I got up around 6:00 AM and went out to Sailor Bar Community Park along the American River for a walk. I was hoping to see some coral galls, but… nothing. I did find quite a few Live Oak galls and some of the usual suspects on the Blue Oaks.

Nature played keep-away for much of my walk. At one point, I saw a pair of gorgeous coyotes walking out from the pond area across to the hillocks, but by the time I got the camera focused on them and was ready to video their walk the battery in my camera fell dead, so I got nothing.

Likewise, I saw some quail eating berries off of an elderberry tree and wanted to get some photos and video of them, but they were often obscured by branches or otherwise out of range. Frustrating. 

CLICK HERE for the full album of photos.

I took a new-to-me trail and headed out toward the river, but never got that far. The trail was “boring”; not a lot to see. Most of trees along the way trimmed up to where I couldn’t reach the leaves, and most of the shrubs were down in little deep hollows which made them hard to get to. Like I said, frustrating.

The only interesting find was a pair of Turkey Vultures sitting on top of a telephone pole. An adult and a juvenile, side by side. I wondered if the adult was teaching the youngster how to fly, or how to spot breakfast along the trail.

This was hike #51 of my #52HikeChallenge for the year.

Species List:

1. Acorn Gall Wasp, Andricus chrysobalani [stunted growth, acorn may look pushed in or sideways]
2. Blackberry, Armenian Blackberry, Rubus armeniacus [red canes]
3. Blessed Milk Thistle, Silybum marianum
4. Blue Elderberry, Sambucus nigra cerulea
5. California Quail, Callipepla californica
6. California Scrub Jay, Aphelocoma californica
7. California Wild Grape, Vitis californica
8. Clustered Gall Wasp, Andricus brunneus
9. Coyote, Canis latrans
10. Crystalline Gall Wasp, Andricus crystallinus
11. Drippy Nut Disease, Lonsdalea quercina [Proteobacteria]
12. Fremont’s Cottonwood, Populus fremontii
13. House Finch, Haemorhous mexicanus
14. Live Oak Apple Gall Wasp, Summer, asexual generation, Amphibolips quercuspomiformis [spiky ball]
15. Oak Titmouse, Baeolophus inornatus
16. Oak, Blue Oak, Quercus douglasii
17. Oak, Coast Live Oak, Quercus agrifolia
18. Oak, Valley Oak, Quercus lobata
19. Plate Gall Wasp, Andricus pattersonae
20. Red-Shouldered Hawk, California Red-Shouldered Hawk, Buteo lineatus elegans
21. Ruptured Twig Gall Wasp, Callirhytis perdens [on live oaks, black oaks]
22. Saucer Gall Wasp, Andricus gigas
23. Striped Volcano Gall Wasp, Andricus atrimentus, asexual, summer generation [looks like a tiny volcano]
24. Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura
25. Urchin Gall Wasp, Cynips quercusechinus
26. Western Bluebird, Sialia mexicana
27. Willow Pinecone Gall Midge, Rabdophaga strobiloides
28. Willow, Interior Sandbar Willow, Salix interior
29. ?? empty egg cases; maybe stink bug