I got up around 5:00 am so I could get the dogs fed and pottied, and got myself ready to go with my friend and fellow naturalist Roxanne to look for galls. We started off going to the Jepson Prairie Preserve to look for a stand of oak trees we had been told about.  But we didn’t see ANY oaks around the area; only eucalyptus trees. It was partly cloudy there with a VERY stiff wind that made photographing anything difficult.

We found some plants I’d never seen before including purple star thistle, Button Celery, and Alkali Heath. The heath really intrigued me because as I was holding it, my hand was getting drenched in “water”. The plants was literally SWEATING salt water. Amazing. 

According to the Nature Collective: “…Alkali heath eliminates the toxic salt by excreting concentrated salt water through specialized glands. As the sun evaporates the water, crystals of salt are left on the foliage…” Some of the photos I took of it show the droplets of sweat, and we tasted some of the exudate to see just how salty it was. Growing right next to the heath was some Akali Weed, which was also new to me.

We then headed over toward Woodland to look for spiders and other insects. As we were driving along Highway 113, we could see Valley Oaks planted along the side of the road. Roxanne asked if I wanted to checkout the oaks for galls and I said, “Sure!” It’s fun having a friend who thinks the same way you do and is ready for an at-the-moment adventure. So we found a spot where we could pull well off the highway and checked out some of the trees. I was glad we did. We ended up finding about nine different kinds of galls. The Red Cones and Yellow Wigs were just starting to form, very tiny.

The most exciting find for me was a tree that had about a dozen or more Rosette Galls. Usually, I only find solitary ones of the Valley oaks, and most of those in an aged state.  Here, we were seeing lots of the galls at different stages: some bright green, some starting to brown. It was so exciting.

CLICK HERE for the full album of photos.

We also found a few Gouty Twig Galls (or something like that): swellings that seemed to be associated in part to collections of old honeydew galls. It made us wonder if the dripping honeydew had aggravated the stem tissue and caused it to swell. Collections of honeydew can lead to things like sooty mold which can adversely affect leaves, but I don’t know if that kind of mold can actually affect the stem tissue itself or cause it to swell. More research needed.

As we were leaving, we notice a Highway Patrol vehicle coming down the freeway, heading toward us. Although pulling off the highway isn’t illegal, the CHP doesn’t like folks just randomly parking off road, because they don’t know if you need help or not. It wastes their resources to stop and check n you if you don’t really need anything. We pulled our car up near the edge of the road as the CHP vehicle got closer, and he actually slowed down traffic so a space opened up for us on the road. That was nice of him!

We then went over to the East Regional Pond in Woodland. I was hoping to find some galls on the Big Saltbush plants, but… nuthin’. In the summer months, there really isn’t much of anything to see there, even if there’s water in the shallow pond.

By this time, it was already getting too warm for us to walk anymore. So, we skipped “spider-land” and headed home.  We were out for about 5 hours.

Species List:

