A Day on the River!

We've been having very hot weather over the last two weeks.  The days have been in the 100°+ temperature range, with the nights in the 70's!  Most afternoons, I head to the river to cool off, never knowing what I might find there! I feel SO lucky to have the North Yuba River five minutes from our home!

Luckily a few days were overcast during the recent heat spell, and we got a reprieve from the heat!  One morning there was an astounding show of light and clouds that was incredibly beautiful! This morning it was 50° on our back porch and the temperature at noon was 89°! Yay!!! Hopefully we'll stay a little cooler than the last couple of weeks, during the upcoming hot weather!

North Yuba River with willows, White Alders & Indian Rhubarb plants

Salix sp. - Alnus rhombifolia - Darmera peltata

The North Yuba River

The headwaters of the North Yuba River are up by Yuba Pass. It travels approximately 20+ miles downhill before it reaches our neighborhood. In its descent from the pass, the river travels over river rocks, wraps around boulders, and falls into bedrock pools that are often lined with the giant leaves of Indian Rhubarb plants. In most areas willows and alders also line the river banks. The river water is a beautiful clear glass-green sometimes shallow and sometimes quite deep, that supports a variety of wildlife. In the summer, waterfowl, songbirds, herons, kingfishers, and raptors can be seen in the river corridor.  Aquatic insects, reptiles, amphibians, and trout live here year round. If you are lucky you might also see a Northern River Otter or American Mink in the river, or a Black Bear or Deer crossing it! 

North Yuba River - 7/15/24

Wikipedia states: "The North Yuba River (also called the North Fork Yuba River) is the main tributary of the Yuba River in northern California in the United States. The river is about 61 miles (98 km) long and drains from the Sierra Nevada westwards towards the foothills between the mountains and the Sacramento Valley.

It rises on the Sierra Crest about 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Sierraville. The river flows west through meadows, then south into a gorge, turning west again, followed by California State Route 49. The river's four major tributaries, the Downie River, Goodyears Creek, Canyon Creek and Slate Creek, enter from the right before the river abruptly turns south at the New Bullards Bar Reservoir, formed by the New Bullards Bar Dam. The dam is situated right above the river's mouth; just after the North Yuba leaves the dam it empties into the Middle Yuba River and forms the Yuba River."

Stonefly Adult and nymphs - Plecoptera sp.

Pictured above are an adult Stonefly (top) and Stonefly nymph exoskeletons (bottom). Stonefly nymphs will live underwater for 1 to 4 years, depending on the species. They prefer running rivers and streams, not lakes and ponds. They feed on algae, detritus, and plant materials under water. When their nymphal stages end, the nymphs will crawl out of the water onto rocks, their exoskeletons will dry out and crack open, the adult will pull itself out of the exoskeleton, pump up its wings, dry out, and fly away! As adults they feed on nectar, as well as algae and lichens. The adults usually live for about a month, just long enough to mate and lay eggs!

Small Water Strider -  Rainbow Trout "Fry"

Gerris incognitus - Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus

Water Striders can "walk on water" because they have fine water-repellent hairs on the underside of the tarsi (legs), that makes it possible for them to walk on the water's surface. As reported in National Geographic, "Water strider legs are covered in thousands of microscopic hairs scored with tiny groves. These grooves trap air, increasing water resistance of the waters striders' legs and overall buoyancy of the insect.”

The water strider has 3 pairs of legs. The front legs are short and allow the strider to quickly grab live or dead insects on the water's surface. The middle legs act as paddles. The back legs are longer and provide additional power, steerage, and braking. The buoyancy and paddling legs allows striders to be fast. As stated in National Geographic, "striders are capable of speeds of a hundred body lengths per second. To match them, a 6-foot-tall person would have to swim at over 400 miles an hour.” Amazing! Also, many species of Water Striders have wings, which they use to fly to a new wet area, once their area dries up!

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I found a few trout "fry" in the shallow, slow waters along the river's edge.

Fish start as eggs which hatch into larvae. The larvae are not able to feed themselves, and carry a yolk-sac in their bellies which provides their nutrition. At this stage they are called "alevins". When they have developed to the point where they can feed themselves (mainly zooplankton), the fish are called "fry". When they develop scales and working fins they are called "fingerlings". This juvenile fingerling stage lasts until the fish is fully grown, sexually mature, and interacting with other adult fish.

It sounds like the most common fish in the North Yuba River are Coastal Rainbow Trout, which are native to California, but have been planted locally. There are also non-native German Brown Trout, that swim up to spawn from Bullard's Bar Reservoir. Occasionally you might also find a non-native Brook Trout that has flowed out from a higher elevation lake, during the high water of Spring.

