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Firsts, General Blog, Naturalist, photography, Volunteering

Wren Housekeeping and Slime Molds, 05-21-19

I got up a little before 6:00 am and headed over to the Effie Yeaw Nature Preserve for my regular Tuesday trail-walking gig.  It was cool and rain threatened, but it didn’t actually start raining until I got back into the car to head home, so that was nice.  I was joined on the walk by Mary Messenger (The Other Mary), and we took the trails in a counterclockwise fashion just to mix things up a little bit. I was hoping to see the young coyote again, but I didn’t.  Later, Rachel (the volunteer coordinator) told us that she’d spotted it in the company of a larger coyote in the big field right before the turn off to the nature center.  She suspected it was too-lean female, but I think it’s a juvenile.  Hard to tell, though, unless we can get a really good look at it.

CLICK HERE for the album of photos.

I did get to see couple of slime molds, which was cool, and also got to watch House Wrens doing their daily chores: bringing twigs and feathers to line their nesting cavity; bringing breakfast to the kids; and taking out the trash (taking the babies’ fecal sacs out of the nest).  We also got photos of a cooperative Desert Cottontail rabbit who was eating clover along the edge of the trail.  So cute.

We walked for about 3 ½ hours and then head back home.

Species List:

  1. Acorn Woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus,
  2. American Bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus,
  3. Anna’s Hummingbird, Calypte anna,
  4. Ash-Throated Flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens,
  5. Black Jelly Roll fungus, Exidia glandulosa,
  6. Black Phoebe, Sayornis nigricans,
  7. Black Walnut, Juglans nigra,
  8. Blessed Milk Thistle, Silybum marianum,
  9. Blue Elderberry, Sambucus cerulea,
  10. Bryum Moss, Bryum capillare,
  11. Bush Katydid, Scudderia furcata,
  12. California Ground Squirrel, Otospermophilus beecheyi,
  13. California Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor hirsuta,
  14. California Pipevine, Dutchman’s Pipe, Aristolochia californica,
  15. California Scrub Jay, Aphelocoma californica,
  16. California Towhee, Melozone crissalis,
  17. California Wild Grape, Vitis californica,
  18. Canada Goose, Branta canadensis,
  19. Columbian Black-Tailed Deer, Odocoileus hemionus columbianus,
  20. Desert Cottontail, Sylvilagus audubonii,
  21. Eastern Fox Squirrel, Sciurus niger,
  22. Eastern Phoebe, Sayornis phoebe,
  23. English Walnut, Juglans regia,
  24. European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris,
  25. Gold Dust Lichen, Chrysothrix candelaris,
  26. Green Shield Lichen, Flavoparmelia caperata,
  27. Hammond’s Flycatcher, Empidonax hammondii
  28. Honey Fungus, Ringless Honey Fungus, Armarilla tabescens,
  29. House Wren, Troglodytes aedon,
  30. Jelly Spot Jelly Fungus, Dacrymyces chrysospermus,
  31. Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos,
  32. Miniature Lupine, Lupinus bicolor,
  33. Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura,
  34. Mower’s Mushroom, Haymaker Mushroom, Panaeolus foenisecii,
  35. Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Picoides nuttallii,
  36. Painted Lady Butterfly, Vanessa cardui,
  37. Poison Oak, Pacific Poison Oak, Toxicodendron diversilobum,
  38. Rock Shield Lichen, Xanthoparmelia conspersa,
  39. Showy Milkweed, Asclepias speciose,
  40. Split Gill Fungus, Schizophyllum sp.
  41. Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor,
  42. White Finger Slime Mold, Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa,
  43. White Horehound, Marrubium vulgare,
  44. Witches Butter Jelly Fungus, Tremella mesenterica,
  45. Wolf’s Milk Slime Mold, Lycogala epidendrum,
  46. Wrinkled Crust Fungus, Phlebia radiata
General Blog, Naturalist, photography, Volunteering

A Lot of Little Moments, 05-14-19

I got up at 5:00 this morning and took my time getting ready to head out to the Effie Yeaw Nature Preserve for my trail-walking thing there. It was cool for most of the day – a rainstorm is supposed to move in tomorrow – so it was perfect walking weather. I was joined by fellow volunteer Mary Messenger – the Other Mary.