1. Alkali Heath, Frankenia salina [sweats salt]
2. Alkali Heliotrope, Heliotropium curassavicum
3. Alkali Mallow, Malvella leprosa
4. Alkali Weed, Cressa truxillensis
5. American Kestrel, Falco sparverius
6. Ant, Argentine Ant, Linepithema humile
7. Bindweed, Field Bindweed, Convolvulus arvensis [pink, blush]
8. Bindweed, Hillside False Bindweed, Calystegia subacaulis [all white]
9. Brewer’s Blackbird, Euphagus cyanocephalus
10. Brown-Headed Cowbird, Molothrus ater
11. Buckwheat, California Buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum
12. California Fuchsia, Epilobium canum
13. Canada Goose, Branta canadensis
14. Case-Bearing Leaf Beetle, Diachus sp.
15. Chicory, Cichorium intybus
16. Clover, Strawberry Clover, Trifolium fragiferum
17. Coastal Button-Celery, Prickly Coyote Thistle, Eryngium armatum
18. Coyote Brush Bud Gall midge, Rhopalomyia californica
19. Coyote Brush, Baccharis pilularis
20. Eucalyptus, River Redgum, Eucalyptus camaldulensis
21. Flat-Topped Honeydew Gall Wasp, Disholcaspis eldoradensis
22. Fly, Common Flesh Fly, Sarcophaga sp.
23. Fremont’s Cottonwood, Populus fremontii
24. Fuzzy-Gall Wasp, Cynips conspicuus [round mealy bumpy; on Valley oak]
25. Gouty Stem Gall Wasp, Callirhytis quercussuttoni
26. Great-Tailed Grackle, Quiscalus mexicanus
27. Gumweed, Great Valley Gumweed, Grindelia camporum
28. House Finch, Haemorhous mexicanus
29. Hoverfly, Margined Calligrapher, Toxomerus marginatus
30. Ladybeetle, Seven-Spotted Lady Beetle, Coccinella septempunctata
31. Leaf Gall Wasp/ Unidentified per Russo, Tribe: Cynipidea [on Valley Oak]
32. Meadow Spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius
33. Mullein, Turkey Mullein, Doveweed, Croton setiger
34. Narrow-Leaf Bird’s-Foot Trefoil, Lotus tenuis
35. Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos
36. Oak Apple, California Gall Wasp, Andricus quercuscalifornicus
37. Oak Powdery Mildew, Erysiphe alphitoides
38. Oak, Valley Oak, Quercus lobata
39. Purple Star-Thistle, Centaurea calcitrapa
40. Raven, Common Raven, Corvus corax
41. Red Cone Gall Wasp, Andricus kingi
42. Red-Tailed Hawk, Western Red-Tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis calurus
43. Red-Winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus
44. Rosette Gall Wasp, Andricus wiltzae [on Valley Oak]
45. Round Gall Wasp, Burnettweldia washingtonensis [on valley oak]
46. Saltbrush, Atriplex sp.
47. Saltbush, Big Saltbush, Atriplex lentiformis
48. Shot Hole Borer, Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer Beetle, Euwallacea fornicatus sp.
49. Spined Turban Gall Wasp, Cynips douglasii [summer gall, pink, spikey top]
50. Stink Bugs, Family: Pentatomidae [eggs]
51. Sunflower, Common Sunflower, Helianthus annuus
52. Tarweed, Woodrush Tarweed, Hemizonia congesta luzulifolia
53. Western Meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta
54. Yellow Wig Gall Wasp, Druon fullawayi
55. ?? Turtle in the water, just nose visible

I got up around 5:30 AM, so I could tend to the dogs and then head out to the Cosumnes River Preserve to look for galls on the oak trees there.

On the way to the preserve, I made a couple of stops along the way where there were some wild roses and narrow-leak milkweed plants growing among the humps of blackberry vines.  On one of the rose bushes I found a lot of witch’s broom formation caused by Rose Rosette Disease. One twig was covered in the broom which was also covered by the seed-fluff from nearby willow trees. I stupidly tried to pull the fluff away with my hand and got a handful of thorns instead! Ouch!! Handling the plant more gingerly after that, I was able to get quite a few photos.

I was hoping to find evidence of Monarchs on the milkweed, but… nothing. I did come across a milkweed bug, though. I also came across a plant I had never seen before: Sharp-Point Fluellen, a kind of Cancerwort. The tiny flowers on it looked like a cross between a snapdragon and columbine. It’s a non-native, but hasn’t been classified as “invasive” in California yet.

Along the road, I didn’t find any galls on the oak trees and that was VERY worrisome. Near the small pond by the boardwalk area, however, I found a few galls on the oaks. They’re just starting to emerge, and many were very small, tiny even. I also found some galls on the ash trees. So, maybe in another week or two more galls will be evident – hopefully. I’m really worried that the wasps associated with the galls are vanishing…

In the pond by the boardwalk area, I saw several birds looking for a meal including a Snowy Egret, an American Robin, and a Killdeer. The Killdeer also stopped to take a quick bath.

CLICK HERE for the full album of photos.

Elsewhere, I saw a few Black Phoebes and all of them were looking a bit ratty. I wondered if they were fledglings or adults going through major molts. In the birdhouse near the gate, which was previously occupied by Western Bluebirds, there was a family of Tree Swallows. I saw adult birds going in and out of the box, and “claim” and “protect” the box by standing on top of it. I don’t know if they had babies or eggs in there or not. Tree Swallows can have two broods per year.

I also saw a couple of dark voles scurrying across the ground, and saw I think were some of their above-ground runways that they use to find food

I always check the kiosk and restroom facility near the parking lot area at the boardwalk because praying mantises and wasps often use those to build nests and leave oothecas. I looked at the back of the kiosk and didn’t find anything but the old nests of mud-dauber wasps, but then I was surprised to see several large nests near the top of the kiosk, all of them active. I got some photos and video snippets of those.

