Life in the Upper Montane Forest Zone

Rufous Hummingbird (juvenile) on Anderson's Thistle

Selasphorus rufus on Cirsium andersonii

Due to the hot and dry weather we've been having, we've been hiking in the higher elevations to see wildflowers still in bloom.  One morning this week, we went up to a meadow around 6700' in elevation.  My friend Mary had told me about a particular patch of blooming Anderson's Thistles where lots of Rufous Hummingbirds were feeding.  Luckily we found the area, and it was an absolutely incredible sight!  Dozens of Rufous Hummingbirds were zooming around and feeding on the thistles!  It was SO beautiful!!!  There was also a constant chattering going on between them!  Usually, I've only seen one or two of these beautiful, little hummers at a time!  WOW!!!

 

Rufous Hummingbird - Selasphorus rufus

I only saw females and juveniles, no males.  I turns out that these hummers breed from southern Oregon to southern Alaska, and then return to southern Mexico for the winter.  They don't breed in our area.  Right now the females and juveniles are migrating through, on their way to Mexico!  The males probably passed through sometime in late June or early July. (The two photos of males, on the bottom left, were taken in my garden.)  

Brewer's Angelica - Angelica brewerii

More Wildflowers

The wildflowers are still numerous in the "Upper Montane Forest Zone".  This area is one of the five life/biotic zones found in the Sierra Nevada, from the foothills to the alpine.  These 5 zones are not totally separate from each other, and change gradually from one zone to another.  There are many variations in these zone descriptions online.  I've chosen the following website as my reference, http://snrs.ucmerced.edu/natural-history/life-zones.  It describes what basically typifies each zone.  The Lakes Basin is primarily in the Upper Montane Forest Zone, from 6,000'- 8,000' in elevation.

"The upper montane forest begins at higher elevations near 6,000 feet (1800 m), where the montane climate is characterized by short, moist, cool summers and cold, wet winters. Snow begins to fall in November and may accumulate to depths of six feet or more and remain until June. Pure stands of red fir and lodgepole pine are typical of this forest. Jeffrey pine, which has bark that smells like vanilla, and the picturesque western juniper can also be found in this zone. Beautiful wildflowers bloom in meadows from June through August."

 Right now, Brewer's Angelica (above photo) can be found in lacy cascades in most creek beds around 6,000'.  I don't remember ever seeing them quite so numerous before!  Just gorgeous!

..

Elephant's Head - Oregon Checker Mallow - Little Elephant's Head

Pedicularis groenlandica - Sidalcea oregana - Pedicularis attolens

In one meadow I came across hundreds of Elephant's Heads!  The majority of them were the "little" species and were growing out in the wet meadow.  The other species was fewer in number and were found on the edge of the meadow.  A week later I returned to the same meadow, and they had all gone to seed!  

Fireweed - Arrowleaf Groundsel - Paintbrush

Chamerion angustifolium -  Senecio triangularis - Castilleja sp. 

                                                                     

One of my absolute favorite wildflowers is Fireweed.  It is a tall plant, reaching 3'-4' in height, with delicate, rosy-purple blossoms.  It usually grows in groups of 5 or even 50 individual plants.  I love watching them sway in the breeze.  They are also a favorite of many hummingbirds!

Primrose monkeyflower - Erythranthe primuloides

This year there are large carpets of Primrose monkeyflower along the edges of all the wet meadows.  Their super-hairy leaves collect dew overnight, and glisten like jewels in the morning sun!

Yellow-bellied Marmot (juvenile) - Marmota flaviventris

A Few Mammals!

To our delight we saw a young Yellow-bellied Marmot this week, around 6,500' in elevation!  I've never seen a young one before!  It posed nicely for us on a granite rock.  What a surprise!  Yellow-bellied Marmots usually have one litter of 4-5 young, per year.  They are born in April or early May, and are blind and naked at birth.  Within two months they leave their underground burrow and disperse.  I wonder if this one has recently left its burrow!  It was so cute and fluffy!