River Otter scat containing Signal Crayfish parts

River Otter eating a trout - Sacramento Sucker Fish (?)

Pacifastucus leniusculus - Lontra canadensis - Catostomus occidentalis (?)

I didn't see a River Otter when I was on the river these past few weeks, but there was plenty of signs that they had been there. On the river rocks I found left overs from several Signal Crayfish meals, as well as a dead Sacramento Sucker Fish. These were probably left by a River Otter.  The Sacramento Sucker Fish had a few bite marks and was several days old.  I haven't seen any Sucker Fish in the river for years!  I was surprised to find this discarded one!  Sucker Fish are bottom feeders and eat algae, small invertebrates, and plant matter.

Columbian Black-tailed Deer (Doe with fawns) - Black Bear

 Odocoileus hemionus columbianus - Ursus americanus

Although I haven't seen any bear or deer in the river this year, it may still happen!  It's always a surprise sighting!

Osprey - Pandion haliaetus

Just this week as I was driving across our bridge, an Osprey flew overhead with a fish in its talons!!!  I didn't get a photo but it was great to see!  I hadn't seen an Osprey on the river yet this summer!  The photo above I took several years ago in our neighborhood!

Their are many classifications (or subgroups) of raptors, such as accipiters, buteos, falcons, eagles, harriers, kites, ospreys, and owls. Ospreys are the only bird in their classification! They are unique among raptors in their hunting method of diving feet-first into water to capture fish. They are usually successful in 1 out of every 4 dives. No other raptors use this method of hunting. They also have small barbs on the pads of their feet to help grab slippery fish. After they have caught a fish and are back in the air, they maneuver the fish to face forward, using the fish’s streamlining to reduce aerodynamic drag. They then carry the captured fish to an elevated and prominent perch to be eaten. 99% of their diet is fish. They are large birds with a wingspan of 63", a length of 23", and a weight of 3.5lbs!!!

Common Mergansers - Mergus merganser

There are several different families of Common Mergansers on the river right now. I've seen a pair of adults with two ducklings, one female with 8 ducklings, one female with 6 ducklings, and one female with 4 ducklings!!! Typically only the females care for the ducklings. The offspring of two or more females being raised together in one group, is called brood amalgamation. In the group above there were two ducklings, but only one is visible in this photo.

Common Mergansers - Mergus merganser

When the ducklings are little, they sometimes jump up on their mother's back and go for a ride!

Common Mergansers - Mergus merganser

One morning I watched the five little ducklings pictured above jump up out of the river and settle down on the rocks, while their mother kept watch in the river!

Common Merganser ducklings - Mergus merganser

 I was amazed at how camouflaged these little ducklings were 

on the river rocks!

Spotted Sandpipers - Actitis macularia

Spotted Sandpipers search the shoreline for insects to eat. Adult Stoneflies are one of the many insects they consume! I came across this nest about a month ago and there were initially four eggs in it. Now there are none. Either they all hatched or they got eaten. I have been looking for juvenile Sandpipers in the same area, but haven't seen any yet. The adults that I see are always calling alarm calls when I show up, so maybe the young are hiding from me. These beautiful birds are spotted like their eggs! They are the only shorebirds that live up in the Sierras! I've even seen them up in the Lakes Basin!

Canada Geese - Branta canadensis

Out of the four goslings I saw on the river this spring, only one remains.  The other three must have been preyed on by Gray foxes or Mountain Lions. I'm glad one of them survived! It will stay with its parents until next spring!

Howard Meadow - 7/15/24

Three Lakes Basin Meadows!

We went up to Howard Meadow once again this week. I just can seem to stay away!  It is in TOTAL BLOOM with thousands of Corn Lilies, groundsel, yampah, and many other flowers!  So, so beautiful!

Corn Lily - Veratrum californicum

These beautiful Corn Lilies can grow up to 7' tall!  This is the second year in a row that they have been in full bloom in Howard Meadow. In previous years the leaves and stems of the Corn Lily would grow, but no flowers would appear!  How lucky we are to see such beauty!

Un-named Meadow - 7/15/24

There's a wet meadow that borders the Lakes Basin Campground.  Right now it is still quite wet out in the meadow. The only flowers I saw there were the Marsh Cinquefoils pictured below, and a few Elephant Heads. 

Marsh Cinquefoil -  Comarum palustre

This is the only area where I've ever seen these unusual Marsh Cinquefoils!

