Lakes Basin Mammals & Hikes!

Yellow-bellied Marmot - Marmota flaviventris

In the past 10 days I've had three glorious hikes in the Lakes Basin! Yay!!! Here are some of the mammals I happened to see! 

Last week, in an area I had seen marmots in the past, I spotted one sunning on a fallen log! What a surprise! It posed for us for a minute or so and then jumped off the log. A few seconds later it climbed back up! We snapped lots of photos and left quickly, hoping that we hadn't disturbed it too much!

Marmots live alone, in pairs, or in colonies. Colonies consist of one, or more, harems. The harems are comprised of one male, several females and their offspring. Females give birth to 3-8 pups.

Yellow-bellied Marmots are typically very social. Wikipedia states:

"They inhabit areas with rocky outcroppings, meadows, and forest edges, often near rock piles and boulders. They demonstrate social behaviors including the visiting of [underground] burrows, greeting of colony members, and play-fighting. Playing is most common between young, but also frequent between an adult and their young. Marmots communicate with each other through a high pitched whistle. Depending on how sharp the whistle, colony members respond by either observing their surroundings, or returning to their burrows."

They are mainly herbivores and eat a wide variety of plants including grass, seeds, leaves, flowers, and legumes (members of the Pea Family). They will also occasionally eat bird eggs and insects.

Yellow-bellied Marmot - Marmota flaviventris

They are true hibernators, and spend the winter months sleeping in their underground burrows. Burrows can be 5-7 meters deep for hibernation. Their usual burrows are about a meter deep during the summer months. They do not store food for winter. They spend most of their active months eating to accumulate enough fat to survive hibernation, which can last from Sept. to May. Their metabolism, heart rate, respiration rate, and body temperature are all lowered during hibernation.

California Mule Deer - Odocoileus hemionus californicus

Near the aspen grove in the Lakes Basin Campground, my friend Nancy and I spotted a Mule Deer on the trail! It was foraging on the leaves of Bitter Cherry bushes!  Deer don't have upper incisors and canine teeth and cannot nip off twigs. They press plant parts (leaves, stems, etc.) between their upper hard palates and their bottom teeth and jerk their heads up to tear them off! They also have small stomachs, so instead of large quantities of low quality forage, they select the most nutritious parts of certain plants that are high in fiber but low in starch. They are ruminantes with four stomachs, in which they ferment plant material before it is digested. This fermented material is then regurgitated, rechewed, and finally reswallowed! They mainly eat the leaves and fruit of shrubs, and the buds of trees. They also eat grasses, flowers, fruits, and seeds in season.

California Mule Deer - Odocoileus hemionus californicus

There are two kinds of Mule Deer in the Lakes Basin, the Columbian Black-tailed Deer and the California Mule Deer. The California Mule Deer have larger ears (20”-22” compared to 8”) than the Columbian Black-tailed Deer. Another way to determine which species you are seeing is to look at their tail. Columbian Black-tailed Deer have a more-or-less solid black tail. The California Mule Deer's tail is only black on the tip, sometimes with a thin strip of black running down the tail.

California Mule Deer (Doe and two fawns) - Odocoileus hemionus californicus

On the Bear Lakes Trail we also came across a California Mule Deer doe and two fawns! So cool! The following quote about fawns is from northernwoodlands.org.

"Fawns grow rapidly on their mother’s rich milk. By two to three weeks of age, they begin to nibble green vegetation. After a month, they will browse on tree seedlings. At this age, they begin to choose their own bedding sites and twins are reunited. By summer, young deer can outrun most danger, and trail their mother closely. Fawns usually are weaned at two to three months. In early autumn, a fawn’s spotted coat is replaced by the gray-brown winter coat of an adult deer. Female fawns usually stay with their mothers for two years; young bucks leave after a year. A buck fawn can be identified when only a few days old by the two round spots on its head where the antlers will grow."