Yellow-bellied Marmot (juvenile) - Marmota flaviventris

We also saw an adult Yellow-bellied Marmot in another area around 7,000' in elevation!  These are the most common large rodent in the Sierra, and generally live underneath rocky talus slopes from 5,400' to 14,000'!  Years ago, a marmot tried to steal a book out of my backpack, just below the summit of Mt. Whitney (14,505')!

Chipmunk - Tamias sp.

This cute, young Chipmunk watched us warily from the trail side last week.  Chipmunks are numerous up in the Lakes Basin, and there are several different species.  This one hasn't developed its adult coloration, so it's hard to determine what species it is.  My guess is that it is a Lodgepole Chipmunk.

Osprey chasing a Bald Eagle!

Pandion haliaetus - Haliaetus leucocephalus

Twice in the last two weeks I've seen a Bald Eagle in the Lakes Basin!  I haven't seen one up there before!  Both of the eagles were seen flying over a lake.  They are large birds, with a wingspan of 80", a length of 31", and a weight of 9.5 lbs!  In comparison an Osprey has a wingspan of 63", a length of 23", and a weight of 3.5 lbs.  Ospreys are the better fish catchers, and Bald Eagles are known to steal a fish from an Osprey rather than catch their own fish!  The Osprey in the above photo relentlessly pursued the Bald Eagle, despite its smaller size!   It was amazing to watch!

Bald Eagle - Haliaetus leucocephalus

On another day, we watched a young Osprey circle a different lake.  It left the area after circling the lake a few times, and then this Bald Eagle showed up!  Wow!  It circled the lake once, made an attempt at catching a fish, perched for a while, and then left the area!  How lucky to see this magnificent bird so closely!

Cassin's Finch on Alpine Knotweed

Haemorhous cassinii - Aconogonon phytolaccifolium

These beautiful Cassin's Finches are quite numerous in the higher elevations right now.  They can be distinguished by the bright red crest that is redder than its head and breast, as well as the lack of streaks on its belly.  Usually, they travel in flocks. They love eating seeds and conifer buds.  I watched the one pictured above feast on Alpine Knotweed seeds for 15 minutes!  Such beauty! 

Cassin's Finch (males) - Haemorhous cassinii

This pair of males were feeding on the ground near a wet meadow.  The females are mainly dark brown with a brown-streaked white belly, and really well camouflaged.

What's happening in our garden?

Are the bears still around?

Check back next week for the answers to these questions and more!

Unfortunately you can no longer sign up to get my blog emailed to you.

Something changed at Blogspot.com. Oh well...

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated!

Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com

River Birds!

Spotted Sandpiper (fledgling) - Actitis macularius

About three weeks ago I spotted this fluffy, fledgling Spotted Sandpiper "teetering" (holding head low while tail-end vigorously bobs up and down) on the river's edge!  I've been watching it, and several other fledglings, mature over the past 21 days.  Sandpiper chicks are born precocial and are able to walk and feed within their first 2 hours!  They start teetering 30 minutes after they're born, and can fly within 18 days!  They feed on midges, mayflies, grasshoppers, flies, crickets, beetles, caterpillars, worms, mollusks and crustaceans, fish and spiders.  They will forage for these invertebrates in rivers, creeks, ponds, and lakes, as well as on dry land.  When first born they are covered in downy feathers, which molt over the next 3 weeks as their adult feathers emerge.  Right now they are considered "juveniles" and have lost their fluffy, downy feathers.  They won't acquire their spotted breast feathers until the mating season begins next Spring.  

Spotted Sandpiper (juvenile & breeding adult) - Actitis macularius

Spotted Sandpipers are the only shorebird found commonly in the Sierra, from the foothills to timberline. Starting in July, Spotted Sandpipers migrate singly or in small groups to their wintering grounds, which extend from the extreme southern United States to southern South America. The adults leave before the juveniles. I guess the local juveniles will be leaving soon. It has been fascinating and fun to observe them!