We saw the usual suspects like deer, House Wrens, and suchlike. One humorous encounter was with a European Staring who had its adult feathers in but was acting like a brat. It was sitting in a tree just opposite where I had seen the fledglings poking their heads out of the nesting cavity last week. It was making a lot of very loud squawks and peeps, and flapping its wings trying to get attention. Might have also been a female looking for a mate to come feed her. Whichever.  She was so loud and so animated; you couldn’t miss her.

Another funny moment was walking in on a pair of Fox Squirrels who I think were making out.  Hah! Get a room, you guys!

CLICK HERE for the album of photos.

I saw another Starling in another part of the preserve that was taking twigs OUT of her nesting cavity, which I thought was weird.  And we saw a male Mourning Dove picking up bits of grass and carrying them to his mate in a tree off the trail.  A House Wren was carrying food to his babies… Everyone was moving stuff around.

I also saw a pair of Wood Ducks. They flew into a tree overhead, and then the female flew to an adjacent tree and “disappeared”. She flew out to the first tree next to the male, then flew back to the other tree and disappeared again. I tried to see where she was hiding out and assumed she might have had a nest in a cavity in the tree, but I just couldn’t see her. Then she flew out one more time, and this time she had something orange and fuzzy in her bill. She flew off with it, and the male followed her. I couldn’t tell what it was, really, and wasn’t able to get any photos of it, but I think she was retrieving a duckling that was refusing to come down from the nest! I’d never seen or heard of anything like that; it was kind of amazing.

And we caught a glimpse of a young coyote. He came out onto the trail in front of us with a short growl and then ran off into the high grass where we lost sight of him. He was pretty small, probably a teenager. After we saw him, we kept an eye out for mom and dad; they usually travel in a pack when the pups are young.

We walked for about 4 hours, which is pretty much the limit for both of us, and I headed back home.

Species List:

  1. Acorn Woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus,
  2. American Bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus,
  3. American Robin, Turdus migratorius,
  4. Ash-Throated Flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens,
  5. Asian Lady Beetle, Harmonia axyridis,
  6. Black Grosbeak, Pheucticus melanocephalus,
  7. Black Phoebe, Sayornis nigricans,
  8. Blessed Milk Thistle, Silybum marianum,
  9. Blue Elderberry, Sambucus cerulea,
  10. California Buckeye Chestnut Tree, Aesculus californica,
  11. California Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly, Battus philenor hirsuta,
  12. California Pipevine, Dutchman’s Pipe, Aristolochia californica,
  13. Coffeeberry, Frangula californica,
  14. Columbian Black-Tailed Deer, Odocoileus hemionus columbianus,
  15. Coyote Brush Bud Gall Midge, Rhopalomyia californica,
  16. Coyote, Canis latrans,
  17. Darkling Beetle, Eleodes dentipes,
  18. Desert Cottontail, Sylvilagus audubonii,
  19. Eastern Fox Squirrel, Sciurus niger,
  20. Elegant Clarkia, Clarkia unguiculata,
  21. European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris,
  22. Goldwire, Hypericum concinnum,
  23. Great Egret, Ardea alba,
  24. Greater Periwinkle, Vinca major,
  25. House Wren, Troglodytes aedon,
  26. Italian Thistle, Carduus pycnocephalus,
  27. Katydid nymph, Microcentrum rhombifolium,
  28. Miniature Lupine, Lupinus bicolor,
  29. Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura,
  30. Oak Apple Wasp Galls, Andricus quercuscalifornicus,
  31. Oak Titmouse, Baeolophus inornatus,
  32. Olive Tree, Olea europaea,
  33. Pacific Pond Turtle, Western Pond Turtle, Actinemys marmorata,
  34. Painted Lady Butterfly, Vanessa cardui,
  35. Pinacate Beetle, Eleodes pimelioides,
  36. Red Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus,
  37. Red-Shouldered Hawk, Buteo lineatus,
  38. Red-Tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis,
  39. Rusty Tussock Moth caterpillar, Orgyia antiqua,
  40. Spittle Bug, Meadow Spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius,
  41. Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus,
  42. Swainson’s Hawk, Orion, Buteo swainsoni,
  43. Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor,
  44. Wavy-Leafed Soap Plant, Soaproot, Chlorogalum pomeridianum,
  45. Western Gray Squirrel, Sciurus griseus,
  46. Winter Vetch, Vicia villosa,
  47. Wood Duck, Aix sponsa,
Firsts, General Blog, Naturalist, photography

So Many Flowers, Goslings and Ducklings Today, 05-04-19

I got up around 6:00 this morning and headed out to William Land Park and the WPA Rock Garden. I was hoping to see lots of bugs, but it was still too early for that, I guess. Instead, I focused on the flowers which were in abundance, and also got to see some ducklings and goslings, and a Green Heron, too.

