Local Raptors!

Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Just the other morning, as I was leaving to go on a hike, I spotted a Bald Eagle drying out it's wings along the river corridor! WOW!!! We had just had a week of very rainy days, with a total of 4.47" of rain! This spectacular Bald Eagle was spreading its wings on a misty but not rainy morning, attempting to dry them out! How beautiful!

We had JUST seen an immature Bald Eagle last week at Gray Lodge!  I hadn't seen a Bald Eagle on our river for more than a year!  What rare sightings I've enjoyed lately!  Both male and female Bald Eagles look alike, and will have a white head and tail when 4-5 years old. They have a lifespan of 28-38 years in the wild.  

Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus

The following information is from the Cornell Ornithology Lab website https://birdsoftheworld.org. 

"The Bald Eagle is monogamous and thought to mate for life unless a mate dies, but this is not well documented. They undertake spectacular courtship rituals annually, involving loud vocalizations and acrobatic flight displays. Perhaps the best known courtship act is the Cartwheel Display, in which a courting pair fly to a great altitude, lock talons, and tumble/cartwheel back toward earth, separating just before collision with the ground!

Both sexes contribute to nest building, although the female may place the sticks within nest. Once initiated, nest-building may take up to 3 months to complete, although nests may be completed in as little as 4 days. Additional materials are regularly added to the nest throughout the year, including daily additions during the breeding period, so that nests used for multiple years may achieve enormous dimensions. Typical nests are 1.5–1.8 m in diameter and 0.7–1.2 m tall, and the nest shape conforms to shape of tree, ranging from cylindrical or cone-shaped to flat."

Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis

There aren't a lot of raptors in our area. In fact I have mainly been seeing one Cooper's Hawk, and one Red-tailed Hawk. New this week a Red-shouldered Hawk and the above Bald Eagle have shown up!  Each hawk has a specific diet in the winter, such as birds, birds and mammals, or just mammals. I imagine that it's not easy for these raptors to find enough to eat! The heavy rain has made it even more difficult to catch prey, as explained in the following quote from gckcopywriter.com.

"Raptors like rain about as much as a cat likes a bath. Hawks, eagles, owls, and other birds of prey have a tough time during drenching rains.

First, depending on their size, a raptor’s wings can take as much as an entire day to dry out. Before that, it’s too difficult to fly any normal distance to find food. Second, even if they can fly normally, their prey – whether its smaller birds, rabbits, or squirrels – take shelter against storms in dense surroundings or burrows. They stay hidden. If it rains too long, raptors can be faced with a serious lack of food and face a real crisis."

Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis

The handsome Red-tailed Hawk above was perched in a tree very close to the tree I saw the Bald Eagle in! It's probably the same Red-tail that I've seen several times this winter in our neighborhood. It flew away shortly after I spotted it, revealing it's lovely orange-brown

chest, belly, and tail!

Cooper's Hawk - Red-shouldered Hawk

Accipiter cooperii -Buteo lineatus

I also saw a Cooper's Hawk and a Red-shouldered Hawk this week! The Cooper's Hawk may be the one I've been seeing in our neighborhood lately, but the Red-shouldered Hawk is new.  Red-shouldered Hawks used to live exclusively down in the foothills and delta areas of California. They have recently expanded their territory to include our river, at around 2,500' in elevation. Riparian areas are their preferred habitat. Red-shouldered Hawks eat reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and occasionally birds, such as Mourning Doves, House Sparrows, and Starlings. I have never seen them at higher elevations. Both of these hawks are on the smallish size having approximately 16.5" in length, with wingspans under 40", and a weight of a little more than a pound.

Merlin - Falco columbaris

In my December 1, 2023 blog, I posted a photo of the bird on the left, and identified it as a Peregrine Falcon! I have since posted it on iNaturalist.org where it was immediately identified as a Merlin. My mistake, but how cool! I've only seen a Merlin one other time in my life (the bird on the right), and it was in our neighborhood!  Merlins are way smaller than Peregrine Falcons, and their "mustaches" are way less defined than a Peregrine's mustache! The "mustache" is the dark bar or shape that extends down the neck from the corner of their eye. There are also regional variations in mustaches, with some mustaches being broad instead of narrow. Their feathering is quite different as well.  Boy was I OFF on this identification!!!

Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus

I've included this photo of a Peregrine Falcon that I took 5 years ago. These falcons are 16" in length, have a wingspan of 41", and weight of 1.6 lb.  Merlins on the other hand, are only 10" in length, have a wingspan of 24", and a weight of 6.5 oz!  

Collin's Lake 1-25-24

Daugherty Hill Wildlife Area via Collin's Lake

We had a nice break in some rainy weather, so my friend Nancy and I drove down to Collin's Lake to hike into the Daugherty Hill Area. We hadn't explored this part of the Daugherty Hill Area before.  It was a gorgeous blue-sky day with beautiful, puffy, white clouds abounding!  Yay!

Collin's Lake is a BIG lake! Wikipedia states: "Collins Lake, impounded by Virginia Ranch Dam, is a freshwater man-made lake with a surface area of 1,009 acres located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains north of Sacramento, California. The lake was originally created to provide additional irrigation water to Browns Valley and Loma Rica. It still serves that purpose as well as a recreation and fishing lake.  In 1960, the building of a 152-foot (46 m) high embankment dam was started, which would create a lake with a 57,000 acre-feet capacity. The dam was finished in three years."

To get to the hiking trail, we had to walk across the dam, which afforded a gorgeous view of the lake!  On the way we saw several waterfowl, including a  Double-crested Cormorant and a Pied-billed Grebe in non-mating colors.

Double-crested Cormorant - Pied-billed Grebe

Phalacrocorax auritus - Podilymbus podiceps

Common Mergansers (female-male) - Mergus merganser

Daugherty Hill Wildlife Area

The Daugherty Hill Wildlife Area is a Blue Oak/Gray Pines woodlands.  Right now nothing is in bloom, but it's really greening up from the recent rains.  The trail wasn't too muddy and the views were incredibly beautiful with all the clouds!

Pine Siskins - Spinus pinus

We lucked out and saw Pine Siskins several times throughout the day.  They are always in flocks of 30 to 100+ birds, and it's amazing to watch them fly and land together in a bunch.  They also chatter a lot, and are one of the main "events" I look forward to seeing in the winter! Throughout the year they mainly feed on seeds, as well as small insects and spiders!

European Starling - Oak Titmouse - Acorn Woodpecker

 Sturnus vulgaris - Baeolophus inornatus - Melanerpes carolinus

In one part of the area we heard, but didn't see, a LOT of birds making a racket!  We looked and looked but had no luck spotting them.  Then, all of a sudden in the far distance we saw a whole huge flock of biggish birds take off from a tree!  I managed to get one shot before they disappeared, and I'm pretty sure it is a European Starling!  These birds are invasive, non-natives that can be a problem.  The following information on Starlings is from https://birdsoftheworld.org.

"The success of the European Starling in North America is nothing less than phenomenal. Although estimates vary, it is commonly believed that a total of about 100 individuals was released into Central Park, in New York City, in 1890 and 1891. The entire North American population, now numbering more than 200 million and distributed across most of the continent, is derived from these few birds. This is arguably the most successful avian introduction to this continent.

Although the European Starling is most frequently associated with disturbed areas created by man, it has had a significant impact on our native avifauna. In particular, it offers intense competition for nesting cavities and has had a detrimental effect on many native cavity-nesting species."

We hope they don't become a common sight at Daugherty Hill!

Oak Titmice are year-round residents of the foothills. They feed on plants, seeds, and insects. The following information is from https://birdsoftheworld.org.