Common Merganser  (juveniles & adult female) - Mergus merganser

The Common Mergansers on our river are numerous!  In addition to the two females and their young, that I first observed more than a month ago, several more females and their young have arrived.  The young are born precocial and can swim and catch their own prey within a day after their birth. They begin to dive after 2 days and are proficient divers after 8 days.  They are primarily fish eaters, and have nictitating membranes on their eyes, that work like goggles underwater.  In fact, just this morning, I watched a juvenile catch a fish in the river!  They will also eat aquatic mollusks, crustaceans, insects, worms, frogs, small mammals, and plants.  It takes about 65-75 days for all of their adult feathers to emerge, and they are able to fly.  They will migrate in October to their over-wintering grounds in central or southern California, Arizona, Nevada, or Utah.

Common Merganser (8 juveniles & adult female) - Mergus merganser

I think this is the Merganser that had 16 ducklings when I first saw her 6 weeks ago.  Right now she has 8 ducklings, and they are getting big fast!  Some of the ducklings may have gone off with a different female, or were eaten by minks, otters, foxes, or herons.  It's tough out there in the wild!

Canada Geese  (juvenile & adults) - Branta canadensis

I've seen two pairs of Canada Geese in our neighborhood this year.  Initially both pairs had two fledglings, however one of the fledglings is gone.  It was probably preyed upon by a Grey Fox, or Pine Marten when it was little.  The goslings will stay with their parents for their first year.  Whenever I see them, the parents are in close proximity to their young.  The young geese are born precocial and are able to walk, feed, swim, and dive within 24 hours.  They feed mainly on grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in the summer, grains and berries in the winter.  They may stay here all winter if the weather is mild, or they may migrate down to California's Central Valley if it's too snowy.  

Canada Geese  (juveniles & adults) - Branta canadensis

It takes approximately 65-75 days for the goslings to acquire their adult size and feathers.  However, it seems like they get big fast!  Currently they are lot bigger than they were when I took this photo a few weeks ago, and are almost full grown.

Osprey (adult) - Pandion haliaetus

Recently Returned!

For months I haven't seen a Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, or Osprey on our section of the river.  Just this week they have all shown up in their regular locations!  They are all big eaters of fish, so perhaps the lower water level is making it easier to catch the trout.  I don't know if they are the same individuals that I've seen year after year, but it feels like they are.  Especially when they perch on the exact same tree or branch as before! The Osprey pictured above was eating a fish when I saw it, and a Raven was perched one branch below the Osprey!  The Raven flew off before I could get a photo.  I'll bet that it was hanging out hoping the Osprey would drop the fish!  Wow!  

 

Great Blue Heron (adult) - Ardea herodius

The Great Blue Heron is the largest bird in our area, with a wingspan of  72" and a length of 46".  In comparison, an Osprey has a wingspan of  63" and a length of  23".

Belted Kingfisher (female) - Megaceryl alcyon

I've written about these birds several times in previous blogs.  Use the "Search this Blog" tool on the top right of the page to find the information you're interested in.  Let me know if it works!  

Whatever the reason is for their return, it is a joy to see these beautiful birds again!

The answer is "NO!"  Banana Slugs lay gelatinous eggs, from which the baby banana slugs are born.  They do NOT have live births!  The baby banana slugs are capable of feeding and moving as soon as they emerge from the egg.  Does this make them "precocial"?

What's happening in the Lakes Basin?

Are the bears still around?

Are there any wildflowers left or have they all dried up?

Check back next week for the answers to these questions and more!

Unfortunately you can no longer sign up to get my blog emailed to you.

Something changed at Blogspot.com. Oh well...

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated!

Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com

Encounters with Mammals!

Over the years I've written about the mammals I've observed locally.  This week we've had a few 

very unusual encounters!  

