Uncommonly Seen!

Black-backed Woodpecker (male) at nest hole - Picoides arcticus

To my absolute delight, I came across an active Black-backed Woodpecker nest this week!  It was in plain view, right off a hiking trail in the Lakes Basin!  A pair of adults was feeding nestlings in a nest!  The nestlings weren't visible, but they would make a loud "churring" sound whenever a parent landed near the nest hole! The adults were definitely annoyed by my presence, and made loud protesting, aggravated calls if I lingered.  So I only stayed long enough to get a few photos, and then left the area.  Black-backed Woodpeckers are very uncommon in the Lakes Basin.  It was such a thrill to see them!!!

Black-backed Woodpecker (female) - Picoides arcticus

Black-backed Woodpeckers are primarily found in the cold climate coniferous forests of Canada and Alaska, and in southward extensions of these forests into the northern Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada range.  They prefer to feed on wood-boring beetle larvae in burned forests, but will also feed on beetle larvae in dying/unburned trees.  The practice of logging burned areas has negatively impacted their population, by depriving them of foraging and breeding habitat. In California they will live year-round in the higher elevations, but are not commonly seen.

Unique to these woodpeckers, are their three toed feet (most birds have four toes), the common practice of peeling the bark away from the area that surrounds the nest hole (they don't always do this, as evidenced in the photo above), and the yellow patch of feathers on the top of the male woodpecker's head (most woodpeckers have a patch of red feathers).

The male does most of the nest excavation. Both parents share in the incubation, and subsequent care and feeding of the nestlings.  The nestlings will leave the nest approximately three weeks after they hatch.  Parents will care for the fledglings for several more weeks after they fledge.  I hope to come back in a week or so, to see if any nestlings are poking their heads out of the nest!

Cassin's Finch (with possible pigment mutation) 

Haemorhous mexicanus

On one of my higher elevation hikes, we saw this golden-yellow finch feeding with an adult red-headed Cassin's Finch!  I couldn't figure out what kind of bird it was, so I asked several birding friends if they could identify it.  So far, they all think it must be a Cassin's Finch with a pigment mutation!  How cool is that?!!  I'm still waiting on inaturalist.org to identify it, and I'll let you know how it turns out!  In the meantime, what a beautiful bird it is!!!

Cassin's Finch (female - male) - Haemorhous mexicanus

Here are some photos showing the typical coloration of a female and a male Cassin's Finch. Quite different than the yellow one we saw!

Sugar Sticks - Allotropa virgata

Another uncommon sighting happened this week when we came across newly emerged Sugar Stick flowers. These flowers aren't that common in the Lakes Basin, but they aren't considered rare.  We have found one area where they have predictably blossomed every year.  Usually, we see them when they have gone to seed, and are maroon and navy-blue in color.  This week, when we found them, they were newly emerged and in their bright red-and-white coloring!

Newly emerged Sugar Sticks with their white leaves - Allotropa virgata

It turns out that these plants are in the same plant family (Heath - Ericaceae) as Snow Plants and Pinedrops, and do not produce chlorophyll. They are mycoheterotrophs, and are parasitic on the mycelia of fungi, specifically Matsutake fungus mycelium!

Sugar Sticks - Allotropa virgata

I had thought that the red berry-like shapes were the flowers of the Sugar Sticks, but they aren't!  They are only the stamens of the flowers!  The "flowers" don't have any petals at all, but they have five white sepals and 10 stamens!!!  The white sepals are surrounding the red stamens!  What an unusual, beautiful plant!

The following quote is from the California Native Plant Society book, Wildflowers of Nevada & Placer Counties, California. "Consider yourself lucky if you come across this rare and striking wildflower." We were SO lucky!

Yuba Pass Meadow filled with Whorled Penstemons 

I've been exploring all over the Yuba Pass and Lakes Basin areas lately. This week, dramatic cloud formations added light and shadow to the already amazing landscapes. New wildflowers keep popping up and now the shrubs are starting to bloom! The streams and lakes are full, and the air is filled with birdsong! Here are a few photos of what I happened across this week! Enjoy!

Jacob's Ladder - Lupines - Whorled Penstemon

Polemonium californicum - Lupinus sp. - Penstemon heterodoxus

Jacob's Ladder is a new one for me!  Although it is in the field guides, 

I've never come across it before!  It is indeed a beauty!