"Oak Titmice are closely tied to open oak (Quercus) or oak–pine (Quercus–Pinus) woodlands. Indeed, the species is among the most common bird species in the oak woodlands of California, the “voice and soul of the oaks”. They are highly vocal, and individuals are most commonly recognized by the chatter-like calls which males and females utter throughout the year. Males may sing infrequently during the nonbreeding season, with singing intensity increasing toward spring.

Pair bonds form during the first year and are usually permanent. Natural or woodpecker-excavated cavities are used for nesting, and clutches typically contain 6–7 unmarked eggs. The diet is varied, and the species is known to cache food. Oak Titmice are sedentary and defend territories throughout the year."

Western Bluebirds (male - female) - Sialia mexicana

We always see the brilliant Western Bluebirds when we're at Daugherty Hill, usually feeding on mistletoe berries. They may live here year-round, or may migrate uphill in the Spring.  The following information is from https://birdsoftheworld.org.

"Insectivorous during the warmer months, individuals forage primarily on berries and fruits through the winter; wintering individuals are especially abundant in years and in areas when mistletoe and juniper berry crops are plentiful."

Leafless California Black Oak with Mistletoe clumps showing - Quercus kelloggi

Winter is the perfect time to see all the Mistletoe in the bare, leafless oak trees.  Mistletoe is a hemi-parasitic plant, in that it does produce its own chlorophyll while simultaneously obtaining carbon from its host plant. It will not kill it's host. Many, many critters eat mistletoe berries in the winter. They are one of the main food sources for foothill wildlife.

Grizzly Peak in the Mists

We got a lot of rain this week, and our water year total is up to 20.15", about one third of the total average amount. Yay! More rains, and maybe some snow are in the forecast for the coming week! Fingers crossed!

Misty forested ridges

What's happening up in the Lakes Basin?

What's happening with the local mosses, ferns, and lichens?

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

Your questions and comments are always welcome, please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com.

Gray Lodge Wildlife Refuge!

 Green Heron (adult) - Butorides virescens

Last Friday, my husband and I made our annual drive down to the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area in California's Central Valley, near Gridley. To my DELIGHT we saw two different, adult Green Herons in our first five minutes! WOW! Apparently these Herons live here year round, and are commonly seen. My bird book states that they are un-common, but the Cornell Lab of Ornithology says that they are common in wetland thickets across North America. I was just thrilled to see them, uncommon or not!

 Green Heron (adult) - Butorides virescens

I think that they are absolutely stunning in their rust and navy blue colors! Their name apparently comes from the green color of the feathers on the tops of their heads and backs, but I haven't yet seen these feathers look green. It must happen only at a particular angle of the light.

The following information about Green Herons is from the Cornell Ornithology Lab website https://birdsoftheworld.org :

"Green Herons feed day or night, standing patiently in shallow water waiting for fish, slowly stalking them through the shallows or diving on them from above. They are among the few tool-using birds, fabricating various baits that entice fish to where they can grab them. Overall diet includes invertebrates such as leeches; earthworms; aquatic and terrestrial insects such as adult and larval dragonflies, damselflies, waterbugs, diving beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, katydids; spiders; crayfish, crabs, prawns; snails; fresh and saltwater fish; frogs, toads, tadpoles, and newts; snakes and lizards; and rodents. Fish constitute their primary food."

 Great Blue Heron - Great Egret

Ardea herodias - Ardea alba

Just a little further along the paved trail we came across a Great Blue Heron and a Great Egret. Both of these bird species mainly eat fish, but will also consume small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, crayfish, and aquatic insects. They hunt in belly-deep or shallower water in marine, brackish, and freshwater wetlands, alone or in groups. They may wade while searching for prey, or just stand still to wait for prey to approach.

The Great Egret is the symbol of the Audubon Society, which was founded to stop the killing of birds for their feathers. Wikipedia states; 

"In 1895, the first Audubon Society was created. Cousins and Boston socialites Harriet Hemenway and Minna B. Hall, disturbed by the destruction left by plume hunters, organized a series of afternoon teas with other wealthy local women, encouraging them to avoid feathered garments. They also sent literature asking these women to, in Hall's words, "join a society for the protection of birds, especially the egret." Later that same year, they founded the Massachusettes Audubon Society. Over 900 women came together with Hemenway and Hall, and across the country, many others were doing the same. These boycotts were largely successful, and the efforts of the early society members helped bring about the end of the plume trade and assisted in the introduction of early conservation legislation such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act."