CLICK HERE for the album of photos.

There were two Mallard mamas with babies. One had three ducklings, and another one had five. In that group of five there were two that looked like Swedish Blue ducklings. I guess the Mallards don’t care. There were 15 goslings in one of the groups, called a crèche, that was being overseen by two pairs of adults. All the fuzz. Soooo cute!

I wanted to go through the garden, then around both the middle pond and the larger pond further on in the park. But there was some event happening in that end of the park – I think it was the Doggie Dash — so access to the larger pond was completely blocked off. So, when I was done at the middle pond and garden, I went to the store and picked up some groceries. I walked for about 2 hours at the park, and another half hour in the store, so I got my exercise in for the day.  I was back home before 10:00 am.

I spent part of the afternoon trying to identify all of the flowers I’d seen at the garden. I totally suck when it comes to ID-ing cultivated garden flowers (because there are so many varieties, and so many weird things thrown in from other countries), so I tried using the iNaturalist app and Calflora.org to help me.  Between the two of them, I was able to identify most of the things (but I might be way off on some of them). I had to laugh, though, when iNaturalist identified a seed pod as a “Dwarf Mexican Tree Frog”. Hah! Apparently, face-recognition doesn’t work well on plants and seeds.

Species List:

1. Albanian Spurge, Euphorbia characias,
2. Aloe, Aloe maculata,
3. Anna’s Hummingbird, Calypte anna,
4. Autumn Sage (red), Salvia greggii,
5. Beaver Tail Cactus, Prickly Pear, Opuntia basilaris.
6. Birch Tree, Betula sp.,
7. Black Phoebe, Sayornis nigricans,
8. Brass Buttons, Cotula coronopifolia,
9. Brazil Raintree, Brunfelsia pauciflora,
10. Bronze Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare,
11. California Buckeye, Aesculus californica,
12. California Pipevine, Dutchman’s Pipe, Aristolochia californica,
13. Calla Lily, Zantedeschia aethiopica,
14. Canada Goose, Branta canadensis,
15. Cleveland Sage, Salvia clevelandii,
16. Coast Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens,
17. Columbine, Aquilegia sp.,
18. Common Borage, Borago officinalis,
19. Common Bracken, Pteridium aquilinum,
20. Common Hibiscus, Hibiscus syriacus,
21. Creeping Lantana, Lantana montevidensis,
22. Crevice Alumroot, Heuchera micranthai,
23. Crevice Alumroot, Heuchera micrantha,
24. Dwarf Morning Glory, Convolvulus tricolor,
25. Egg Leaf Spurge, Euphorbia oblongata,
26. Elegant Clarkia, Clarkia unguiculata,
27. Firethorn, Pyracantha, Pyracantha coccinea,
28. Fleabane, Seaside Daisy, Erigeron glaucus,
29. Fountain Grass, Pennisetum setaceum,
30. Freshwater Snail, unidentified,
31. Garden Geranium, Pelargonium ×hortorum,
32. Garden Snail, Cornu aspersum,
33. Giant Fennel, Ferula communis,
34. Greater Honeywort (orange), Cerinthe major,
35. Greater Honeywort (purple), Cerinthe major,
36. Green Heron, Butorides virescens,
37. Hooker’s Evening Primrose, Oenothera elata,
38. Hummingbird Sage, Salvia spathacea,
39. Iceplant, Carpobrotus edulis,
40. Introduced Sage, Salvia pratensis,
41. Iris, Iris sp.,
42. Jerusalem Sage, Phlomis fruticosa,
43. Lacy Phacelia, Phacelia tanacetifolia,
44. Lamb’s Ear Hedgenettle, Stachys byzantina,
45. Love-in-a-Mist, Nigella damascene,
46. Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos,
47. Many Flowered Tobacco, Nicotiana acuminata var. multiflora,
48. Mediterranean Catchfly, Silene colorata,
49. Mediterranean Sage, Salvia aethiopis,
50. Money Plant, Silver Dollar Plant, Lunaria annua,
51. Nightshade, New Zealand Nightshade, Solanum aviculare,
52. Pacific Bleeding Heart, Dicentra Formosa,
53. Pekin Duck, Anas platyrhynchos domesticus var. Pekin,
54. Peruvian Lily, Alstroemeria aurea,
55. Pincushion Flower, Scabiosa atropurpurea,
56. Red Hot Poker, Kniphofia uvaria,
57. Red Poppy of Flanders, Corn Poppy, Papaver rhoeas,
58. Red Valerian, Jupiter’s Beard, Centranthus ruber,
59. Red-Eared Slider Turtle, Trachemys scripta elegans,
60. Rocket Larkspur (purple), Consolida ajacis,
61. Rocket Larkspur (white), Consolida ajacis,
62. Rose, Rosa sp.,
63. Sacred Lotus, Nelumbo nucifera,
64. Sage, Salvia officinalis,
65. Silver Sage, Salvia argentea,
66. Smokebush, Cotinus coggygria,
67. Spice Bush, Calycanthus occidentalis,
68. Spittlebug, Meadow Spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius,
69. Swedish Blue duck, Anas platyrhynchos domesticus var. Swedish,
70. Sweet William, Dianthus barbatus,
71. Tasmanian Flax-Lily, Dianella tasmanica,
72. Toadflax, Linaria sp.,
73. Tower of Jewels, Echium wildpretii,
74. Trailing Abutilon, Callianthe megapotamica,
75. Unidentified Fern, possibly Polystichum sp.,
76. Unidentified Plantain, Plantago sp.,
77. Western Bluebird, Sialia mexicana,
78. Western Columbine, Aquilegia Formosa,
79. Western Redbud, Cercis occidentalis,
80. White Valerian, Centranthus sp.,
81. Wood Duck, Aix sponsa,
82. Wood Pink (white variation), Dianthus sylvestris,