Ridge near Helgrammite Lake

 

This is one of my absolute favorite areas in the Lakes Basin!  Surprisingly, the wet meadow was still a bog and barely in bloom!  I'm going back again in a few weeks, to see what wildflowers will be blooming!

Alpine Shooting Star - Mountain Laurel - Little Elephant Heads

Primula tetandra - Kalmia polifolia - Pedicularis attolens

Mt. Elwell and Long Lake

This is one of the classic views in the Lakes Basin.  Just gorgeous!

Western Labrador Tea - Sierra Laurel - Macloskey's Violets

 Rhododendron columbianum - Leucothoe davisiae - Viola macloskeyi 

 

Damp Earth Art

We had three days filled with beautiful clouds this week, as well as cooler weather! Yay!  Hopefully more rainstorms will come soon. We really need them. Please join me in my continuing hope for precipitation! Perhaps our collective efforts may help it happen.

I'm going to keep posting rain inspired writings, art, etc. on my blog at dampearthart.blogspot.com. Any submissions would be greatly appreciated.

Wishing for peace in Ukraine and

an immediate end to this senseless war!

What's happening in the Lakes Basin ponds and lakes?

Where do all the songbirds in my neighborhood overwinter?

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

Unfortunately, you can no longer sign up to get my blog via email. Just go to northyubanaturalist.blogspot.com directly. It looks better than the emailed version!

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated. Please feel free to email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!

Wonders never Cease!

Columbian Black-tailed Deer - Odocoileus hemionus columbianus

To my astonishment I spotted a doe and a little, spotted fawn in the river one morning this week!  The doe froze when she saw me, which prompted the tiny fawn to instantly nurse!  In another few seconds a second fawn joined the first fawn and also began nursing, right in the river!!!  After about a minute the doe moved, the fawns stopped nursing, and they all crossed the river!  Wow!!!  I haven't seen any little fawns for years, and I never ever watched them nurse before!  What a great sighting!  Just wonderful!

Columbian Black-tailed Deer - Odocoileus hemionus columbianus

I posted this information about fawns about a year ago, but thought it was totally relevant right now!  The following quote is from northernwoodlands.org.

"Young fawns’ scent glands are not well-developed. When a fawn is born, the doe licks it clean, removing odors that might alert predators. A few hours after birth, when the fawn can stand and walk, she moves it from the birth spot to a new hiding place. A fawn spends most of its first weeks of life bedded down alone. The doe stays away from her newborn except to nurse it periodically, and to lead it to new bed sites. That way her scent does not attract predators to the area where the fawn is hiding. If she has twins, which is common, the doe will typically hide them in separate places and make the rounds to nurse them. While the fawn nurses excitedly, its tail flicking, the doe licks its fur and genital areas to stimulate urination and defecation. She may also consume the fawn’s droppings to destroy evidence of its presence. Although secrecy is a fawn’s main defense, it has another: mom. If a fawn is in distress, it bleats, and the doe, which stays nearby, usually comes running, ready to defend it with her sharp hooves."

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."

Columbian Black-tailed Deer - Odocoileus hemionus columbianus

I hope I run across this beautiful, little family again soon!

Black Bear - Ursus americanus

 

A few weeks ago, I came across this medium-small sized bear in my neighborhood one morning!  It was quietly eating grasses in a little meadow! I watched it for a minute or so until it scampered off into the woods!  It had a lovely, shaggy, cinnamon-colored coat!

Black Bear - Ursus americanus

This is the fifth bear I've seen this year!  I came across the bear in the right column, when I was driving up to the Lakes Basin a few weeks ago.  It was along the side of the highway and crossed the road in front of me.  It was darkish brown/black in color and was quite stocky!  I only had time to get a quick photo before I drove on.  How lucky I am to see these beautiful bears!

Gray Fox - Urocyon cinereoargenteus

The beautiful Gray Fox was back on our property one early evening last week!  Wildlife is in and out of my view so quickly!  Just had time to get this quick photo! Such beauty!