American Black Bear - Ursus americanus

I saw this bear in the vicinity of the Lakes Basin two weeks ago. It had several long scars and puncture wounds on its face! Perhaps it had been in a fight with a Mountain Lion???

Bears are omnivores, but mainly eat insects, grubs, fruit, berries, roots, twigs, buds, honey, and tree cambium. Occasionally they will eat small to medium-sized mammals and carrion. They range in size from 3'-3'5'' in height, 4'6"-6'2" in length, and 203lbs.-587lbs. in weight. Adults can run up to 30 mph, and are powerful swimmers and climbers! Here in the Lakes Basin, Black Bears don't truly hibernate. They build up fat to live off of in the winter, and spend most of their time sleeping, but may become active if the weather is unusually warm.

California Ground Squirrel - Spermophilus beecheyi

I saw this California Ground Squirrel last year, near where I saw the Yellow-bellied Marmot this year. California Ground Squirrels hibernate in winter, so right now they are eating and bulking up as much as possible. Their diet consists of primarily seeds, including acorns, insects when available, berries, roots, and bulbs. They will also cache some food in their underground burrow. These squirrels are highly adaptable, and live at elevations from 0 - 7,215'! They prefer to dig their underground burrows on the edges of open areas, such as meadows or fields.

Chickaree or Douglas Squirrel - Tamiasciurus douglasii

Another noticeable squirrel is the Douglas Squirrel/Chickaree. They often scold me loudly from trailside trees! Conifer seeds are their main food, but they will also eat fruit, berries, seeds, fungi, bird eggs, flowers, and leaf buds. 

They are "scansorial" or adapted to climbing, and their hind legs are double-jointed for climbing up and down trunks! Douglas Squirrels/Chickarees do not hibernate in the winter! They store 100's of cones on the ground, in large caches for winter. They will dig down through the snow to eat the seeds in these stored cones. They do not live underground. In winter, their nests are mainly found in hollow trees, or abandoned woodpecker cavities, 15'-20' above the ground. 

Chipmunk - Tamias sp.

There are at least 5 different kinds of Chipmunks inhabiting the coniferous forests of the Lakes Basin. In the field they are very difficult to identify, as they are so close in coloration. Chipmunks are primarily fruit, nut, and seed eaters, but will also eat fungi (primarily truffles), bird eggs, and insects (caterpillars, aphids, termites, ants etc.). They are known for climbing trees and shrubs to find food. They all have fur-lined internal cheek pouches for carrying nuts and seeds. They cache food for winter as they do not hibernate. They sleep most of the winter and awaken periodically to eat. Their nests maybe be in an underground burrow, or in cavities of trees, logs, stumps, or snags.

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel - Spermophilus lateralis

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels are not as commonly seen as Chipmunks.  Visually they are easily distinguished from Chipmunks, by the lack of stripes on their head. They also don't climb trees and shrubs to get seeds, but prefer to eat them on the ground. In addition to seeds, nuts, fruits, and underground fungi (truffles), they also eat grasses and leaves. Although not as much of an insect eater as a Chipmunk, they will eat them if they are easily available. 

The following information about their burrows is from the website at https://vpcrac.org. 

"Golden-mantled ground squirrel burrows are located close to or beneath rocks, bushes, trees, logs, and stumps, although they may be out in the open as well. Burrow openings are inconspicuous as compared to those of other ground squirrels. Little or no excavated earth is left by the entrances. The openings are two to three inches in diameter, and often there are two or more openings to a burrow. The entire tunnel system may be 17 feet long, running, for the most part, about 8 inches deep. The burrow system may contain side tunnels and a nest chamber lined with shredded grass, bark, leaves, stems, conifer needles, and, perhaps, paper or cloth."

 They also hibernate in these underground burrows in the winter, and live off their stored body fat! 