Firsts, General Blog, Naturalist, photography, Volunteering

Lots of Nesting Birds, 04-30-19

I got up around 5:30 and was out the door by about 6:15 am to go to the Effie Yeaw Nature Preserve for my regular Tuesday trail-walking gig. The weather was beautiful: about 53° when I got to the preserve and about 70° when I left. Sunny and a little bit windy.

I saw LOTS of birds’ nests: European Starlings bringing some twigs for the nesting cavity and some bugs and worms for the hatchlings. (I could hear the babies squawking inside the tree); Phoebes bringing bugs for their babies; an Oak Titmouse carrying fecal sacs out of her nest; a male House Wren showing a nesting cavity to a female, even going to far as to get into the cavity himself, stick his head out and sing to her. Hah!

CLICK HERE for the album of photos.

Saw lots of squirrels, especially young Fox Squirrels who were running around, jumping, and putting just about everything they could into their mouths.  Generally, acting “squirrely”. Hah!

I found some caterpillars I’d never noticed before on the Redbud trees. They were pale green and had folded themselves inside the soft leaves of the tree.  You’ll never guess what they’re called…  Redbud Leaf-folder Moth caterpillars. Sometimes the names are like, “Duh!”, obvious.

I also found caterpillars on the leaves of the blackberry bushes, and these guys were tricky. They had an escape hatch, so if I touched the front of their silk “nest”, they would zip out the back and fall onto the leaf below them. Some of them had black faces and some of them had reddish-tan faces. I haven’t really ID-ed them yet.

And, of course, there were Tussock Moth caterpillars everywhere.  Here’s a video snippet of an active guy on the top of one of the water stanchions at the preserve: https://youtu.be/Bj9nZiy_EmI

I think I’d mentioned before about the fact that I was finding tiny dirt-clod turrets on the trail.  They look like “hoodoos”; y’know like the big stone ones at Bryce Canyon, but on a tiny-tiny scale.  I couldn’t figure out what was making them, so I put my naturalist students on the hunt for information. Naturalist graduate Deborah Dash sent me some photos of the Diadasia bees and the turrets they make, but all of the photos were from the top of the turrets not the side, so I couldn’t really compare them to the photos I had.  But, that tip led me to look up other Diadasia bees, and I think I found the right one.  I now believe these are the turrets of the “aggregate nests” of the solitary, native Mallow-Loving Digger Bee, Diadasia sp., subgenus Coquillettapis, This website shows how the turrets are created. So neat! (http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/hymenopt/Diadasia%20Coquillettapis.htm)

Near the end of my walk, I couldn’t understand why I was so frigging tired. Then I looked at the time and realized I’d been walking for FIVE HOURS!  Yikes!  I get so wrapped up in what I’m seeing on the trail that I lose track of time.