Stream Orchid - Epipactis gigantea

Over the last few weeks the local orchids have started to bloom!  I found most of them in wet to damp seeps or bogs.  They are bilaterally symmetrical, with 3 petals and 3 sepals in various arrangements.  They also have species specific pollinators!  The Stream Orchids pictured above grow in large colonies, from seeds and rhizomes, in areas with constant water.  They are pollinated by Syrphid Flies, that are attracted to the honeydew scent of the flowers!  These orchid flowers are large, being approximately 1.5" wide! This is just one of the hundreds of orchids that are blooming in a wet, seepy area I found along Highway 49!  

Green Rein/Bog Orchid - Sierra Rein Orchid - Western Ladies Tresses

Platanthera sparsiflora - Platanthera dilitata - Spiranthes porrifolia

All of the orchids in the above photo were found in wet meadows.  The orchid flowers are small, usually less than .5" wide.  The Green Rein/Bog Orchid  and the Sierra Rein Orchid are both pollinated by moths.  The Sierra Rein Orchid has a lovely fragrance when it first opens! The Ladies Tresses are pollinated by native bees.  The Green Rein/Bog Orchid and the Western Ladies Tresses are not as common as the Sierra Rein Orchid. 

Mountain Piperia development over 6 weeks - Piperia transversa

The Mountain Piperia Orchid pictured above, doesn't grow in wet meadows or bogs.  Instead, it grows in shady areas of the dry forest floor!  I have been watching this plant for months!  About two months ago, a pair of leaves appeared.  After three weeks or so, a tiny floral stem emerged between the leaves.  It took weeks for the stem to grow to its full height of 12", with tightly clustered flower buds pressed to the stem.  The stem is only about as thick as an uncooked spaghetti noodle!  Gradually the buds started to stick out from the stem, and then finally this week they bloomed into tiny, tiny orchid flowers, no more than .3" long!  The flowers have a clove-like fragrance, which attracts moths.  It was so fun to watch and wait for these orchids to bloom!  They were quite a mystery to me!

Mock Orange - Philadelphus lewisii

Right now, the air in my neighborhood is filled with the lovely fragrance of blooming Mock Orange shrubs!  It's heavenly!  Whenever I look closely at the blossoms, there are lots of tiny black beetles feasting on the pollen.  Some of them even eat the petals!  This may be one of the last blooming shrubs, as the summer is heating up.  So glad that it grows profusely in our area!  

Below are photos of what's blooming currently in our neighborhood!  Enjoy!

Keckiella - Brewer's Snapdragon - Whitestem Frasera

 Keckiella breviflora - Antirrhinum vexillocalyculatum ssp. breweri - Frasera albicaulis

Washinton Lily - Leopard Lily

Lillium washingtonianum - Lillium pardalinum

Of these two lilies, only the Washington Lily has a fragrance.  

A strong, sweet Easter-Lily-like scent!  Just lovely!

Wickerstem Buckwheat (?)- Nude Buckwheat - Bear Buckwheat

Eriogonum vimineum (?)- Eriogonum nudum var. westonii -Eriogonum ursinum

Buckwheats usually bloom as the land dries out.  Their dried flowers/seed heads will persist until the fall rains knock them down.  I'm not sure if "Wickerstem Buckwheat" is the correct name, but it's my best guess.

Osprey - Pandion haliaetus

River News!

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife dropped 100's of trout into the North Yuba River last week, and instantly an Osprey showed up on our section of the river!!!  I hadn't seen an Osprey for months!  I hope it sticks around! I so enjoy hearing their calls and watching them drop into the river feet-first to grab fish!  Maybe I'll get lucky, and get a photo this year!

Mallard (female) and eight ducklings - Anas platyrhynchos

To my delight I spotted a Mallard momma with eight tiny ducklings on the river this week!  They were keeping to the shallow edge of the river, in among the willows.  I've never seen baby Mallards on the river before!  What joy!

Common Merganser - Mergus merganser

There are now three Common Merganser females with ducklings on the river!  The one pictured above, is the one I've been featuring with 8 ducklings.  She still has all of her ducklings, but they are much larger.  One of the other two females has 5 medium sized ducklings, and the other female has two tiny ducklings!  How fun!  I'll keep you posted on their development!

Recent raindrops

Damp Earth Art

Unfortunately we had some smoke this week, from a human caused wildfire about 40 miles away.  Luckily only four structures were damaged, but the fire apparently burned a lot of the South Yuba River State Park, one of my absolutely favorite foothill parks.  Approximately 900 acres were burned.  Fire Season is now here.  Hopefully more rainstorms will come soon. We really need them. Please join me in my continuing hope for precipitation! Perhaps our collective efforts may help it happen.

