Damp Earth!

Mist rising off recently rain-moistened moss 

The 2022 Water Year ended on September 30th, with a precipitation  total of 56.51" for our area.  This is approximately 10" less than our normal precipitation average, or about 85%.  The drought is definitely still here.  However, this week we received 1.78" of rain, and significantly more is predicted for this coming week!!!

This week I was busy putting on a "Damp Earth Art Show" (see more info below) so that, combined with the welcome rain, limited my time outdoors.  My husband and I did take a short walk on the Canyon Creek Trail where we witnessed mists rising off the newly moistened moss covered trees. 

  

 It was so incredibly beautiful to watch, I made a move!  Enjoy!

Due to the recent rains, the local Dendroalsia Moss has been rejuvenated and is gloriously lush and green again!  I'm so looking forward to another season of examining and learning more about them!

Most of the ferns are also thriving in this colder, wet weather.  I'm going to hopefully find a fern gametophyte this winter, and who know what else in these lush green winter gardens! 

First Place - "The Great Equalizer"  - ©Mary Hurst 2022

Damp Earth Art Show

These past few months, I have been working in conjunction with the Sierra County Arts Council to put on a Damp Earth Art Show in our local town. on Saturday, Nov. 5th.  The director of the Arts Council, B.J. Jordan, coordinated all the publicity in the local papers and on the Arts Council website, sierracountyartscouncil.org., made a heated building available for the show, had the display panels put up, and donated  $600 in prize money!!!  The art show was part of a "North Yuba River Day", that was put on by the Sierra County Arts Council.  In addition to the art show, they  held an environmental forum on the North Yuba River watershed, sponsored a fly-fishing demonstration, arranged for the South Yuba River Citizens League to hold a short environmental film festival in the Yuba Theater, followed by a showing of a film about the local newspaper editor, Carl Butz, called "Carl Runs the Paper."  It was quite a day!!

Second Place - "Yuba" -  ©Kimi Barnes 2022

Third Place - "Helping Hand" - ©Bobby Wheeler 2022

I received art from 43 different artists, from 15 different cities (mostly local but several from the Bay Area)!  The mediums represented were acrylic paintings, watercolors, oils, photographs, ceramics, fabric, felted and naturally-dyed wool, glass paint, wood, and an assemblage of natural and man-made found objects!  Over 100 people attended the show during the course of the 4 hour period it was open!  The Sierra County Arts Council donated $300 for the First Place Award, $200 for the Second Place Award, and $100 for the Third Place Award!!!  We got rave reviews the whole day, and lots of requests to hold a show again next year!  It was a very fun, wonderful day!

"After the Rain" - ©Katie O'Hara-Kelly 2022

To top it off it RAINED the whole day of the show!!!  I've been featuring a Damp Earth Art blog (dampearthart.blogspot.com), within this blog for several years, in which I have solicited for "rain art" from my readers. The idea behind the Damp Earth Art blog is that with our collective wishes and hopes, along with art, photographs, and poetry , we might help rain to fall!  Who knows if it helps, but positive thought never hurts!

"Winter Wrens" - ©Katie O'Hara-Kelly 2022

I wasn't in the Damp Earth Art Show, but I was inspired to create the two pieces pictured directly above.  If you get inspired to create "rain art" please send it to me, at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com and I'll post it on my Damp Earth Art blog.

Oriole Nest - North Yuba River

What's happening on the river?

What insects are still out and about?

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.

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

In the Spirit!

Whether you celebrate it or not, 

I hope nature casts a spell on you!

Happy Halloween!

Check back next week for the latest natural history news from my neighborhood!

Down in the Garden

Unknown Dragonfly

 

Right now it's raining and they're predicting a nighttime temperature of 26 degrees for tonight!!!  We've picked all of our garden tomatoes, tomatillos, and peppers so they won't freeze. As soon as I finish this blog, I'm going down to pick an armload of zinnias, marigolds, Mexican sunflowers, and roses that won't survive the frost!  How fun!  The frost will probably put an end to the bothersome eye-gnats, as well as most of the insects in our garden and neighborhood!  We are so thrilled that it's raining!!! It's been an incredibly beautiful Fall day!