  

Northern Pintail (female - males) - Spatula cyanoptera

Dabbling Ducks

In another half-mile along the paved path we came to a raised, wooden, observation platform, that afforded a view to the north and a large wetland.  In some years there are thousands of Snow Geese in this area, but not this year.  There were however, lots and lots of ducks.  I've written about all of these species in the past (Just type in "Gray Lodge" in the "search this blog" bar on the top right of the home page, for information on all these waterfowl.), so today I'd thought I'd write about the characteristics of these "dabbling ducks" for a change.

There are also thousands of ducks overwintering at Gray Lodge. Most of them are dabbling ducks, which mainly breed in the north central part of the U.S. and the prairie-pothole region of Canada and Alaska. The following information on their feeding habits is from thespruce.com.

"A dabbling duck is a type of shallow water duck that feeds primarily along the surface of the water or by tipping headfirst into the water to graze on aquatic plants, vegetation, larvae, and insects. These ducks are infrequent divers and are usually found in small ponds, rivers, and other shallow waterways, or else they may stay near the shallow, slower edges of larger waterways and swamps.

Surface Feeding: This involves skimming along the surface of the water with the neck stretched out and the bill parallel to the water. The bill is quickly "chewing" or "nibbling" at the water with little bites, and the duck may sweep its head from side to side at the same time to cover more surface area. This is an efficient way to feed on small aquatic insects that stay on the water's surface or to forage through floating algae and plants. While dabbling ducks do use this technique, many other types of ducks and other waterfowl also use surface feeding.

Tipping Up: This type of feeding is true dabbling, tipping up with the duck's butt out of the water and pointing the tail straight up as the head and neck are below the water to nibble through mud or algae. When tipped up, the duck may wag or spread its feet and legs to keep balanced, or the tail may slowly wave or wag to counterbalance the underwater head movements. Underwater, the duck is stretching to reach either the bottom or may be feeding along submerged plants. This type of feeding is very characteristic and common among all dabblers.

Dabbling ducks also forage on land for seeds, grains, nuts, and insects, grazing with similar nibbling bill motions as surface feeding. These are often omnivorous birds, and will sample a wide range of foods through their different feeding styles."

Green-winged Teal  (male) - Rudy Duck (male)  

Anas crecca - Oxyura jamaicensis

Blue-winged Teals - Cinnamon Teal - Gadwalls

 Spatula discors - Spatula cyanoptera - Mareca strepera

Gadwall (female - male) - Mareca strepera

Greater White-fronted Geese with Snow Geese

Anser albifrons - Anser caerulescens

Snow Geese!

At the observation platform we only saw three Snow Geese mixed in with a lot of Great White-fronted Geese!  That was surprising!

 Snow Geese over Gray Lodge - Anser caerulescens

Later in the day, we were hiking in another part of Gray Lodge when lots and lots of Snow Geese flew over and landed in the distant wetlands!  Yay!  I love seeing and hearing these black and white geese circling, calling, and landing in the refuge!  They were probably coming in to roost overnight in the shallow water of the refuge.  

Snow Geese roost in Gray Lodge by the thousands! Their constant loud calls permeate the wetland, and are as much a part of our experience as the physical presence of the birds. They roost on water and forage in the local fields for grains and marsh plants. Most feeding is done from early morning to late evening. They will begin their 5,000 mile migration to the arctic in February, arriving in their breeding grounds in mid to late May.

Snow Geese and Tules - Anser caerulescens

We always end the day by driving a one-mile-loop in a particular part of the refuge where no walking is allowed. There were LOTS of Snow Geese in one section of this area, as well as tons of ducks everywhere!

