February 23, 2024

Turtles on Coyote Pond

Yesterday I surveyed the turtles on Coyote Pond, Lincoln, Placer County CA looking for Western Pond Turtles. Here is the count

Pond Slider (Trachemys scripta) 44
Western Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata) 2

Posted on February 23, 2024 02:49 PM by joerich joerich | 0 comments | Leave a comment

October 8, 2023

Stinkwort

Autumn is in the air and some of the birds which I haven't seen all summer are returning. However, I have yet to see the bluebirds. The question I have is why did the small passerines leave as we have had a very mild summer following a wetter than normal winter. I saw an article the other day saying that insects do very poorly following warmer than normal winters, or cooler and wetter than normal springs. We had the latter, so maybe there is not many insects.

I just recently discovered that we have another invasive species which I fear is going to be as noxious as the Yellow-star Thistle, although not as thorny. This is the Stinkwort. It is everywhere that there was an excess of moisture last winter - along trails where rain runoff accumulated, along now dry vernal pools, and in areas adjacent to creeks and marshes. Today I tried to document it along the trail which runs from Twelve Bridges Southcreek Trailhead (on Twelve Bridges Dr) to the park at Twelve Bridges Middle School and over to Southcreek Granite Park Trailhead (on Granite Park Ct). I documented fourteen patches of Stinkwort, some small, some large, and I skipped over a few more where there were only one or two plants. This plant seems to be spreading like wildfire. Hopefully I can do a comparison next year.

Now I need to plot the areas in the preserve where Yellow-star Thistle is so thick one cannot walk through. I wonder what coyotes, raccoons, bobcats and foxes do when the YST is so thick - do they go through unencumbered or do they have to travel around the thick patches.

Posted on October 8, 2023 05:22 PM by joerich joerich | 0 comments | Leave a comment

July 24, 2023

More Turkey Mullein observations

Last Friday morning I visited another Turkey Mullein patch which I now call patch 5. It was around 9 in the morning and the temperature was probably between 85F to 90F. There was a lot of activity on this patch this morning and I got several new species, including a Familiar Bluet which I caught predating another insect, an Acmon Blue, a Gray Hairstreak, a fly from the Bellula Species Group, and a couple of what I think are Anthophorula bees.

This morning I went to another patch, which I call patch 1 because it was the first patch I noticed the amazing ecosystem that is associated with Turkey Mullein - Croton setiger. The first time I was on this patch there were many small plant fleas which I think are Longitarsus. However, today I saw none of these insects. Maybe the reason for the lack of these beetles is that their season has past, or maybe it is the high temperature days we have been having. I collected two samples and brought them home to photograph them using my Raynor 1.5 close-up lense on a tripod. One sample I think are pupae of some beetle, possibly Longitarsus. The other sample turned out to be some growth, maybe a fungus.

I have been wondering how the temperature affects the insects, so this afternoon I went back to patch 5, then to 3 and 4. When it was in the 90s there was a lot of activity on Patch 5. Today, when it was 103F, there were was very little activity. The great majority of the insects were on the underside of the leaves, maybe taking advantage of the shade. On patch 3 and 4 I noticed several Tripartite Bees on the underside of the leaves - these bees seemed to be torpid. I did see a Western Honey Bee on Pennyroyal which was quite active.

Posted on July 24, 2023 01:04 AM by joerich joerich | 0 comments | Leave a comment

July 17, 2023

Turkey Mullein

Last week I discovered an incredible ecosystem built around Turkey Mullein. I have seen this plant many times while walking the fields here but never gave it much attention probably because it lies low and does not have showy. However, I noticed a pollinator on it - what I thought was a black fly. Taking a closer look I saw these little insects which looked like fleas and could hop like a flea if I got too close. I took photographs of several different insects but when I got home and started looking at the photos I found many more which I had not noticed in the field. Many of these were hiding under leaves so the next day I went back to search under leaves. I then found there were probably ten to twenty more insects under the leaves than on the surface. I can only speculate that they were there partly to stay cool, partly to hide.

Today I visited another patch in the same field maybe a quarter mile south of the first patch. It had even more plants, however, and even though it did have various insects on them, I did not see a single "flea". Noticing this absence, I went back to the original north patch and I did find the 'fleas" there.

We have had some hot temperatures - yesterday it was 110F (43C). This morning while walking the field it was 92F (33C).

I was surprised to discover that Turkey Mullein is not in the Mullein genus but is in fact a spurge. I downloaded an association map for Turkey Mullein and am slowly entering the species into a spreadsheet to aid in identifications, as well as to serve as a checklist of what I have seen. So far I have not found the "flea" insect on the associations list.

More to follow as I explore this ecosystem.

Posted on July 17, 2023 07:04 PM by joerich joerich | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 20, 2023

Things which are different this spring

Last spring I was monitoring three hawks nests, a Red-tailed, Red-shouldered and a Cooper's. This year, I have not found and active hawks nest but I have found two Great-horned Owl nests, both now with owlets. One of the owls is occupying last years Red-shouldered Hawks nest.