There's a smallish Aspen Grove that borders part of this wet meadow, and it is in FULL BLOOM right now!  Groundsel, Monk's Hood, and Leopard Lilies abound in this meadowed grove!  Visit it soon if you can!

Un-named Meadow - 7/15/24

The Lakes Basin has lots and lots of meadows.  This one is off the first half-mile of the Forest Service 09 Road. It is a dryish meadow that is bursting with White Brodiaea, Bolander's Yampah, and Oregon Checker Mallow. 

Bolander's Yampah - Oregon Checker Mallow - White Brodiaea

  Perideridia bolanderi -Sidalcea oregana -Triteleia hyacinthina

It's a giant, lacy, white field of flowers with pink highlights! 

Another beautiful sight to see!

On August 3rd, I'll tell you all about this wooly stuff!

What's happening in the Lakes Basin?

Check back next week for 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 August 3rd. See you then!

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

A Cherry Festival!

Band-tailed Pigeon in Cherries! - Columbia fasciata

Once again the ripened "wild" cherries in our neighborhood have attracted lots of birds! The trees produce small cherries that are mostly pit, but that doesn't deter the birds!  Band-tailed Pigeons were the first ones to show up this year. Soon after the Pigeons, Grosbeaks, Tanagers, Orioles, and, Steller's Jays joined in the feasting.

The red eye of the pigeon pictured above was a surprise to me! I hadn't realized that they had red eyes! So of course I wondered why. I did some research and learned that no one really knows why, yet. There are some studies being done on bird eye color, but it's a complicated subject. 

Audubon states that the three main areas of study are: "The pigments and structures birds use to create different eye colors, the genetics underlying those diverse hues, and the evolutionary function this variation may serve." 

You may think that all red eyes are caused by the same combination of elements, but that is not the case. Audubon states; "The stark red of a cowbird’s eyes comes from unusually large blood vessels, whereas the Canvasbacks and vireos depend on two completely different types of pigment compounds."

Because of its complexity, bird eye color is mainly a mystery right now. In the meantime, I love how the Band-tailed Pigeon's eyes match the cherries!

Steller's Jay (adult) - Black-headed Grosbeak (male)

Cyanocitta stelleri - Pheucticus melanocephalus

There are three main methods that birds use to eat cherries.  Some, like Steller's Jays, pick them one at a time and then take "bites" out of them while holding them with their toes. Others, like the Black-headed Grosbeak pictured above right, take bites from the cherries while they are still attached to the tree, leaving the pit behind.  Still others pick a cherry, roll it around in their mouth to remove the fruit, and then spit out the pit! 

Bullock's Oriole (female) - Cedar Waxwing (adult)

Icterus bullockii - Bombycilla cedrorum

I love watching and listening to all these birds, as they feast on the cherries! The population of the cherry trees is constantly changing as the birds come and go, and there is lots of chattering and fluttering of wings going on. Some trees are more favored than others, but over the course of two to three weeks every single cherry in the neighborhood is eaten!

Columbian Black-tailed Deer (male) - Black Bear (adult)

Odocoileus hemionus columbianus - Ursus americana

Mammals also feast on the cherries!  New this year, I saw a young buck eating cherries from a tree!  I've never seen that before!  I have seen Black Bears eating cherries up in the trees, but not this year. The photo above was taken in our backyard, 6 years ago!

River Otter - Lontra canadensis

Neighborhood News!

To my absolute delight I spotted a River Otter in our neighborhood this week!!!  Yay! I hadn't seen one in a year and a half!  I was looking down at the North Yuba River from the Open Slope and I saw a large wake. I immediately thought of the Mallard I had seen on the river lately, but this critter dove underwater! It popped up twice, and luckily I got a photo right after the second time it popped up!  I waited around for quite a while, hoping that it would surface again, but it didn't. There are not a lot of River Otters in the river, probably no more than 4-6 (or less) in a 26 mile stretch of the river. How lucky I was to see this one!

Swimming is second nature to River Otters. They are powerful swimmers! They can travel 440 yards underwater without surfacing, hold their breath for 8 minutes, dive to a depth 70', and swim 26 river miles in a day! Their nostrils and ears close underwater. 

 They mainly hunt at night, using their long whiskers to locate prey, but I have seen them catch fish  during the day. They eat fish (2.2 to 3.3 lbs of fish in a day), crayfish, turtles, muskrats, ducks, frogs, garter snakes, and newts. 

Northern River Otters are active year-round, and are most active at night, dawn, and dusk. Typically they become much more nocturnal in the spring, summer, and fall seasons, and more diurnal during winter. 