Veronica Lake

The Round Lake Loop Trail

Last week I hiked the Round Lake Loop Trail with my friend Mary. It was a super-clear blue-sky day with a slight breeze. It was the perfect temperature, and no bugs! We passed several beautiful lakes on the 4.5 mile loop trail. It is probably the most popular trail in the Lakes Basin, but that day we had it mostly to ourselves!!! If you haven't hiked it, I'd highly recommend it for its scenic beauty!  Here are some of the lakes we saw!

Round Lake

Silver Lake

Long Lake

Big Bear Lake

Primrose Garden

Primrose Garden Hike

A few days later, my friend Nancy and I did our annual hike to the Primrose Garden near Round Lake. It is one of my most favorite areas in the Lakes Basin! Because the "garden" is shaded most of the day, snow can be there even in August!  This makes it possible for thousands of wildflowers to be blooming, even when most of the more exposed areas have already dried up.

On 8/4/25, there were two, solid, 4' tall snow banks still in the garden!

The last of the snow

Yesterday, on 8/21/25, there was only a small, three foot long, curved patch of snow that was a few inches thick, but there were still thousands of Sierra Primrose flowers blooming in the shaded garden!!!

Sierra Primrose - Lady Ferns

Primula suffrutescens - Athyrium felix-femina var. cyclosorum

A variety of wildflowers bloom in this garden, but the most numerous are the gorgeous magenta Sierra Primroses, with their yellow centers and evergreen leaves. There were thousands of them in bloom!  More than we've ever seen before! They grow in close proximity to hundreds of Lady Ferns and sedges that cascade down the mountain side!

Sierra Primrose -Primula suffrutescens

I've seen small groups of Sierra Primroses in other parts of the Lakes Basin, but they're not common. You can imagine our delight when we visit this garden!

Crimson Columbine - Rufous Hummingbird  (juvenile)

Aquilegia formosa - Selasphorus rufus

There are also thousands of gorgeous Crimson Columbines growing on the same rock ledge!  Rufous Hummingbirds were there feeding on this amazing abundance of late blooming flowers!

Rufous Hummingbird  (female) - Selasphorus rufus

These hummers breed north of us, from southern Oregon to southern Alaska, and then return to southern Mexico for the winter. They don't breed in our area. The males can be distinguished by their bright orange heads, throats, bellies, and backs! It was such a joy to be there, perched above Round Lake, in a garden of wildflowers and hovering hummingbirds! How lucky to have been here twice in three weeks!

Round Lake

The view is also spectacular from the garden, and we lingered as long as we could before we headed back home. Another day in paradise, surrounded by incredible beauty! We are SO lucky!

Where should we hike next time? The Old Growth Forest? Deadman Peak?

Hidden Lake? Lincoln Meadow? Jamison Lake?

After 8 years of posting my blog, I've decided that I'm only going to post my blog every TWO weeks. Check back on September 6th for my next natural history blog.

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

Neighborhood Natural History News!

Osprey - Pandion haliaetus

I am SO happy to report that my new glasses have corrected the disfunction in my vision from cataract surgery!  YAY!!!  I can see with BOTH eyes once again!  Thank goodness! To celebrate I went hiking twice up in the Lakes Basin this week! It was stupendously beautiful! I'll write about those hikes (and hopefully a few more) in my next blog, on August 23rd. In the meantime, here's what I saw in the past few weeks in my own neighborhood. 

An Osprey has recently arrived on our section of the river! They are so regally handsome! Primarily fish eaters, Osprey often perch in the lone Cottonwood Tree on the river and scan for trout in the river below. When they spot a fish they will plunge feet first into the river, up to a depth of three feet! They are unique among raptors in this hunting method. They are usually successful in 1 out of every 4 dives. The soles of its feet have scales with sharp points to help hold 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!!!

Rainbow Trout - Onchorhynchus mykiss irideus

A wide variety of wildlife eats the fish in our river! The fish are preyed on during all stages of their life cycle, from eggs to adults. Their predators range from tiny dragonfly nymphs to large Black Bears! For some species of wildlife, fish make up more than 90% of their diet. For other species, fish are just one of their food sources. 

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.