Snow Geese and a rare "Dark Phase" Snow Goose! - Anser caerulescens

In among the thousands of Snow Geese, I spotted a black goose!  When I zoomed in with my camera I realized it was a rare "Dark Phase" Snow Goose, or a "Blue Goose".  My field guide said that these are rare but increasing in number.  Cornell didn't say that they were rare, but I've never seen one before! How exciting to see this unusually colored Snow Goose!

A Bald Eagle in its second-year plumage - Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Raptors!

While on the one-mile-loop drive we spotted this huge Bald Eagle, that was in its second-year plumage!  WOW!!!  I've never seen one in this stage!  We weren't sure what it was, but iNaturalist.org confirmed my guess when we got home! Its beak was HUGE!  These eagles are HUGE, measuring 31" in length, with a wingspan of 80", and a weight of 9.5 lbs!!!  Shortly after I took this photo, it took off and flew low over the Snow Geese, scattering them in all directions!

The following information about Bald Eagles is from the Cornell Ornithology website birdsoftheworld.org :

"The Bald Eagle is a large fish-eagle with a dark brown body and a distinctive white head and tail acquired at 4 to 5 years of age. It is opportunistic forager, scavenging prey items when available, pirating food from other species when it can, and capturing its own prey when needed. It consumes a variety of vertebrate prey, but generally selects fish over other food types.

The list of aquatic birds serving as live prey includes not only waterfowl and waterbirds like American Coots, but also gulls, and Great Blue Herons. Large mammals are most often eaten as carrion, especially in winter; small to medium-sized mammals such as hares, rabbits, muskrat, and ground squirrels may be taken live."

A Bald Eagle in its second-year plumage - Haliaeetus leucocephalus

 I had photographed this same eagle at a very far distance, but hadn't realized what it was!  A few minutes later it landed in a nearby tree, and we realized it was a Bald Eagle!  How lucky we were to observe this magnificent raptor!

Red shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus 

There are usually quite a few raptors perched in the Cottonwood Trees that grow along the edge of the wetlands at Gray Lodge.  Definitely the most prevalent is the Red-tailed Hawk.  I also saw one Red-shouldered Hawk scanning the ground for prey.  In comparison to the Bald Eagle  the Red-shouldered Hawk is only 17" long, with a wingspan of 40", and a weight of 1.4 lbs. Riparian areas are their preferred habitat.They eat reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and occasionally birds, such as Mourning Doves, House Sparrows, and Starlings.

Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis

I think I saw at least 6 Red-tailed Hawks over the course of the day at Gray Lodge. They are quite handsome! Red-tailed Hawks are large birds with a wingspan of 49", a length of 19", and a weight of 2.4lbs. They hunt in meadows and open areas for small mammals, snakes, lizards, waterfowl, and other birds. They use the perch-and-wait method of hunting. Once prey is sighted they will drop from their perch, flap-and-glide downward, thrust their legs forward when about 3m from prey, and grab prey with feet.

Approaching Storm Clouds

At the end of the day, dark rain clouds covered the sky and obscured the sun! So we headed home, filled with beauty from another incredible day at Gray Lodge.  We are SO lucky!

What do you think this bird is?

What's happening down in Daugherty Hill?

Is it snowing or raining in the Lakes Basin?

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

Your questions and comments are always appreciated, please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com.

A Book About the Lakes Basin!

The snowy Sierra Buttes from Sierra City

 For the past 4.5 months I've been working on the photo editing, design, and layout for a book that the Sierra County Land Trust is publishing this year, called 

"The Sierra Buttes and the Lakes Basin

Protecting the Sierra One Place at a Time".

The land trust was awarded a grant from the California Arts Council, via the Upstate California Creative Corps, to produce this book. Their purpose is to create a book that highlights the importance of preserving,

 "...high elevation watersheds, forests, and habitat in the Sierra Nevada and the Sierra Buttes/Lakes Basin, which can contribute importantly to climate change mitigation efforts. Chapters will  have photos, art, and writings on the Sierra Buttes/Lakes Basin's forest, water, wildlife, peaks meadows, sense of place and history, and recreational assets.  Media will include poetry, prose, art, and photography."