Thursday Evening

 Around 5:30 pm last Thursday, I was squatting down and watering the base of some flowers in one of our gardens, when all of a sudden I got the feeling that someone was looking at me.  I turned to my right and looked right into the eyes of a young Mountain Lion about 10' away from me!!!  It was looking right at me and slowly coming towards me!!!  For several long seconds we stared at each other!  It was incredibly beautiful, with it's brilliant green eyes, and tawny, smooth fur!  Its beautiful eyes were alive with expression, full of curiosity and delight!!  It wasn't that large, and didn't feel menacing at all, but I knew I probably shouldn't stick around!  So, I quickly stood up, dropped the hose, and calmly walked (not "ran") to our house, that was only about 25' away.  Once I was inside, I hollered to my husband "Mountain Lion!!!"  I grabbed my camera and we both ran back outside to see if we could see it again, but it had vanished!  I was astounded that I had just made eye contact, and had an unspoken dialogue with a Mountain Lion!!!  It was SO unbelievably beautiful!  I think it was a female, but I'll never know for sure.  What an amazing experience!  It was definitely a gift, a once-in-a-lifetime encounter!  Although I didn't get a photo, I'll absolutely never forget it!

I have since read that Mountain Lion attacks on humans are quite rare.  Wikipedia states, "A total of 125 attacks, 27 of which were fatal, have been documented in North America in the past 100 years. Fatal cougar attacks are extremely rare and occur much less frequently than fatal snake bites, fatal lightning strikes, or fatal bee stings." 

There are lots of websites that have information on what you should do if you encounter a Mountain Lion in the wild. The following information is available at 

https://www.nps.gov/nava/planyourvisit/upload/MountainLionSafetyAndFactsNAVA.pdf.

"Encounters with cougars are rare. But if you live, work or recreate in cougar habitat, there are things you can do to enhance your safety and that of friends and family. 

• If you encounter a cougar, make yourself appear larger, more aggressive. Open your jacket, raise your arms, and throw stones, branches, etc., without turning away. Wave raised arms slowly, and speak slowly, firmly, loudly to disrupt and discourage predatory behavior 

• Never run past or from a cougar. This may trigger their instinct to chase. 

• Make eye contact. Stand your ground. Pick up small children without, if possible, turning away or bending over. 

• Never bend over or crouch down. Doing so causes humans to resemble four-legged prey animals. Crouching down or bending over also makes the neck and back of the head vulnerable. 

• Try to remain standing to protect head and neck.

• Don’t approach a cougar. Most cougars want to avoid humans. Give a cougar the time and space to steer clear of you."

Although I didn't feel threatened by the Mountain Lion I saw, I may just have been lucky!  

Black Bear - Ursus americanus

The Bear & the Bees!

A little more than a week ago, one of my neighbors was given 21 active bee hives!  He had them out in a field on his property, but didn't have an electric fence around them.  My husband said, "The bears will take care of those bees pretty quickly."  They did!  Four nights after the bees arrived, a Black Bear destroyed half the hives and ate the bee larvae and honey.  Two nights after that, he returned and destroyed the remaining bee hives and feasted again!  

In the meantime the homeless bees swarmed together in two trees on the adjacent neighbor's yard.  Because the hives were destroyed over a couple of days, there were two HUGE separate swarms, containing thousands of bees!  Bees swarm to protect their queen, who is the mother of them all!  It was beautiful, amazing, and fascinating to watch!  The swarms hung on the trees for about two days each.  During those two days, my husband said that the scout bees were probably out looking for a new location for their colony.  After two days passed, the first swarm took off.  Two days later the second swarm took off!  The sound of all those bees taking off at once was incredible, the loudest agitated hum I've ever heard!  They are all gone now, and the destroyed hives have been removed.  I really hope the bees were successful in finding a good home!  Perhaps I might come across one of the colonies when I'm wandering around our neighborhood!  I'll keep you posted!

Large Honeybee Swarm containing thousands of Bees

Yellow-bellied Marmot - Marmota flaviventris

Marmots on the Rocks!