American Dipper (juvenile)  - Cinclus mexicanus

I also saw a juvenile American Dipper on the river! Luckily for me it stayed in one spot for quite a while and I was able to get a few photos! It was obviously independent, as no adults appeared nearby. 

American Dippers live here year-round, diving underwater to eat aquatic insects and larvae as well as tiny fish. They have powerful legs, long toes (NOT webbed) and streamlined bodies that makes walking on underwater rocks, in swift currents, possible. They also swim underwater using their wings like flippers and their tail like a rudder. With a heavy coat of oil on their outer feathers coupled with a dense coat of downy feathers underneath, Dippers can tolerate the frigid winter river. They have twice as many feathers as any songbird their size, even their white eyelids (visible in the right photo) are feathered! As they dive under the water, special scales slide to cover their nostrils and nictitating membranes cover their eyes! The membranes are hinged at the inner side of the eyes and sweep horizontally across the corneas. The scales keep water out of the Dipper's nose, and the membranes make it possible for it to see underwater.

Hairy Woodpecker  - Dryobates villosus

In the morning I usually walk along the river for a couple of miles. I am often surprised by what I see. Just two days ago a male Hairy Woodpecker showed up!  It was busy investigating the trunks of trees for possible insects to eat. The red feathers on its head indicated that it was a male woodpecker. Insects make up 75% of a Hairy Woodpeckers diet! They mainly eat wood-boring beetle and bark beetle larvae, as well as moth larvae in their cocoons. They will also eat ants, spiders, centipedes, millipedes, aphids, pine seeds, berries, and fruits. They prefer to nest in dead trees, or large branches, with rotten cores.

Red-breasted Sapsucker (fledgling)  - Sphyrapicus ruber

One morning I came across a Red-breasted Sapsucker fledgling on the road! It wasn't able to fly, but didn't appear to be injured. I picked it up and put it next to a tree that was nearby, but not next to the road. It really squawked when I picked it up, and struggled to get free!  When I put it down it climbed a little ways up the tree trunk and stopped. I left it there, with my fingers crossed that the parents would come and feed it!  I then called the local wildlife "Rehabilitation and Release Center", to see if I should do anything else. They said I'd done the right thing, by leaving it there. The next day it was gone! I have my fingers crossed that it's doing fine somewhere, but know that the odds are pretty slim. It's tough out there in the wild! How lucky I was to see this beautiful fledgling so closely!

American Robin - Turdus migratorius

 One morning, to my delight,  I spotted an American Robin re-nesting in an old nest in my neighborhood!  Several years ago I photographed three nestling in this nest! Hopefully I'll be seeing some in the near future!!  Robins are one of the earliest nesters, and often lay a second clutch of eggs in the course of a summer.

Western Tanager - Piranga ludoviciana

Several weeks ago, I spotted a female Western Tanager with a beak full of insects. It was most likely on its way to feed it's nestlings or fledglings! Both parents feed the young birds for several weeks. When they leave the nest, the fledglings wait quietly, usually perched on a nearby branch, for parents to feed them . Approximately two weeks after they fledge, they are independent and find their own food. 

Achemon Sphinx Moth (adult/caterpillar) - Eummorpha achemon

Last year, in my neighbor's grape arbor I was surprised to find a Achemon Sphinx Moth Caterpillar. This year, for the first time ever, I finally spotted an adult Achemon Moth!!!  It was quite large, with a wingspan of 3.5"!!! The caterpillars feed on grape leaves, while the adults feed on flower nectar! It was on the wall of our house one morning! How cool!

Sphinx Moth (unknown species)

I found this unknown Sphinx Moth in our garden this week! I have posted this photo on iNaturalist.org, but it hasn't yet been indentified to species. Here is some information, from iNaturalist.org, about the family of Sphinx Moths (Sphingidae).