Species List:

  1. Acorn Woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus,
  2. American Bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus,
  3. Ants, Little Black Ants, Monomorium minimum,
  4. Ash-Throated Flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens,
  5. Asian Lady Beetle, Harmonia axyridis
  6. Azolla, Water Fern, Azolla filiculoides,
  7. Bedstraw, Cleavers, Galium aparine,
  8. Bewick’s Wren, Thryomanes bewickii,
  9. Black Bean Aphid, Aphis fabae,
  10. Black Phoebe, Sayornis nigricans,
  11. Black Walnut Erineum Mite galls, Eriophyes erinea,
  12. Black Walnut, Juglans nigra,
  13. Blue Elderberry, Sambucus cerulea,
  14. Blue Oak, Quercus douglasii,
  15. California Ground Squirrel, Otospermophilus beecheyi,
  16. California Manroot, Bigroot, Marah fabaceus,
  17. California Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly, Battus philenor hirsuta,
  18. California Pipevine, Dutchman’s Pipe, Aristolochia californica,
  19. California Scrub Jay, Aphelocoma californica,
  20. California Towhee,
  21. Coffeeberry, Frangula californica,
  22. Columbian Black-Tailed Deer, Odocoileus hemionus columbianus,
  23. Common Catchfly, Silene gallica,
  24. Convergent Lady Beetle, Hippodamia convergens,
  25. Coyote Brush Bud Midge gall, Rhopalomyia californica,
  26. Cranefly, family Tipulidae,
  27. Cutworm, Olive Angle Shade Moth, Phlogophora iris,
  28. Desert Cottontail, Sylvilagus audubonii,
  29. Dog Vomit Slime Mold, Fuligo septica,
  30. Dogtail Grass, Cynosurus echinatus,
  31. Eastern Fox Squirrel, Sciurus niger,
  32. Elder Moth, Achatodes zeae
  33. European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris,
  34. Fiery Skipper, Hylephila phyleus,
  35. Himalayan Blackberry, Rubus armeniacus,
  36. House Wren, Troglodytes aedon,
  37. Interior Live Oak, Quercus wislizeni,
  38. Lazuli Bunting, Passerina amoena (stripe across wing),
  39. Live Oak Gall Wasp gall, 2nd Generation, Callirhytis quercuspomiformis
  40. Mallow-Loving Digger Bee turrets, Diadasia sp., subgenus Coquillettapis http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/hymenopt/Diadasia%20Coquillettapis.htm
  41. Northern California Grape, Vitis californica
  42. Oak Apple Wasp Gall, Andricus quercuscalifornicus,
  43. Oak Titmouse, Baeolophus inornatus,
  44. Orange Tortrix Moth, Argyrotaenia franciscana
  45. Painted Lady butterfly, Vanessa cardui,
  46. Periwinkle, Vinca major,
  47. Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly, Battus philenor hirsuta,
  48. Plum, Prunus cerasifera,
  49. Poison Hemlock, Conium maculatum,
  50. Poison Oak, Toxicodendron diversilobum,
  51. Purple Needle Grass, Nassella pulchra,
  52. Redbud Leaffolder Moth, Fascista cercerisella,
  53. Red-Shouldered Hawk, Buteo lineatus,
  54. Rio Grande Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo intermedia,
  55. Rusty Tussock Moth caterpillar, Orgyia antiqua
  56. Showy Milkweed, Asclepias speciose,
  57. Silver Hairgrass, Aira caryophyllea,
  58. Spittlebug, Meadow Spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius,
  59. Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus,
  60. Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor,
  61. Valley Oak, Quercus lobata,
  62. Western Bluebird, Sialia mexicana,
  63. Western Fence Lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis,
  64. Western Gray Squirrel, Sciurus griseus,
  65. Western Redbud, Cercis occidentalis,
  66. White Horehound, Marrubium vulgare,
  67. Winter Vetch, Vicia villosa,
  68. Woodland Skipper, Ochlodes sylvanoides,