The videos show several of the wasps fanning their wings around the top of the nest. I looked up the behavior and found that, like bees, the wasps fan the nest to keep it cool enough for proper growth of the eggs and larvae. [I kind of figured that was what I was seeing, but I wasn’t sure.]  I also found this out:

“…Once the eggs hatch, the larvae will expect plenty of food so that they can pupate and emerge as adult wasps. While the larvae are wailing for food, you may hear noises that resemble popping, such as that emitted by a drop of water from a leaky faucet hitting the tub. This popping/dripping sound is the larvae mashing their mouths, signaling to the queen (later to worker wasps) they are hungry…”

Oooo, I’ll need to try to hear that next time I can get close to a  nest. Paper Wasps are pretty mellow and don’t freak out by humans coming closer (as long as they or next aren’t tampered with). This is VERY different from Yellow Jackets who will attack en masse if you come anywhere near their nest.

On the outside wall of the restroom facility, there was another large nest. Some of the cells were shut (so the larvae inside could finish their pupation), and others were open. I could see the developing larvae in some of the open cells. So cool. Outside the edge of the nest was a Western Black Widow Spider hanging in its web. I wonder if it would go after the larvae in the wasp’s nest (or even the wasps themselves).

I was out for 4 hours.  This was hike #41 of my #52HikeChallenge for the year; and for the Summer Series, this was 4 more hours of a required 20 hours for the challenge [so, 10 hours toward that total so far].

Species List:

1. American Robin, Turdus migratorius
2. American Serpentine Leaf Miner Fly, Liriomyza trifolii
3. Ant, Argentine Ant, Linepithema humile
4. Ash Flower Gall Mite, Aceria fraxiniflora
5. Ash, Oregon Ash, Fraxinus latifolia
6. Ash-Throated Flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens [heard, glimpsed]
7. Bee, Metallic Sweat Bee, Lasioglossum dialictus ssp.
8. Bee, Sunflower Chimney Bee, Diadasia enavata
9. Blackberry, Armenian Blackberry, Rubus armeniacus [red canes]
10. Black Phoebe, Sayornis nigricans
11. Bristly Oxtongue, Helminthotheca echioides
12. California Quail, Callipepla californica
13. Cancerwort, Sharp-Point Fluellen, Kickxia elatine
14. Chicory, Cichorium intybus
15. Denseflower Willowherb, Epilobium densiflorum [small, dense, pinkish flowers]
16. Drippy Nut Disease, Lonsdalea quercina [Proteobacteria]
17. Flat-Topped Honeydew Gall Wasp, Disholcaspis eldoradensis
18. Floating Primrose-Willow, Ludwigia peploides
19. Freshwater Apple Snails, Family: Ampullariidae
20. Great Egret, Ardea alba [flew up onto an electrical box along the road]
21. Hayfield Tarweed, Hemizonia congesta [white]
22. House Finch, Haemorhous mexicanus
23. Killdeer, Charadrius vociferous
24. Ladybeetle, Seven-Spotted Lady Beetle, Coccinella septempunctata
25. Lesser Goldfinch, Spinus psaltria
26. Mantis, Mediterranean Mantis, Iris oratoria [thin ootheca]
27. Milkweed, Narrowleaf Milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis
28. Mud-Dauber Wasp, Sceliphron sp. [black and yellow]
29. Oak Apple, California Gall Wasp, Andricus quercuscalifornicus
30. Oak, Valley Oak, Quercus lobata
31. Paper Wasp, Black Paper Wasp, European Paper Wasp, Polistes dominula
32. Prickly Lettuce, Lactuca serriola
33. Red Cone Gall Wasp, Andricus kingi
34. Red-Tailed Hawk, Western Red-Tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis calurus [several hunting along the road]
35. Ring-Necked Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus [heard]
36. Rio Grande Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo intermedia [along the road]
37. Rose Rosette Disease (RRD), Rose rosette emaravirus [carried by mites]
38. Rose, California Wild Rose, Rosa californica [pink]
39. Round Gall Wasp, Burnettweldia washingtonensis [on valley oak]
40. Skeletonizing Leaf and Flea Beetles, Subfamily: Galerucinae
41. Small Milkweed Bug, Lygaeus kalmii
42. Snowy Egret, Egretta thula
43. Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia [heard]
44. Spined Turban Gall Wasp, Cynips douglasii [summer gall, pink, spikey top]
45. Sunflower, Common Sunflower, Helianthus annuus
46. Swallow, Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor
47. Tick, American Dog Tick, Dermacentor variabilis
48. Tricolored Blackbird, Agelaius tricolor
49. Virginia Opossum, Didelphis virginiana
50. Vole, California Vole, Microtus californicus eximus 
51. Western Black Widow Spider, Latrodectus hesperus
52. Western Spotted Orbweaver, Neoscona oaxacensis
53. Yellow Wig Gall Wasp, Druon fullawayi