I've seen Yellow-bellied Marmots in the Lakes Basin only 6 times in all the years I've been hiking there.  Last week we spotted one ahead of us on the trail.  They like to live in underground burrows, beneath rocky talus slopes near alpine meadows, around 6,000' in elevation.  Marmots live in colonies, or as singled or paired animals.  I usually only see one at a time.  They will often perch on a large boulder, from which they can watch for predators.  If threatened, they make a very loud chirp that you can hear from quite a distance.  The main predators of Marmots are coyotes, followed by badgers, martens, bears, and Golden Eagles.  

Marmots eat plants, mainly grasses, wildflowers, and seeds.  Before winter they eat all the time, to bulk up for up to 8 months of hibernation.  During hibernation their body temperature, respiration rate, and heartbeat rate all drop.  They will lose up to 50% of their body weight during hibernation.  Unlike Black Bears, they are "true" hibernators, and do not wake up during the winter.  Warmer temperatures will trigger their emergence from their burrows in the Spring.

Yellow-bellied Marmot - Marmota flaviventris

I came across this "blonde" marmot in Sequoia National Park a few years ago. 

I need to do some research, and find out if this is common.

Gray Fox - Urocyon cinereoargenteus

A few weeks ago, our electric power unexpectedly went out at 7:00 pm, so I decided to go for a walk.  Right away I saw this lovely Gray Fox sitting on our road!   I zoomed in with my camera and got a few photos before it took off.  This one looked so familiar to me!  Most mammals are active at night, as well as dawn and dusk.  I should really make an effort to go out during that time more often.  I'm sure I'd see a lot more mammals that way.  I haven't seen any foxes in quite a while, so this was a fun encounter!

Columbian Black-tailed Deer - Odocoileus hemionus columbianus

I've seen two different bucks in our neighborhood lately.  Every time I see them, their antlers are larger.  The antlers will keep growing until Fall when rutting season begins.  The following information about deer antlers is from the website https://sciencing.com/do-deer-antlers-grow-6642858.html.

"Deer antlers are growths of bone that deer and similar animals produce for mating season. Only male deer produce antlers, and few deer keep their antlers for long periods. Contrary to popular belief, the size of the antlers and the number of points do not indicate the age of the deer. The size of the antlers are decided by the health of the deer and its access to nutrients.

Deer antlers are primarily grown for mating purposes. A male deer not only shows off its antlers to prove its health, but also uses them to battle other male deer for supremacy and choice of mates. 

Deer antlers take a lot of energy to grow. The antlers are bony, and like bones are made mostly out of calcium. Deer do not consume much calcium with their vegetarian diet, and the calcium in the antlers is grown just like the calcium in the bones, produced by chemical reactions in their bodies. This takes up a large amount of available nutrients and energy, and only the healthiest deer can grow large antler.

Even the largest antlers grow from small nubs to full size in three to four months, making them one of the fastest-growing types of tissue. They begin as small bony growths at the top of the head, and are covered with a layer of skin and hair known as velvet. This velvet keeps the antlers protected while they are fragile.

When antlers have reached a larger size and slow down or stop growing, the blood vessels that keep the velvet growing shut down around the base of the antlers. This causes the velvet skin to die and eventually peel away, sometimes leaving trailing and hanging bits for a few weeks. Male deer typically rub their antlers against trees and other objects to remove the peeling velvet.

Because deer antlers take up so much energy, it is advantageous for many smaller deer to shed them as quickly as possible after mating season ends. The deer draw calcium and similar nutrients back into the system, so that the antlers become brittle and drained. A layer of cells grows at the base of the antlers, gradually severing their connection to the body and causing them to falling off."

Royal Rein Orchid - Brookfoam 

 Piperia transversa - Bokinia occidentalis  

What's Blooming?

Even though it's drying up in my neighborhood, there are still flowers blooming 

in the shady forest!  Here's some of the ones I saw this week.