I'm going to keep posting rain inspired writings, art, etc. on my blog at dampearthart.blogspot.com. Any submissions would be greatly appreciated.

Wishing for peace in Ukraine and

an immediate end to this senseless war!

What's happening in the Lakes Basin?

Where do all the songbirds in my neighborhood overwinter?

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

Unfortunately, you can no longer sign up to get my blog via email. Just go to northyubanaturalist.blogspot.com directly. It looks better than the emailed version!

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated. Please feel free to email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!

Lakes Basin Life!

Howard Meadow - 6/19/22

I went up to the Lakes Basin four times this week!  It's so beautiful up there right now, I just can't seem to stay away! There are a few patches of snow in the shady areas and at the higher elevations, but most of it is gone now.  The trails have all opened up and the hiking possibilities are endless!  There were wildflowers and blooming shrubs, in every forest, meadow, and rocky slope I visited this week.  Here's a resulting rainbow of blossoms for you to enjoy!

Buckbean - Feathery False Lily of the Valley - Starry False Lily of the Valley

Menyanthes trifoliata - Maianthemum racemosa - Maianthemum stellatum

Buttercups - Mountain Mule's Ears - Primrose Monkeyflower

Ranunculus sp. - Wyethia mollis - Mimulus primuloides

Applegate's Paintbrush - Snow Plant - Crimson Columbine

 Castilleja applegatei - Sarcodes sanguinea - Aquilegia formosa

Mountain Pride - Penstemon sp. - Mountain Heather

 Penstemon newberryi - Penstemon sp. - Phyllodoce breweri

Common Camas - Velvety Stickseed -  Larkspur sp.

Camassia quamash - Hackelia velutina - Delphinium sp.

Snow Mushroom - Orange Peel Fungus - Puffballs

Gyromita montana - Caloscypha fulgens - species unknown

I recently came across these three kinds of fungi.  The Orange Peel Fungus and the Puffballs are everywhere in the forests, but I only came across three Snow Mushrooms so far.  All of these fungi "blossom" soon after the snow melts!

Sierra Tiger Beetle - Modoc Carpenter Ants - Cyanide Millipede

Cicindela tranquebarica ssp. sierra - Camponotus modoc - Harpaphe haydeniana

I've been watching the trail a lot lately, to make sure no one trips, and low and behold I've spotted some cool critters!  The Sierran Tiger Beetle was a total first!  It really stood out against the bare trail.  Turns out they're pretty cool insects!  

The following information about these beetles is from Wikipedia.,

"Tiger beetles often have large bulging eyes, long, slender legs and large curved mandibles.  Members of the genus Cicindela are usually diurnal and may be out on the hottest days. Cicindela, commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and  often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodies of water with sandy or occasionally clay soils; they can be found along rivers, sea and lake shores, sand dunes, around dry lakebeds, on clay banks, or woodland paths.  

All are predatory, both as adults and as larvae. The larvae of tiger beetles live in cylindrical burrows as much as a meter deep. They are large-headed, hump-backed grubs and use their humpbacks to flip backwards, for the purpose of capturing prey insects that wander over the ground. 

The fast-moving adults run down their prey and are extremely fast on the wing. Tiger beetles display an unusual form of pursuit in which they alternatively sprint quickly toward their prey, then stop and visually reorient. This may be because while running, the beetle is moving too fast for its visual system to accurately process images. To avoid obstacles while running they hold their antennae rigidly and directly in front of them to mechanically sense their environment."

___________

I came across the Carpenter Ants pictured above center, in a fallen dead tree.  They were spitting out mouthfuls of chewed wood.  Carpenter Ants don't eat wood. They excavate homes in damp, rotting logs, and remove excess wood mouthful by mouthful! They live in colonies of one or more queens and thousands of female workers. The workers forage for food at night, enlarge the size of the nest, and care for the queen and her larvae. They eat mainly dead insects, as well as honeydew from aphids. This food is subsequently regurgitated and fed to the queen and larvae! In the summer, 200-400 winged females and some males develop in the colony. These winged ants overwinter in the nest, and disperse in the Spring to mate. After mating the males die, and the females remove their own wings and search for a location to start a new colony!

