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!