They are large, strong animals weighing 11-31lbs. They range in length from 35"-51", with their tails an additional 12"-20"!

Western Ladies Tresses - Stream Orchid - Dense flowered Rein Orchid

Spiranthes porrifolia - Epipactis gigantia - Piperia elongata 

Orchids have been showing up in both the damp and dry areas lately!  I found the Western Ladies Tresses along a roadside ditch. I love how the tiny flowers spiral up the stem!  Hundreds of Stream Orchids grow on a north-facing seep along Highway 49.  The flowers are large, about 1.5" to 2" wide! Just beautiful! The Dense flowered Rein Orchid grows in the dense, dry forest on very tall (19") stems with lots of tiny, tiny flowers. The flower buds look like little green tadpoles before they open up!  The flowers have very long nectar spurs!

Steller's Jay "sunning" - Cyanocitta stelleri

I was down in our garden when I saw a Steller's Jay fly across the road and land spread-out on some hot dry grasses!  It was a really hot day, about 100 degrees or more in the sun. I had never seen this behavior before!  Apparently it's a normal behavior called "sunning", and it helps birds get rid of parasites, such as feather lice!!!

Audubon states; "Birds devote about 9 percent of their time to so-called maintenance behaviors. They use their bills to pick dirt, mud, and other impurities out of their feathers, and also use them as weapons to hunt for unwanted hitchhikers—parasites, such as feather lice. A feather louse is only about 1 millimeter long, and made of keratin, the same material found in bird feathers as well as human hair and nails. Feather lice are so skilled at hiding amid a bird's feathers that they can be hard to remove by preening alone. The presence of lice isn't just a hygiene issue—it can make it harder for birds to find mates, possibly due to duller plumage or the need for more frequent preening.

While birds often sun for these practical reasons of warmth and dryness, a growing body of research now points to one largely understudied purpose: to rid themselves of pesky parasites living on their skin and feathers. Sunning is a valid way of controlling ectoparasites."

After about a minute in the hot sun, the Jay flew off!  How cool to see this unusual behavior!

Polyphemous Moth wing being carried by an ant! - Antheraea polyphemus

I went out wandering one morning last week and this Polyphemous Moth wing seemed to be moving on its own on the ground! Upon inspection, I realized that an ant was dragging it!!! Which made me wonder, how much can an ant carry? The following website answers that question, https://askabiologist.asu.edu/content/ant-factoids;

"According to different estimates, ants can carry 10 - 50 times their body weight, or maybe even more! How? Because ants are so small, their muscles have a greater cross-sectional area (they are thicker) relative to their body size than in larger animals. This means they can produce more force pound-for-pound (or in the case of an ant, milligram-for-milligram).

Ant bodies are built to withstand a lot more force if they need to, though. Studies estimate that their joints (or places their different body parts connect) can experience forces of more than 3,000 times their own body weight without breaking." WOW!!!

Corn Lilies in a wet meadow - Veratrum californicum

Lakes Basin Update

I went on two glorious hikes in the Lakes Basin in the past two weeks and saw lots of wildflowers!  The wet meadows are green and full of growing plants but not quite blooming yet! The dry land however has lots and lots of wildflowers in bloom!

Mt. Elwell from the Round Lake Trail

Spotted Mountain Bells - Snow Plant and Swallowtail - Western Peony

 Fritillaria atropurpurea - Sarcodes sanguinea - Paeonia brownii

I saw these flowers on the Round Lake Trail.  There were also lots and lots of buckwheat, Blue-eyed Mary, Lupine, Paintbrush, and Pussy Paws! The Spotted Mountain Bells aren't that common and are hard to find, because they are green and brown in color.

Un-named pond off the Mt. Elwell Trail

Drummond's Anemones - backside of petals - Dwarf Billberry 

 Anemone drummondii - Vaccinium cespitosum

Every year we hike up the Mt. Elwell trail to see these Drummond's Anemones. Some years they have already bloomed and gone to seed before we got there. Sometimes there's too much snow covering them. This year we lucked out and they were in bloom! This is the only area in the Lakes Basin where we've seen these beautiful flowers! 

Un-named pond off the Helgrammite Lake Trail

 Mountain Pride - Penstemon newberryi

Mountain Pride is blooming in profusion everywhere!  The higher up we went in elevation, the more prevalent it was. Such gorgeous color!

What the heck is this wooly stuff?

What's happening on the River?

Check back next week for 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 July 20th. See you then!

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