____________

The unusually colored Millipede I saw on a damp rock near a creek.  It was about 1.5" long. I had never seen one of these before!  The following information about these milipedes is from Wikipedia.

"Harpaphe haydeniana, commonly known as the yellow-spotted millipede, almond-scented millipede or cyanide millipede is a type of flat-backed millipede. The dark coloration with contrasting yellow-tipped keels warn of its ability to exude toxic hydrogen cyanide as a defense. Harpaphe haydeniana is an important part of the forest ecosystem, breaking down leaf litter and freeing its nutrients for other organisms. Immature millipedes feed on humus."

Wild Turkey - Meleagris gallopavo

To my surprise a huge Wild Turkey bolted into the woods from Howard Meadow while we were there!  This is only the second time I've ever seen a turkey in the Lakes Basin!  Although Wild Turkeys usually inhabit the local foothills, they have been documented in the Sierra up to 10,000' in elevation!  They are not native to Calfornia but were introduced from Mexico in the early 1900's.  They were also introduced as late as 1997 into the higher elevations of Sierra, Nevada, and Placer Counties, by the CA. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Wild Turkey Federation.  This has proven to be a detrimental introduction, as the turkeys compete with the native grouse and quail. They do not stay during the winter snows, so they must walk quite a distance to their winter habitat in the foothills!  Perhaps the drier, hotter, drought years have driven them to higher elevations.

Wilson's Warbler (male - female) - Cardellina pusilla

To our delight, my husband and I encountered a small group of approximately 10-12 Wilson's Warblers on one of our hikes.  They were flying from tree to tree, in a fairly open, sunny slope around 6500' in elevation! Every once in a while one would land in a sunny spot, and I would get a few photos!  Such beautiful, all over, sunflower-yellow birds!  The males can be distinguished by a flat, black cap on the top of their heads.  We watched for several minutes as the flew, perched, and chased each other!  They have migrated from their winter home in Central America, to breed and raise their young here!  Apparently, they are fairly common nesters from about 4,000' and up in the Sierra!  I have only seen two other Wilson's Warblers in my life, so it was a thrill to watch this joyous, singing, little flock!

Yellow-rumped Warbler (female) - Western Tanager (male)

Setophaga coronata - Piranga ludoviciana

Beautiful Yellow-rumped Warblers have arrived in the Lakes Basin along with stunning Western Tanagers.  They will raise their young there, before they return to their winter home.  Tanagers overwinter in Mexico and as far south as Costa Rica. Yellow-rumped Warblers overwinter in Mexica and as far south as Panama!

Mallard female with six ducklings - Anas platyrhynchos

At a small pond where we ate our lunch one day, I was delighted to see a female Mallard with six ducklings!  Wow!  So CUTE!

Mallard female with six ducklings - Anas platyrhynchos

Initially they were out in the open, but then they swam into a tangle of branches where they were so camouflaged they were difficult to see!

Canada Geese adults with 5 goslings

This week I stopped at one of my favorite wet meadows along the road, which is currently a large vernal pond.  Right away I spotted a family of Canada Geese, with five goslings!

Three Canada Geese families, adults and goslings

On my way home, I stopped at the same pond and there were THREE families of Canada Geese visible, all with at least 4 goslings!  What a surprise!

Columbian Black-tailed Deer (buck) - Odocoileus hemionus columbianus

Other than chipmunks and squirrels, I don't usually see many mammals in the Lakes Basin.  I was surprised to see this young buck off a trail last week.  In the forest they will eat shrubs, flowers, and even mushrooms!

Recent raindrops on Grasses

Damp Earth Art

We got another quarter of an inch of rain last weekend!  Yay!  Hopefully more storms will keep coming. Please join me in my continuing hope for precipitation! Perhaps our collective efforts may help it happen.

I'm going to keep posting rain inspired writings, art, etc. on my blog at dampearthart.blogspot.com. Any submissions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Wishing for peace in Ukraine and

an immediate end to this senseless war!

What's happening with the local Bears?

What's blooming locally?

What's happening on the river?

Where do all the songbirds in my neighborhood overwinter?

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

Unfortunately, you can no longer sign up to get my blog via email. Just go to northyubanaturalist.blogspot.com directly. It looks better than the emailed version!

Your questions and comments are greatly appreciated. Please feel free to email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!