogwood

Populus tremuloides - Cornus sericea

The Lakes Basin Campground has a short trail through a beautiful, small Aspen Grove that is glorious at this time of year!  In addition to the incredible fall colors, the sound of the aspen leaves in the wind is music to our ears!

Quaking Aspens & American Dogwood

Populus tremuloides - Cornus sericea

The contrast of yellow Aspens and red Dogwoods is a familiar beauty here in the Fall!

A distant view of the Aspen Grove from the campground bridge

Aspens, grasses, willows, dogwoods, and currants are just a few of the plants that have "blossomed" with color this fall!

Dwarf Bilberry in Bilberry Basin - Vaccinium cespitosum

On the Round Lake Loop Trail, there is a basin between Silver and Round Lakes that is filled with water in the spring. In the fall it is bone dry and showcases brilliantly colored Dwarf Bilberry plants!  We hike there every year just to see the bright-red Dwarf Bilberry. The color is amazingly beautiful! The photo above is of front-lit Dwarf Bilberry. 

Dwarf Bilberry in Bilberry Basin - Vaccinium cespitosum

The photo above is of back-lit Dwarf Bilberry plants! The leaves are brilliant fire-engine-red in the sun!  It's astonishing every time I see it!  We were so lucky to see them at their peak color! Such Beauty!

Round Lake

Just past Bilberry Basin is Round Lake. We decided to have lunch on the sunny shore in the wind and it was fabulous! Surrounded by beauty, with a fall chill in the air, and in the company of a dear friend...who could ask for more?

Have any mushrooms popped up?

Have the Black Oaks turned fall colors yet?

Check back in two weeks to find the answers to these questions and more!

After 8 years of posting my blog, I've decided that I'm only going to post my blog twice monthly from now on. My next post will be on the weekend of November 16th. See you then!

Also, check out my latest post on my newly re-opened Damp Earth Blog at dampearthart.blogspot.com

Your questions and comments are always appreciated. Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!

In the Spirit!

Whether you celebrate Halloween or not,

let nature enchant you every day!

Happy Halloween!

Conifer Tree Trunk Fungi!

 
Conifer trunk covered in Wolf Lichen - Letharia vulpina

Lichens

Bright yellow-green Wolf Lichen is commonly seen on the trunks of conifers in the Lakes Basin. It is not a plant, but rather a fungus and algae or cyanobacteria living together in mutualistic symbiosis.  The fungus makes the shape of the lichen and provides water and minerals to the algae/cyanobacteria. Inside the fungus, the algae/cyanobacteria photosynthesize sugars, provide vitamins, and make amino acids from the nitrogen gas in the air! Surprisingly, lichen is not a plant (has no roots nor vascular system) and is classified in the fungal kingdom!  Lichens provide food, cover, and nesting materials for a variety of birds, mammals and insects.

Steller's Jay foraging on Wolf Lichen - Cyanocitta stelleri

Many insects, live on, camouflage themselves as, or eat lichens, including beetles, moths, moth larvae, spiders, mites, and grasshoppers. In turn, many birds prey on these insects, such as the Steller's Jay pictured above.

Chipmunk - Tamias sp.

I didn't find any source that said Chipmunks eat lichens. However, I did find out that they will sometimes use them as nesting material!

Northern Flying Squirrel - Glaucomys sabrinus

photo credit: US Fish & Wildlife

On the other hand 90-100% of a Northern Flying Squirrel's diet is fungi and lichen. I would imagine that they eat lichen in the winter, when it is limp from rain and snow. They primarily eat underground fungi, such as false-truffles and truffles. They mainly consume this fungi  in the summer, when the ground isn't covered in several feet of snow.

Cryptic Globe Fungus - Cryptoporus volvatus

Fungi

Mushrooms are also commonly seen on the trunks of conifers.  They usually indicate that the tree isn't healthy. The spores of the fungi are usually brought into the tree trunk on the bodies of wood boring beetles. The following information from https://woodlandinfo.org/, explains what happens next.

"Once inside the bark of a tree, the spores start to grow on some part of the tree; or the cells are slowly killed and decayed by the fungus; or the fungal growth spreads to the vascular system; the system becomes “clogged” due to dead cells and can no longer transport sugar and water.

If enough of the vascular system gets clogged up, then the tree will literally be choked to death. Sometimes trees can contain the infection to only part of their system and so can continue to grow but at a slower pace."

Grub in a Cryptic Globe Fungus

The mushrooms that we see on the bark of a conifer are the "fruiting bodies" of the main fungus, and produce the spores needed for the reproduction of the fungus. These mushrooms can be eaten by mammals, birds, and insects alike! And of course, the insects in the mushrooms are eaten by birds!