During the last week the grass has grown quite tall. Even though the flowers are blooming heavily, they do not seem as spectacular this year, or even last week. The Goldfields are also getting past prime. Soon the sheep will be on the fields.

Posted on April 20, 2023 05:31 PM by joerich joerich | 0 comments | Leave a comment

February 19, 2023

20230218 Trail Cam 12 Bridges Preserve West Field

I have decided to start making journal entries of where I set my trail camera and the results. This is because I am starting to forget some of the places where I have had it set, although I can always go back and find them either on my computer where I have stored the photos, or on iNat.

I recovered the trail cam I had placed in the west field along the northwest creek in 12 Bridges Preserve on 12 February. The camera was placed on an opening in the reeds at what appeared to be a place where animals crossed the creek. And when I collected the camera there appeared to be a fresh small canid track in the mud, however, there were no canids in the pictures.

There were 118 photos taken over the six days. From these, I posted 6 observations, 4 of birds, one of a Muroid and one of a Black Tailed Jackrabbit. There were actually more birds and jackrabbits in the photos, but I did not post duplicates - maybe I should so as to better show the numbers seen. The jackrabbit and two of the bird species (doves, meadowlarks) appeared to be drinking water from the creek in some of the pictures.

Posted on February 19, 2023 10:19 PM by joerich joerich | 0 comments | Leave a comment

October 6, 2022

South Creek Wilson Park Survey

There is a field at 38.840002, -121.271484 which I had yet to walk, so today I made a quick survey. It being October the fields were dry, but there is one small creek, probably spring fed. I walked in along the creek from the South Creek Wilson Park Trail Head area. There was a large variety of plants, some of which I captured in photographs and posted. I did see a Black Tailed Jackrabbit which I did not photograph, and I was able to photograph a Red-tailed Hawk, which took off from the creek area when I parked my bike. It was being harassed by another small hawk, maybe a Kestrel, given the size. Besides observing a few other birds and a few dragonflies, there was not much fauna about.

I did find the skull of an interesting small carnivore, maybe a Bobcat, and a long leg bone of probably a sheep.

Collected the remnants of a metalized balloon and disposed.

Posted on October 6, 2022 09:50 PM by joerich joerich | 0 comments | Leave a comment

October 5, 2022

Seasons are changing

Here in the central valley northeast of Sacramento the seasons are changing. There is not much color here, but a few of the gum trees are showing color. But what I notice most are the birds. The small birds, such as some of the sparrows, bluebirds, etc. are forming into groups again. The Canadian Geese have also come back - they disappeared locally in the early summer, probably after having their young, and are now back on some of the ponds and fields around the 12 Bridges Preserve, Lincoln CA area.

Posted on October 5, 2022 05:32 PM by joerich joerich | 0 comments | Leave a comment

September 24, 2022

Vinegar Weed

I "discovered" Vinegar Weed this summer. It has a very amazing flower. I found a website talking about the interaction of between pollinators and the flower and became intrigued because the only pollinator I had observed was the Western Honey Bee. So today I went to the field to see if I could spot more pollinators.

I believe the Vinegar Weed is a little past prime as it seems that most of the flowers appeared a little wilted. The various pollinators were quite active and did not dwell on any flower long, it seems, except for a Cabbage White. So it was very hard to photograph them.

I saw six different pollinators today.
Large Carpenter Bee - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/136340397
Cabbage White - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/136340393
Skippers - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/136340392
Wasp - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/136340389
Western Honey Bee - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/136340382
Tripartite Sweat Bee - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/136340381

Here is the pollinator / plant site I was referring to above: https://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2015/08/trichostema-lanceolatum.html

Posted on September 24, 2022 10:58 PM by joerich joerich | 0 comments | Leave a comment

September 11, 2022

I need out!

After a week or so of extreme temperatures where I did not go out, we are now in a cool spell where the daily temperatures are only in the 80s and 90s. However, there is a huge fire, the Mosquito Fire, burning just to the east of us and its smoke is settling in the valley. The air quality is hazardous and going outside hurts my lungs so I am staying inside in the presence of air filters. What is it doing to all of the creatures which cannot get to clear air. And I just read an article on BBC concerning PM 2.5 air pollution and how it causes cancer.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-62797777

I also read another very disturbing article this morning about how most Minnesots deer have high levels of neonicotinoids. How stupid can we be.

https://www.startribune.com/nearly-all-minnesota-deer-exposed-to-pesticides-linked-to-pollinator-die-off/600205634/#:~:text=In%202019%2C%20he%20led%20a,had%20concentrations%20higher%20than%20that.

Humans are not worthy of this earth.

Posted on September 11, 2022 07:59 PM by joerich joerich | 0 comments | Leave a comment