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.
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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!
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.
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!
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.
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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!
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