Sulfur Shelf - Laetiporus conifericola

There are countless species of mushrooms in the woods.  Lots of them grow on the ground, while others pop-up on the trunks of trees.  Here are a few of the ones I've seen.

Oyster Mushrooms - West Coast Reishi

Genus Pleurotus- Ganoderma oregonense

Common Mergansers - Mergus merganser

Recent Departures, Short Layovers,

& New Arrivals!

In my neighborhood the migratory birds have departed and our avian winter visitors have arrived!  I love seeing the changes! Many of them migrate long distances to their winter habitat, while others are short distance migrants and overwinter in California. 

I haven't seen any Common Mergansers on the river for several weeks now. They raised their young here, and have probably left for their winter habitat in southern California or Arizona.

Western Tanager (juvenile) - Black-headed Grosbeak (juvenile)

Piranga ludoviciana - Pheucticus melanocephalus

Juvenile Western Tanagers, that were born here, left our neighborhood several weeks ago, to begin their migration south to their winter habitat in southern Mexico/Central America, a distance of nearly 4,000 miles!

The juvenile Black-headed Grosbeaks, also born here, left several weeks ago on their annual migration to their winter habitat in southern Baja California, a distance of approximately 1,500 miles!

Lewis's Woodpecker - Melanerpes lewis

 

To my delight a juvenile Lewis's Woodpecker stopped briefly in our neighborhood a few weeks ago!!!  I had never seen a juvenile before! Apparently it was on its way to its winter habitat in the foothills and lower elevations of California!

Western Meadowlark (non-breeding adults) - Sturnella neglecta

Every year Western Meadowlarks pass through our neighborhood in the Spring and again in the Fall. My theory is that they are on their way to Sierra Valley to breed in the Spring, and on their way to their winter habitat in the foothills or central valley in the Fall. They are such beautifully feathered birds!

White-crowned Sparrows (1st winter - adult) - Zonotrichia leucophrys

3 weeks ago we saw a bunch of White-crowned Sparrows up in the Lakes Basin, now they're down in our neighborhood!  They will spend the winter here foraging for seeds. The adults have the distinctive black and white crown, whereas the "first winter" birds have a rusty-red crown. I always delight in their return!

Golden-crowned Sparrow (1st winter) - Zonotrichia atricapilla

The Golden-crowned Sparrows will also spend the winter here. They migrate down from their breeding grounds in Alaska and/or northwestern Canada. Like most birds, they forage for seeds in the winter.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (adult) - Corthylio calendula

Having spent the summer in the higher elevations of the Sierra, the Ruby-crowned Kinglets descend to our neighborhood, and lower, for the winter. Here they will glean a variety insects off of shrubs all winter long. I have only once seen their startling "ruby" crown,  but wasn't able to get a photo. These tiny (4" in length) birds are difficult to photograph as they flit through the bare-leaved shrubs!  Sometimes I get a lucky shot!

Great Basin Wood-nymph - Northern White Skipper

Cercyonis sthenele silvestris -Heliopetes ericetorum

 

Down in our garden there are still tons of pollinators and butterflies. The two  above are ones I have never seen before! The following information about the butterfly and skipper pictured above, is from https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/

"Great Basin Wood-nymph: Males patrol all day to find females, who lay eggs singly on host plants. Caterpillars hatch and go into hibernation, not feeding until the following spring.

Flight: One brood from June-August.

Caterpillar Hosts: Unknown grasses.

Adult Food: Flower nectar.

Habitat: Chaparral, oak woodland, open pine forest, juniper-pinyon woodland, sagebrush.

Northern White Skipper: To find females, males patrol in canyon bottoms. Females deposit eggs singly on young leaves of the host plants. Caterpillars feed on leaves and live in shelters of rolled or tied leaves.

Flight: Several broods from April-October.

Caterpillar Hosts: Various mallows including globemallows, hollyhock, and mallow.

Adult Food: Flower nectar.

Habitat: Open woodland, chaparral, dry washes, desert mountains, arid land."

Saddleback obscured by rain and clouds

Stormy Weather!

On Wednesday and Thursday this past week, we got .30" of rain and the clouds were unbelievable dark and stormy on Thursday afternoon! Such beauty!  Hopefully more rain will arrive again soon!

What do the Fall colors look like in the Lakes Basin?

Have the Sandhill Cranes migrated through?

Check back in two weeks to find the answers to these questions and more!

After 8 years of posting my blog, I've decided that I'm only going to post my blog twice monthly from now on. My next post will be on the weekend of November 2nd. See you then! 

 Also, check out my latest post on my newly re-opened Damp Earth Blog at dampearthart.blogspot.com

Your questions and comments are always appreciated. Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!