(#upstatecreativecorps #californiacreativecorps #upstateartist#californiaartscouncil #ArtsCA #nevadacountyarts). 

The book is now almost totally done, and is being sent to the printers this week!  Books will be available in June, 2024. The book will be 8.5"x11" and has 108 pages!!!  Below are some of the pages featuring my photography and art work. (I didn't want to feature the 3 other photographers', and 5 other artists' work, as I don't hold their copyrights.)

Needless to say, this book has taken most of my time these past months. So if some of my blogs seem brief and full of typing errors lately, that's why! Hopefully I'll be back on track, full time,  by next weekend!

What's happening with the local ferns, mosses, and lichens?

What's happening in the foothills?

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

Your comments and questions are greatly appreciated,

please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com.

Oh WOW an Owl!

Northern Pygmy-Owl - Glaucidium gnoma 

I has been a little more than a year since I've seen a Northern Pygmy-Owl in our neighborhood. I've been on the lookout for one this past month, as winter is when I usually see them. To my surprise I spotted one on Friday, right in the same area I've seen a Pygmy-Owl before!  Yay! They are beautiful little owls, measuring only 6.75" in length, with a 12" wingspan, and weighing only 2.5 oz! Their main food is songbirds!

Unlike most owls, Northern Pygmy-Owls are diurnal (active during the day). They prey on small birds and mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. They perch and drop down on their prey, and often take prey up to 3x their size! They definitely benefit from bird feeders, by preying on the birds that feed there. Right now there aren't any insects, reptiles or amphibians to eat, as they are inactive at this time of year. 

The Cornell Lab states, "Small birds such as nuthatches, robins, crossbills, wrens, creepers, hummingbirds, blackbirds, warblers, and jays frequently mob Northern Pygmy-Owls as they do other raptors—this behavior seems particularly bold considering small birds are what pygmy-owls eat."

Northern Pygmy-Owl with dead Junco, 2019 - Glaucidium gnoma 

I came across this Pygmy-Owl back in February of 2019.  It had killed a Dark-eyed Junco, that had probably been feeding on the bird seed I had put out. The Junco was quite a bit bigger than the Pygmy-Owl, but it flew away with it in its talons, just a few seconds after I took the above photo!

I love seeing these tiny little owls! Their golden eyes and striking feathers are just beautiful! Hopefully I'll see some more, or the same one, again this winter!  What a thrill!

Cooper's Hawk (adult) -  Accipiter cooperii

On one of our neighborhood walks this week, I spotted this Cooper's Hawk perched in a dead tree. I only got this one photo before it took off. I think it was a Cooper's Hawk because of it's size, and the feathering on its breast. Sharp-shinned Hawks look a LOT like Cooper's Hawks, but they are quite a bit smaller. Cooper's Hawks have a length of 16.5", a wingspan of 31", and weigh 1lb. Sharp-shinned Hawks have a length of 11", a wingspan of 23", and weigh only 5 oz.

Cooper's Hawk (adult) -  Accipiter cooperii

I photographed this Cooper's Hawk just last summer. What a beauty! These hawks are predators on small birds and mammals. I love their reddish eyes and their light rust-colored breast feathers.

Osprey  -  Pandion haliaetus

I also happened to see this handsome Osprey on one of my morning walks this month! It was perched above the river, scanning for fish! It will probably leave before the snows come, as I never see them here in the winter.

Non-biting Midges - Chironomidae Family

Winter Insects

There are only two kinds of insects that I know of that are "active" in my neighborhood, at this time of year, Non-biting Midges and Ladybird Beetles.