I've been seeing dragonflies cruising through our garden lately.  Usually I see them flying above the river.  Maybe they're done laying their eggs underwater and have expanded their feeding territory! 

Dragonflies are in the order "Odonata", which means "toothed ones"! Their sharply serrated mandibles earned them this name! They will catch an insect in the air, tear off its wings with their mandibles, and eat the prey while still flying! Dragonflies can move each of their wings independently and can fly in any direction, including sideways and backwards. They can also hover in one spot for a minute or more! Some dragonflies can fly fast, up to 18 mph! They can also fly long distances! One species of dragonfly holds the record for the world's longest insect migration, a distance of 11,000 miles! 

 Pacific Spiketail Dragonfly - Cordulegaster dorsalis

I found this dead dragonfly on our road and photographed its huge eyes up close. This dragonfly has blue eyes. Other species have brown, red-brown, black or green eyes. Dragonfly eyes have 30,000 facets and a near 360 degree vision! They also see in color, usually up to 4x more colors than humans see!

Widow Skimmer (male) - Libuella luctuosa

With over 1,000 species, Skimmers are the largest dragonfly family (Libellulidae) in the world.  This Widow Skimmer can be identified as a male by the white patches on its wings.  Females don't have the white patches.  These dragonflies are found across the U.S., except for the Rocky Mountain area, and in parts of Mexico and Canada as well.

California Sister Butterflies - Adelpha bredowii californica

I've been seeing lots of California Sister Butterflies in our neighborhood and up in the Lakes Basin lately. The following information about them is from https://butterfly.ucdavis.edu/butterfly.

"California Sisters are a common species of oak woodlands. Most abundant in the foothills (Sierra and Coast Range/Bay Area) and lower montane zone. Glides back and forth along streambeds and roads; males perch on branches and foliage, frequently in oak. Both sexes visit mud puddles. (This is unusual; in most butterflies only males "puddle.") The female is larger than the male, with broader wings and a less pointed forewing apex. There is no variation in color and pattern. This butterfly has been shown to be mildly distasteful to birds. Two to three broods, flying March or April to November at lower elevations."

 

California Sister Butterflies - Adelpha bredowii californica

I came across this pair interacting with each other down by the river!  I haven't found any literature on this kind of behavior, so I don't know if it was typical for these butterflies, or what they were doing, but it was fun to watch!

Common Checkered Skipper - Monarch - Orange Sulphur

 Pyrgus communis- Danaus plexippus - Colias eurytheme

Battered Butterflies!

Butterfly adult lifespans range from 2 weeks to 9 months! By the end of their adult life their wings can be quite tattered! Right now most of the butterflies flitting around in our garden are looking pretty worn. Before it gets too cold, some will lay eggs that will overwinter. Some have already laid eggs, which have hatched into caterpillars. Some of these caterpillars will overwinter as caterpillars, others will overwinter in a chrysalis. Some butterflies even overwinter as adults!

Small Milkweed Bug - Yellow-faced Bumble Bee - Grasshopper sp.

 Lygaeus kalmii - Bombus vosnesenskii - unknown sp.

These are few of the insects I watched this week in our garden. Check back next week to see which ones are still around!

Lesser Goldfinch - Pine Siskin - Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 Carduelis psaltria - Spinus pinus - Regulus calendula

The Goldfinches and a few Pine Siskins are still feeding on the sunflower seeds in our garden. The Ruby-crowned Kinglets have arrived and are gleaning insects from the twigs and leaves of shrubs.  

Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus

 

To my delight a beautiful, adult, Red-shouldered Hawk was perching on the Alder tree in our garden one evening this week!!!  It was only there for a few seconds before it took off.  The light was low, so the photo is blurred, but you can still see the incredible feathering this raptor has!  I've written about these hawks in past blogs, just type "Red-shouldered Hawk" in the search bar on the top right of this page to access more information about them.

Lodgepole Pines &  Mtn. Spirea - Red Osier Dogwood, Willow, & dry grasses

Pinus contorta & Spirea splendens- Cornus sericea - Salix sp. & unknown sp.

Autumn in the Lakes Basin

We went hiking in the Lakes Basin twice this week to see the progression of the fall colors.  We were delighted to find that the ground cover and shrubs had changed to golden-yellows, cranberry, rusty-orange, and red!  Just incredible!  In one area the Mtn. Spirea was an usual cranberry color.  Along the shore of a lake, it was orange in color! Typically, Spirea turns yellow in the Fall.