Lemon's Keckiella - California harebell

Keckiella lemonnii  - Asyneuma prenanthoides

Bullock's Oriole (male - female) - Icterus bullockii

 

The beautiful Bullock's Orioles left our neighborhood this month, and are on their migration south to Mexico, Guatemala, or northern Costa Rica.  I am always amazed that they return to our neighborhood year after year!  I hope they have a safe journey to their winter homeland!

Did this Banana Slug just give birth to a baby slug?

What's happening in the Lakes Basin?

What's happening on the river?

Check back next week for the answers to these questions and more!

Unfortunately you can no longer sign up to get my blog emailed to you.

Something changed at Blogspot.com. Oh well...

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated!

Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com

It's Summer!

Long Lake Sparkles!

Summer is here!  The days have been HOT and the lake water is a perfect temperature for swimming.  The sparkling water is magical!  Due to Covid 19, lots of people are out on the trails hiking, mountain biking, and picnicking.  I've seen more people in the Lakes Basin this summer than ever before!  Some people are wearing masks, and everyone is practicing social distancing.  I'm happy to see people out enjoying nature.  You have to see it to appreciate it, so hopefully these summer visitors will connect with the Lakes Basin and value its preservation.  Wilderness is essential! 

  

Spinytail Fairy-shrimp - Streptocephalus sealii

Vernal Pools & Ponds

My friend BJ told me that she'd seen some Fairy Shrimp in a vernal pool in the Lakes Basin last week.  So, the next day I hiked up to the pool and there they were!  There were lots of them in a very shallow, small, murky, shrinking vernal pool!  Wow!!!  I first encountered these fascinating crustaceans last summer in Veronica Lake.  These seemed a little more intense in color than the ones I saw last year!  You can distinguish the males from the females by the complex claspers that the males have.  These claspers look like a big snout, and are only visible from the side (see above photo).  The males use them to hold onto the females during mating.

 

Fairy Shrimp measure 3/4" to 1 1/2" in length, and have 11 pairs of leaf-like legs that ripple as they paddle around on their backs!  These legs also serve as their gills, and absorb oxygen out of the water. They have one pair of stalked eyes, and 2 pairs of antennae! They are filter feeders of tiny organisms and plant detritus, and will also scrape algae and detritus off of rocks and sediments. They are preyed on by other aquatic insects, shore/wading birds, and sometimes fish. Their life span ranges from .5-6 months, depending upon how long their vernal pool remains filled. They only live in inland, non-flowing, temporary, fresh (non-marine) water. When they die or their pond dries up, they leave behind thousands of embryonated eggs, or cysts, that will remain dormant until the pond refills. These cysts can remain dormant for decades! WOW!!! Apparently these fairy shrimp used to be more widespread, but as human developments filled in wetlands and vernal pools their numbers have declined. How lucky to see these fascinating crustaceans once again!

Clockwise from left:  

Sierra Gartersnake - Dragonfly/Damselfly exuvia - Mountain Gartersnake 

Southern Long-toed Salamander larva - Predaceous Water Beetle adult & larva

Thamnophis couchii - species unknown - Thamnophis elegans elegans  

Ambystoma macrodactylum sigillatum - Acilius abbreviatus

I visited several ponds in the area of the Fairy Shrimp vernal pool, and saw lots of other aquatic critters!  Years ago we named one of the ponds "Thousand Tadpole Pond", because there were so many tadpoles there.  When I visited it this year there were hardly any tadpoles, but I saw three Sierra Gartersnakes and one Mountain Gartersnake in the pond!  One of them was quite large! These snakes will readily eat tadpoles and frogs, and are probably why the tadpole population is so low.  I also saw Predaceous Water Beetle adults and their larva.  Both the adults and larva of this beetle feed on tadpoles as well!  Perhaps these tadpole predators will eat up all their prey and have to move on.  Then, hopefully the few frogs or tadpoles that haven't been eaten will re-populate the pond!

On the stems of the reeds that bordered another pond, I came across the exuvia of dragonfly and damselfly naiads!  These naiads can spend one to several years in their aquatic stage, before they crawl out of the pond and emerge as adults from their exuvia.  Watching an adult dragonfly emerge is an amazing event, and can take 1-3

hours from start to finish! 