To my joy, some non-biting Midges were in their mating "clouds" above some pine trees on the open slope last week.  I didn't see any midges last year.  I'm so glad they're back!  Most midges are active from Spring through Fall, but some orders fly in the winter. Adult midges are known for their large mating swarms. Often, these cloud-like swarms congregate just above some tall object such as a bush, tree, hilltop, or over a pool, stream, or lake. How lucky I was to watch this incredible spectacle again!

Ladybird Beetles  -  Hippodamia convergens

The Ladybird Beetles arrived in our neighborhood more than a month ago.  I ocassionally come across areas where there are thousands of them!  Usually they are in the crevices in the trunks of trees, on the ground underneath shrubs or among pine needles, or on the stems of leafless plants. They congregate in the Fall to mate, and them become inactive when the temperatures cool. They will stay here all winter! The name "Ladybug" is a misnomer, as these insects are not "true bugs". 

Fluted Black Elfin Saddle Mushroom - Helvella lacunosa

A New Fungi!

I came across a few Fluted Black Elfin Saddle Mushrooms for the first time ever this week! They are in the Morel and False Morel Fungi Group.  What made this odd looking fungus identifiable was it's odd cap and fissured stem.  I only saw three specimens of this fungi in the area. I'll keep looking for more in my neighborhood.

Silhouetted Blue Oaks with Mistletoe clumps

Daugherty Hill Wildlife Area

My husband and I decided to drive down to Daugherty Hill Wildlife Area two weeks ago.  It is around 1,000' in elevation, and is a designated "Blue Oak Foothill Pine Woodlands".  I love going there in the winter, it's so different from where we live!

 Gray Pine cone, young tree top with branches and needles, and adult tree 

Pinus sabiniana

Gray Pines are one of the main species of trees, besides Blue Oaks, that grow down in Daugherty Hill.  The cones are huge (6" -10" long), heavy (.75lb-2.2lb in weight!), and have super sharp bracts that would definitely hurt if one landed on you!  The trees themselves are thinly needled, long limbed and tall!  Their overall appearance is wispy! Mature trees are 40'-80' tall, with a 12"-36" diameter, and can live for 200+ years. 

 

Acorn Woodpecker - California Towhee - Bushtit 

 Melanerpes formicivoros- Melozone crissalis - Psaltriparus minimus

We saw the beautifully colored Acorn Woodpeckers and Western Bluebirds that we always see down there, as well as some Bushtits and a few California Towhees.

California Towhees usually live here year-round. They are overall grey-brown in color, with an apricot blush on their face and undertail. They eat seeds, berries (especially Poison Oak!), and insects on the ground. 

We also saw a flock of tiny birds land in a Gray Pine. They were quite difficult to photograph because they flitted around so rapidly, and were so tiny, only 4.5" long. Bushtits live year-round in California. Most of the year they live in flocks of 10-40 birds. They feed on tiny insects and spiders that they glean from branches. They need to eat 80% of their body weight every day!

Blue Oak with an inset of their leaves and an acorn

Quercus douglasii

Blue Oaks are found only in California. They are named for the bluish-green cast of their deciduous leaves, which are currently a lovely, rich, brownish-yellow. They are the most drought tolerant oak, of California's deciduous oaks, and have deep extensive root systems. They usually grow between 3,000'-4,000' or lower, on dry hilly terrain where a water table is unavailable. They can live to be 400 years old!

Sardine Lake and the Sierra Buttes 1/1/24

On Monday we drove up to the Lakes Basin to see what was happening up there.  To our complete surprise the Gold Lake Road was open to Graeagle,  there was no snow on the ground, and the lakes weren't frozen!!!  

The Sierra Buttes and a snow-free forest!  1/1/24

There was some snow on the Sierra Buttes and higher ridges, thank goodness! It certainly looks like we might be heading into another drought year!  However, it's snowing right now in our neighborhood, and the prediction for the Lakes Basin is 7"-11" of snow today!  I hope this snowy weather will continue for the next three months, and create a good snowpack.  Fingers crossed!

What's happening with the local ferns, mosses, and lichens?

What's happening in the foothills?

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

Your comments and questions are greatly appreciated,

please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com.