We've been having an unusually HOT and DRY summer this year, but two weeks ago we woke up to the sound of falling rain! What a surprise! We immediately got up and went out on our back porch, where we watched the rain fall, and breathed in the heavenly damp-earth fragrance! It was so magical! It showered off and on that day, but the total rainfall was less than a tenth of an inch. Nevertheless, the ground was nicely dampened, the vegetation sparkled with raindrops, and the fragrance was wonderful!
I went out on the local bridge that crosses the North Yuba and watched the raindrops create thousands of ripples on the surface of the water. What beauty! Fingers crossed that more rain comes again soon!
Rain, rain, come on down.
Come and quench this thirsty ground.
Come and let wet smells abound.
Fill the air with a joyful sound!
©k.oharakelly
Columbian Black-tailed Deer - Odocoileus hemionus columbianus
North Yuba River Update
From the bridge, I also was lucky enough to watch a Columbian Black-tailed Deer cross the river in the rain! It was a mature buck with a biggish set of antlers!
Columbian Black-tailed Deer - Odocoileus hemionus columbianus
He slowly picked his way across the river, then immediately started eating the willows when he reached the shoreline! After a short while he disappeared into the willow thicket. What a treat it was to see him in the river!
Osprey - Pandion haliaetus
Later that week I spotted an Osprey in a dead tree on the river shore. There 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 Merganser female with five ducklings - Mergus merganser
The waterfowl ducklings are getting almost full sized! Just this week I saw a group of five, juvenile, Common Mergansers sleeping with their mother!
Mallards - Common Mergansers
Anas platyrhynchos - Mergus merganser
I also so three Mallards, possibly juveniles, on the river! I haven't seen any Mallards for months. These three were a surprise to see. I also saw a different Merganser mom with just two sleeping juveniles!
Belted Kingfisher (female) - Megaceryle al
To my delight there was a female Belted Kingfisher on the river this week. Although there are usually one or two kingfishers in our area, I haven't seen one in quite a while! Unlike most birds, the female Kingfisher is more colorful than the male. The male does not have the rust-colored band across its chest, nor patches underneath its wings. Kingfishers catch small fish, crayfish, and tadpoles by plunge-diving from perches, into shallow or surface water. Most of their dives are less than 24" deep into the water. After they catch their prey, they bring it back to a perch and pound it against a branch to stun it! Whatever they cannot digest, such as fish bones is regurgitated in pellets!
Belted Kingfishers are solitary except during the breeding season. They are monogamous and usually only have 1 brood of 5-7 chicks. The nests are made in bare earthen banks by both the male and female. The male does most of the work. It will take the pair up to 3 weeks to excavate the 3'-6' long, horizontal, subterranean tunnel, that ends in an unlined nesting chamber! The opening to the tunnel ranges from 3"-5". 5-7 eggs are incubated for 22 days, by both parents. The nestlings fledge in about 16 days, but are cared for by the parents for the following 27-29 days.
Lakes Basin Update
The reason why I haven't been going up to the Lakes Basin as often as I usually do, is that my husband is ill and needs my care. I still manage to get one day a week up in the Lakes Basin, for which I am so grateful. These past two weeks I went on two glorious hikes with my friend Nancy! Yay! Every year we hike cross-country above Round Lake to a beautiful, wildflower-filled ledge-garden below a steep rock face. This year we took a wrong turn and ended up too high in a different garden that we'd never been to before! It was a great adventure!
Mallards - Anas platyrhynchos
Along the way we saw 9 Mallards, mostly juveniles, in Veronica Lake! Mallards are dabbling ducks. The following information about dabbling ducks 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.'
View of Long Lake, Round Lake, and Big Bear Lake
At first, when we got to a rock-ledge garden, we thought we were in the same one we always go to. But the view was indeed different. Our old brains finally worked, and we realized we were south of the usual garden and several hundred feet higher!
Crimson Columbine - Sierra Primrose
Aquilegia formosa - Primula suffrutescens
Unfortunately, we didn't have the time to drop down to the usual garden. However, we weren't disappointed, as the "new" garden had our beloved Sierra Primroses, along with hundreds of Crimson Columbines, buckwheats and asters!
Round Lake from the rocky ridge
The overcast sky had kept the heat away all day, but it was still warm enough to go for a swim. So we hiked cross-country down to Round Lake and had a swim on the way home. It was a perfect end to a perfect day! We are SO lucky to be able to explore the Lakes Basin so frequently! SUCH beauty!
Lower Tamarack Lake
The following week, Nancy and I hiked up to the Tamarack Lakes, and Saxonia Lake. When we arrived at the trailhead the sky was quite smoky, but luckily the wind blew the smoke south and the sky cleared within the first hour. We had the trail to ourselves that day!
Upper Tamarack Lake
The meadow at Upper Tamarack Lake was still blooming profusely with Applegate's Paintbrush, Cinquefoil, and Yarrow. So beautiful!
Just past the paintbrush meadow there was a lovely patch of Fireweed!
There were lots and lots of wild pollinators visiting the flowers!
Mallards - Anas platyrhynchos
The lake itself had LOTS of Mallards, adults and juveniles! We counted about 12 of them all together!
Buffleheads - Bucephala albeola
In contrast, Lower Tamarack Lake had one family of Buffleheads! Every year I see a female Bufflehead with 5 to 9 young on this lake. I was thrilled to see them here once again! These little ducks are diving ducks. The following information on diving ducks is from the website ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-research-science/diving-ducks-into-the-deep. I find it fascinating!
"The body of a diving duck is much more compact and fusiform (wider in the middle and tapering toward the end) than that of a dabbler. Divers' wings are also more compact, which allows them to be compressed tightly against the body for greater diving efficiency. In addition, divers' legs are set much farther back on their body, and their feet are much larger and have a lobed hind toe. These adaptations help propel the birds while they are underwater.
In general, most birds are lighter than water. But diving ducks typically have higher body densities than other waterfowl. Just before they dive, the birds compress their feathers against their body, squeezing out air, which further reduces buoyancy. Next, with a single thrust of their powerful legs and feet, diving ducks arch their bodies upward and dive headlong, quickly disappearing beneath the water's surface."
Saxonia Lake
We decided to not swim at the Tamarack Lakes, and headed to Saxonia Lake to cool off. Luckily it was empty of people and the water was perfect! We lingered only for a short while, as we had to head home.
Cassin's Finch - Hairy Woodpecker
Haemorhous cassinii - Dryobates villosus
On the way home we happened to spot a beautiful Cassin's Finch and a Hairy Woodpecker! In the direct sunlight the head of the Cassin's Finch is a bright red.
During the breeding season Cassin's Finches live in wooded areas from 3,000'-10,000'. I usually see them up at Yuba Pass, eating minerals along the roadside! Their preferred food is tree buds, but will also eat green manzanita buds, seeds, and fruit. In the winter they will migrate down out of the snowy areas to southern California, Baja, or mainland Mexico. I love their lovely rosy crests, breasts and backs!
I've written about Hairy Woodpeckers in many previous blogs. Just search my blog for more information about these handsome black & white woodpeckers!
Dugan's Pond
We passed Dugan's Pond on the way back to our car. It was so green, lush, and peaceful! How lucky we are to enjoy so much beauty!
What's happening in our garden?
What's happening in the Lakes Basin?
Check back in two weeks 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 31st. See you then!
Your questions and comments are always appreciated. Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!
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