On another day, we revisited Lost Lake, which is really a small pond.  Last year we saw several hundred Long-toed Salamander larvae in the pond.  This time I was hoping to find some adults that are supposed to be dark blue with yellow splotches.  I looked and looked around the whole lake, under logs, duff, and dead branches on the ground, but didn't find a single adult.  Rats!  I did see lots of tadpoles and some smallish salamander larvae in the pond.  Apparently these adult salamanders are rarely seen except in the very early Spring, during their mating season.  I'll have to try again next Spring!

Pacific Tree/Chorus Frog tadpole - Pseudacris regilla

I identified this tadpole by looking at the photos of tadpoles at californiaherps.com.  

It is an excellent website full of information and photos.  Check it out!

Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularia

More Lakes Basin Birds!

While I was photographing the Fairy Shrimp, this Spotted Sandpiper was flying around, landing nearby, and constantly giving an alarm call.  It must have had a nest nearby.  I didn't see the nest.  However, I carefully watched where I stepped, because they build their nests on the ground.  They are so beautiful with their spotted breasts!

This week, I saw a few different birds in the Lakes Basin than I usually see.  Most notably the Townsend's Solitaire adult and juvenile!

Common Raven (adult) - Pine Siskin? (female) - Cassin's Finch (male)

Corvus corax - Spinus pinus?- Haemorhous cassinii

Townsend's Solitaire (adult & juvenile) - Myadestes townsendi

 The Townsend's Solitaire nests on the ground beneath rocks, logs, or other objects that provide a sheltering overhang.  Solitaire nests are frequently plundered by predators such as Ground Squirrels, Chickaree/Douglas Squirrels, and skunks.  To overcome the negative impact of nest predation, solitaires have a long nesting season, beginning early in the summer, and have the ability to renest multiple times in a season.  Fledglings remain food dependent upon parents for approximately two weeks after they leave the nest.  In the summer, their diet consists of insects, fruit and berries.  The fledgling was so camouflaged, that I only saw it when it moved!  What a beautiful spotted youngster!

Mountain Bluebird (male) - Western Tanagaer (male) - Green-tailed Towhee (adult)

Stalia currucoides - Piranga ludoviciana - Pipilo chlorurus

Bufflehead (female with 5 ducklings) - Bucephala albeola

Song Sparrow (adult) - Dark-eyed Junco (male) - Olive-sided Flycatcher (adult)

Melospiza melodia - Junco hyemalis - Contopus cooperi

Sierran primrose - Primula suffrutescens

More Lakes Basin Wildflowers!

This week we hiked to a high mountain slope to see if the Sierran primroses were in bloom. To our delight there were 100's of them showing their gorgeous magenta and yellow blossoms!  I just love it when you see familiar wild friends again!  They bloom in the same area every year, but we're never sure exactly when.  This particular group grows on a steep, damp, rocky slope that is covered in Lady Ferns and wild grasses.  It was also just below one of the last remaining snowbanks in the Lakes Basin!  What looks like white clouds and blue sky in the photo above, is actually a snowbank with blue shadows!  Such beauty!

The meadows are in profuse bloom with 100's of Leopard Lilies, Corn Lilies, Monkshood, Shooting Stars, Bog Asphodel, and much, much more.  It is incredibly beautiful once again!

California corn lily - California bog asphodel

Veratrum californicum - Narthecium californicum

Leopard Lily - Monkshood

Lilium pardalinum - Aconitum columbianum

Alpine shooting star - Primula tetranda

Sierra Buttes 7/16/20

Are the Bullock's Orioles still around?

Where are the foxes, deer, and bears?

What's happening on the river?

Check back next week for the answers to these questions and more!

Unfortunately you can no longer sign up to get my blog emailed to you.

Something changed at Blogspot.com. Oh well...

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated!

Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com