"Sphingid caterpillars are medium to large in size, with stout bodies. They have five pairs of prolegs. Usually, their bodies lack any hairs or tubercules, but most species have a "horn" at the posterior end, which may be reduced to a button, or absent, in the final instar. Many are cryptic greens and browns, and have countershading patterns to conceal them. Others are more conspicuously colored, typically with white spots on a black or yellow background along the length of the body. A pattern of diagonal slashes along the side is a common feature. When resting, the caterpillar usually holds its legs off the surface and tucks its head underneath (praying position), which, resembling the Great Sphinx of Giza, gives rise to the name "sphinx moth". Some tropical larvae are thought to mimic snakes. Larvae are quick to regurgitate their sticky, often toxic, foregut contents on attackers such as ants and parasitoids. Development rate depends on temperature, and to speed development, some northern and high-altitude species sunbathe. Larvae burrow into the soil to pupate, where they remain for two to three weeks before they emerge as adults."

Lakes Basin Vista

A Hike to the Tamarack Lakes

The week before my glasses were fixed I went on a solo hike up in the Lakes Basin. It was the best thing I could have done. Although my eyes weren't right, I could still hike on the trail! The day was super clear, and big puffy clouds moved in to add to the beauty! I only saw one person all day, and totally enjoyed my solitude!

Upper Tamarack Lake

I ended up at Upper Tamarack Lake which was a mirror reflection of the clouds! Such peaceful beauty!

Mallard (female) - Buffleheads (female)

Anas platyrhynchos - Bucephala albeola

It was also occupied by one female Mallard and several adult Bufflehead Ducks.

I didn't see any ducklings with the adults.

Cassin's Finch (female/male) - Haemorhous cassinii

I also saw a pair of male and female Cassin's finches! 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. The males have lovely rosy crests, breasts and backs! In contrast, the females are gray and white, and quite camouflaged

Rock Wren (adult) - Salpinctus obsoletus

To my complete delight, I spotted a Rock Wren in an area where I have seen them in the past! How lucky! They are quite uncommon to rare in the Lakes Basin!!! It even stayed still long enough for a good photo! Yay! Here are some interesting facts about Rock Wrens, from the Cornell website allaboutbirds.org.

"Rock Wrens constantly hop around rocks, investigating crannies for insects and spiders, which they extract with their delicate bills.

The Rock Wren usually builds a pavement or walkway of small, flat stones or pebbles that leads to the nest cavity. The nest is usually located in a rock crevice out of sight, but the pavement may give away the nest's location. In some cases, both foundations and walkways become elaborate, incorporating hundreds of objects, many human-made. The function of this pavement is unknown.

The Rock Wren is not known to drink water but instead gets all it needs from its food. Even a few birds kept in captivity did not drink water when it was available.

The male Rock Wren is a truly remarkable singer and can have a large song repertoire of 100 or more song types, many of which seem to be learned from neighbors.

Rock Wrens are one of few bird species that uses landscapes significantly altered by industry or other human activity. They have been found nesting in road cuts, railroad tunnels, gravel pits, coalmine spoil piles, clearcuts, and refuse heaps."

Fireweed - Applegate's Paintbrush - Douglas's Spirea

Chamerion angustifolium -Castilleja applegatei - Spirea douglasii

The meadows near the lakes were bursting with wildflowers! It was a restoring day in the Lakes Basin once again! I'll be back again soon!

What's happening at Howard Meadow?

Are the higher elevation flowers in the Lakes Basin still blooming?

What has the weather been like?

After 8 years of posting my blog, I've decided that I'm only going to post my blog every TWO weeks. Check back on August 23rd for my next natural history blog.

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

Cataract Problems

Unfortunately, my cataract surgery didn't go well and I find it too difficult to work on the computer. However, I'm picking up my corrective glasses this coming Tuesday, YAY!!! Hopefully, I'll be able to post my blog next Saturday, July 9th. Fingers crossed!

And, I wanted to thank all my fans from 72 different countries, that visited my website in the month of July, for a total of 9,397 hits!!! WOW! I am amazed! Much love and thanks to you all!