Mtn. Spirea & Willow - Mtn. Spirea

Spirea splendens - Salix sp.

Black Cottonwood - Willow

Populus balsamifera - Salix sp.

In addition to Aspen trees turning yellow, there are lots of Cottonwood Trees that have turned to gold up in the Lakes Basin.  One of the best areas to see them is in the Salmon Creek Campground, go soon before the leaves are gone!

The local willows are also in full Fall color!  Beauty everywhere!

The lower angle of the sun, along with the wind, has been creating lots and lots of sparkles on the ponds and lakes.

They are also filled with gorgeous, colorful reflections, especially in the late afternoon.  I found this lone Common Merganser on an unnamed, reflection-filled pond around 4:00 one day!

Such amazing colors everywhere!

Sugar Maple and Grizzly Peak - Raindrop Ripples

Damp Earth Art

Once again, the weather was sunny and in the 80's during the day, but a bit cooler at night. We're getting a little rain today and a slight chance of more rain is predicted for later this week. Fingers crossed! 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.

What insects are still out and about?

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 via email. Just go to northyubanaturalist.blogspot.com directly.

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

Aspens & Arborglyphs

Quaking Aspens - Populus tremuloides

 

 Thanks to the cooler nights we've been having this week, the Lakes Basin Aspens are really starting to turn a brilliant yellow.  Fall color, in general, is more intense if the days are warm and the nights are cold.  Just a few days ago the aspens in the Lakes Basin campground were mostly green!  Now, some of them are a glorious brilliant yellow, while others have just a hint of yellow.

Quaking Aspens and Grassy Lake

Apens prefer to live in moist meadows or areas where there's lots of groundwater. Aspens usually live for 50-60 years, attaining about 1' in diameter, and 50'-60' in height. Their buds, bark, and shoots are a favorite food of wildlife.

Although a grove of aspen trees may produce millions of seeds, not many are viable! Pollination is inhibited by the fact that aspens are either male or female, and large stands are usually all clones of the same sex. Even if pollinated, the small seeds can only survive for a short time as they lack a stored food source or a protective coating. Instead, aspen reproduce from root-sprouting seedlings! A grove of aspens is also a group of "clones"! Each tree grows from a common root system, expanded by root-sprouting seedlings! The trees in a group of "clones" are genetically identical!  One clonal aspen colony in Utah is considered the heaviest and oldest living organism in the world, at 13,227,720 lbs. and perhaps 80,000 years old!!! Wow!

Common Mergansers (females or juveniles) - Mallard (male)

Mergus merganser - Anas platyrhynchos

While we were at Grassy Lake admiring the aspens, we were delighted to see 2 Common Mergansers, 1 molting male Mallard, and 5 Canada Geese in the lake!

Canada Geese - Branta canadensis

All of these birds will probably migrated down to California's Central Valley

for the Winter.

Arborglyphs on Aspen trunks

Arborglyphs!

Several of the aspen trees in certain parts of the Lakes Basin have arborglyphs, or carved symbols, pictures, or names, on their trunks.  These images were carved by Basque Sheepherders sometime in the last 100 years!  I have a lot more photos of these arborglyphs, but don't have a CD reader to access them.  Rats! Just google "Arborglyphs, Tahoe National Forest" to see lots more images! 

The following information at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ltbmu/learning/history-culture/?cid=FSM9_046612, briefly describes the sheepherders history in the Tahoe National Forest. 

"In 1849, Basques joined throngs of other young men from around the world seeking their fortune in the American West. Before long many were employed in the sheep business and by the turn of the century, "Basque" and "sheepherder" became synonymous. To pass the long, lonely days of summer in the "high country" Basque sheepherders created a unique western cultural phenomenon: they carved on aspen trees, tens of thousands of them in ten western states.

Arborglyphs

Called arborglyphs, these carvings give us information unavailable elsewhere. If you want to know when and where sheep grazed or who the sheepherders were, chances are only arborglyphs could provide answers. Though carving was a widespread activity, the sites were remote and often the trees died before their messages from the past could be recorded. Today, there are very few left dating before 1900, since aspens only live about 100 years.

Most carvings are names and dates, the dry stuff of history. Most of the messages are hard to understand as most are in the Basque language, Euskara. The pictures, however, are easily read (some not necessarily suited for children). Carving topics included news on sheep herding, erotic messages and graphics, Old Country memories, loneliness, references to America, interpersonal matters among herders, humor, swear words, the "goodbye ritual", self-portraits, and Basque symbols. These personal details regarding the lives and thoughts of young Basque men shed light on roughly one hundred years of American Western history."

Common Merganser - Mergus merganser

North Yuba River Update!

The river is low but incredibly clear and green!  With the lower angle of the sun right now you can really see into it's depths!  The Common Mergansers are still around feeding on fish and underwater invertebrates.  

Common Mergansers - Mergus merganser

I love watching them swim underwater in these emerald-green pools! So, so, beautiful!  They will probably leave soon for lower elevations as the days get shorter and the temperatures cool off.

Signal Crayfish - Pacifastucus leniusculus

I found a dead, whole Signal Crayfish in the river last week! Signal Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans, that are native to Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. They were introduced to California in 1912, and have spread throughout the state. I only noticed them in our river, about 6 years ago, at the beginning of the California drought. I don't see lots of them, but they are definitely residents. Large fish, raccoons, minks, river otters, and Great Blue Herons all eat adult crayfish. I don't know who got this one!

Crayfish mate in the Fall. After mating, each female lays 200 to 400 eggs, which she carries under her tail until they are ready to hatch the following Spring. The eggs hatch into juveniles and molt 3 times before they leave their mother! The main predators of crayfish eggs and young, are other crayfish and fish. They reach sexual maturity in 2-3 years, and can live as long as 20 years! As youths and adults, crayfish feed on animals and plants, living or deceased, and detritus. They are omnivores!

A Crayfish is the same thing as a Crawdad! They are also commonly called Mountain Lobsters, Freshwater Lobsters, Mudbugs, and Yabbies!

Osprey - Red-tailed Hawk

Pandion haliateus - Buteo jamaicensis

The Osprey and the Red-tailed Hawk are still along the river edge.  The Osprey is eating fish out of the river, while the Red-tailed Hawk is hunting mainly for small mammals in the area, not fish.

Coastal Rainbow Trout - Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus

I don't fish, but I went looking for them in the North Yuba River this week! I found a few "fingerlings" in the shallow, slow waters along the river, as well as lots of "fry". I also spotted this medium sized trout in some shallow water!

Fish start as eggs which hatch into larvae. The larvae are not able to feed themselves, and carry a yolk-sac in their bellies which provides their nutrition. At this stage they are called "alevins". When they have developed to the point where they can feed themselves (mainly zooplankton), the fish are called "fry". When they develop scales and working fins they are called "fingerlings". This juvenile fingerling stage lasts until the fish is fully grown, sexually mature, and interacting with other adult fish.

It sounds like 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.

Maybe all these fish will attract a River Otter to our local stretch of the North Yuba River! I'll keep my fingers crossed!

Damp Earth Art

Once again, the weather was sunny and in the 80's during the day, but a bit cooler at night.  No rain is in the immediate forecast. 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.

What's going on down in the Garden?

What insects are still out and about?

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.

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

Migration!

Sandhill Cranes - Antigone canadensis

We went up to the Lakes Basin to hike three times this past week, and to our delight large groups of Sandhill Cranes flew over us several times each day!  I love hearing their loud rubbery calls as they fly by, as much a part of Fall as the lower angle of the light and the brilliant changing colors of the vegetation.  These Sandhill Cranes migrate down the Pacific Flyway from British Columbia, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and northeastern California, to overwinter in California's Central Valley.

Sandhill Cranes - Antigone canadensis

Most of the groups of cranes flying overhead numbered from 70 to 90+ in size!  The following information on bird migration is from the Cornell website https://www.allaboutbirds.org

"Why Do Birds Migrate?"

"Birds migrate to move from areas of low or decreasing resources to areas of high or increasing resources. The two primary resources being sought are food and nesting locations.

Birds that nest in the Northern Hemisphere tend to migrate northward in the spring to take advantage of burgeoning insect populations, budding plants and an abundance of nesting locations. As winter approaches and the availability of insects and other food drops, the birds move south again. Escaping the cold is a motivating factor but many species, including hummingbirds, can withstand freezing temperatures as long as an adequate supply of food is available.

Types Of Migration

The term migration describes periodic, large-scale movements of populations of animals. One way to look at migration is to consider the distances traveled.

Permanent residents do not migrate. They are able to find adequate supplies of food year-round.

Short-distance migrants make relatively small movements, as from higher to lower elevations on a mountainside.

Medium-distance migrants cover distances that span a few hundred miles.

Long-distance migrants typically move from breeding ranges in the United States and Canada to wintering grounds in Central and South America. Despite the arduous journeys involved, long-distance migration is a feature of some 350 species of North American birds."

Golden-Crowned Sparrow - Townsend's Solitaire - White-crowned Sparrow

Zonotrichia atricapilla - Myadestes townsendii - Zonotrichia leucophrys

"What Triggers Migration?"

"The mechanisms initiating migratory behavior vary and are not always completely understood. Migration can be triggered by a combination of changes in day length, lower temperatures, changes in food supplies, and genetic predisposition.

How Do Birds Navigate?

Birds can get compass information from the sun, the stars, and by sensing the earth’s magnetic field. They also get information from the position of the setting sun and from landmarks seen during the day. There’s even evidence that sense of smell plays a role, at least for homing pigeons.

Some species, particularly waterfowl and cranes, follow preferred pathways on their annual migrations. These pathways are often related to important stopover locations that provide food supplies critical to the birds’ survival. Smaller birds tend to migrate in broad fronts across the landscape."

Bufflehead (female) - Mallards (adults)

Bucephala albeola - Anas platyrhyncos

We've seen a few waterfowl still lingering in the Lakes Basin, including Buffleheads and Mallards.  They will be migrating down to California's Central Valley as the weather gets colder.

Mallard feathers

Another thing that is happening right now, besides migration, is feather molting.  After the breeding season, most strikingly feathered male birds loose (molt) their brightly colored feathers.  Birds also molt feathers annually to replace any damaged or missing ones. Molting doesn't happen all at once in most birds.  It may take a month or more to molt all their feathers.  We found these feathers floating on the pond where we saw the Mallards!  So pretty!

Mountain Spiraea - Dwarf Bilberry 

Vaccinium cespitosum - Spiraea splendens

Fall Colors in the Lakes Basin

The fall colors are really starting to happen in the Lakes Basin!  One of my absolute favorites is the Dwarf Bilberry that turns an amazing brilliant red!  When it's next to a Spiraea that has turned yellow, the combination of colors is unbelievably gorgeous!  I'm going back again next week, and hope to see the Aspens and Cottonwoods turning yellow!  Can't wait!

Bracken Fern - Dwarf Bilberry - Mountain Spiraea - Willow

Pteridium aquilinum - Vaccinium cespitosum - Spiraea splendens - Salix sp.

Davis's Knotweed (red color) - Groundsel (going to seed)

Polygonum davisiae - Senecio sp.

Willow - Salix sp.

Blue Elderberry - Sambucus mexicana

Almost all the Bitter Cherry, Red-Osier Dogwood, and Mountain Ash berries have been eaten, but to our surprise the Blue Elderberry bushes are loaded with berries.  These plants are taller than me, about 6 feet in height!  The clusters of berries are 10"-12" wide!

Blue Elderberry - Sambucus mexicana

Some of them weren't quite ripe and still powdery blue in color, others were dark navy blue and the birds were feasting on them!  I don't eat plants out in the woods.  I prefer to leave them for the wildlife.  However, if you do decide to taste a few, eat only the berries, as the stems can make you sick.

unknown mushrooms in the Lakes Basin

New this week, mushrooms have sprouted in the Lakes Basin and in our neighborhood!  WOW! That recent rain must have triggered their growth! I don't know what kind they were but they were fun to discover!

unknown mushrooms in our garden

Storm clouds over Smith Lake 

Damp Earth Art

Once again, this weather was sunny and in the 80's during the day and 50's at night this week. No rain is in the immediate forecast. 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.

What's happening on the River?

Have the aspens turned in the Lakes Basin?

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.

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