tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87985551507214878692024-03-13T23:16:02.098-07:00backyard critter watchAmateur naturalists discuss the flora and fauna of the San Francisco Bay Area of California, USA.Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-75808285320395975162014-07-10T15:19:00.001-07:002014-07-10T15:53:14.226-07:00The Lizard's Old Skin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Treasures come in many shapes and sizes, and this one, the shed skin of a backyard lizard, is quite a prize indeed! We found it tucked away in a stack of oak logs that we piled up behind the house and decided to move. Amazingly, the skin is intact, down to the tiny and well articulated feet. How did the lizard extricate itself from the old skin? Half way down its body, about where the body begins to taper out to the tail, there is a small but obviously sufficient hole on the top--visible in this photo--through which it must have slithered out. </div>
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Most likely, this reptile is one of the common <a href="http://www.californiaherps.com/identification/bayareaherps.html#Lizards">coastal range fence lizards</a> that we often see scooting around. But it's about three times the size of the most populous residents of our yard, a testament no doubt to its ability to survive the many predators abounding. Long live the lizard king!</div>
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Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-63893930886522716272014-04-25T18:54:00.000-07:002014-04-25T18:54:43.266-07:00Snake with a bulgeWe were walking to a nearby open space when we came across this garter snake, perhaps a coast garter snake (<em><a href="http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/t.a.zaxanthus.html">Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus</a>)</em> at the edge of the trail near a perennial creek. A big lump bulging just a couple of inches past its head told us that it had just eaten a tasty critter. We came across the snake too late to see dinner consisted of, but there are lots of mice and voles in the area. It was sitting motionless at first, but as we watched we noticed it convulsing slowly and surely, moving dinner down the digestive tract. We watched for about 20 minutes or so and the bulge moved a good 8 inches during this time. In between movements, the snake stayed still, doing the work of digestion.<br />
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See the bulge just south of the stick?<br />
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Then in the wink of an eye it raced off and into the creek. End of show.Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-71052685495545422442013-07-16T16:14:00.000-07:002013-07-16T16:14:46.784-07:00<br />
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Summertime and the berries are ripening on thorny brambles around the Bay Area! Blackberries are wild and seemingly unstoppable, their vines sprouting at the edge of walkways and trails, along sidewalks and in your backyards, if you let them. Try to trim them back and they will reemerge later in the summer or next year. But maybe let them go, let them grow. The rewards are great. The first round of berries, coming to fruition now, is chock-full of the plumpest, juiciest morsels. You have to know when they are ripe and ready to pluck or you'll be spitting out a sour, woody pulp--what a waste. Blackberries are ripest when the deep, black shine fades to a duller glow and when the berry falls willingly into your fingers. If you have to yank it off the branch, it isn't really ready. Patience!<br />
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With blackberries selling for obscene amounts of money in the region's markets--$4 for a half pint?--there is every reason to go berry hunting. Pick your own berries and eat them as you go. Or collect them by the quart, if you've found a particularly prolific plant, and turn them into some berry good dessert.<br />
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Find detailed information about blackberry varieties <a href="http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7434.html">through UC Davis</a>, which describes four wild varieties that are considered "pests." Ah, but the sweet, scrumptious berries. How could they be unwelcome? Well, it is their relentless march to take over every scrap of land that makes them so unwelcome, unfortunately. Their wonderful fruit is not enough to make up for their rapacious growth, and worse, their razor-sharp, iron-strong thorns will rip your unprotected skin leaving painful, red wounds. When I lived in upstate New York, I did battle with bramble and can't say who came out the winner. The vines are still there, no doubt, so I guess the berries can claim victory. As the UC Davis guide explains, the vines will overtake other plants, shrubs and even trees, using them to climb sky-high. They are about conquering, not peaceful co-existence.<br />
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However, as the aggie experts note, blackberry vines provide important habitat and food for wildlife. And for us, too, if we are adventurous and willing to risk some scratches for the flavorful prize.<br />
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<br />Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-65091032448997681612012-07-13T18:34:00.000-07:002012-07-13T18:34:37.619-07:00Backyard Critter Watch is back after a too-long hiatus during which jobs, home, family and life took over and kept us away! But back in time to capture the best of spring time when the critters are out and about and multiplying!<br />
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In early May, we placed our trail camera aimed at a small creek near our house to see what stops for a drink. This time we got very lucky when a doe and a newborn fawn stepped in front of the camera. The fawn is probably only a day or two old in this first video. Look at those legs, still very wobbly. <br />
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In this second video the fawn is only a month old, and already it can run and jump as well as any grown up. Keep watching after the doe leaves the frame. The fawn comes through a few moments later.<br />
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<br />Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-68557676504973902722011-10-07T16:12:00.000-07:002011-10-07T16:53:04.224-07:00Feral Cats caught by Camera Trap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Gj8t1ZJOtM/ToaO-ntsBuI/AAAAAAAAApI/Q47VBqCSvRg/s1600/feral5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Gj8t1ZJOtM/ToaO-ntsBuI/AAAAAAAAApI/Q47VBqCSvRg/s400/feral5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We placed our trail camera by a creek in an open space park near our house, and we were surprised when the results showed a pair of feral cats coming and going in front of the camera almost every evening. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BzNe3s-uiBM/ToaPIWnrGiI/AAAAAAAAApg/oiIzfSDqH64/s1600/rat1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BzNe3s-uiBM/ToaPIWnrGiI/AAAAAAAAApg/oiIzfSDqH64/s200/rat1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>We also got quite a few blurry pictures of the local deer, birds, and raccoon along the creek, and a couple of slightly blurry pictures of a rat or rat like creature.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ajNdpnvLeiM/ToaPHquNfNI/AAAAAAAAApc/CrqjUvDiJ0Y/s1600/rat2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ajNdpnvLeiM/ToaPHquNfNI/AAAAAAAAApc/CrqjUvDiJ0Y/s200/rat2.jpg" width="200" /></a>I guess we shouldn't have been too surprised. The creek is probably a good home for these cats. There is cover in the bushes, rats and birdies to eat, and water to drink. I suppose they could get on quite well.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6vOECgnxYOA/ToaPBRDBzVI/AAAAAAAAApY/XlCx_E8MMKI/s1600/Feral4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6vOECgnxYOA/ToaPBRDBzVI/AAAAAAAAApY/XlCx_E8MMKI/s400/Feral4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>You will notice in one photo a strange snaky streak next to the black cat. We are not sure what it is. A snake ghost? A ghost of some other animal? Or just the blur of the reflecting eyes of another cat as it ran through the photo?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZohXo7LLeaA/ToaPAPqgLqI/AAAAAAAAApQ/xqUJqv44hso/s1600/feral2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZohXo7LLeaA/ToaPAPqgLqI/AAAAAAAAApQ/xqUJqv44hso/s400/feral2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>They say coyotes and mountain lions come into this neighborhood from time to time. We have not seen them here and have not caught any on the trail cam, but we did see a dog-like foot print in some sandy soil behind our house. If they do come around, these cats may find life here a bit less enjoyable.<br />
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Feral cats have caused tremendous harm to the native populations of birds, especially song birds, and many naturalists have sounded the alarm about them. Should we try to capture and deliver these critters to a shelter? At least if they can be neutered, they won't be contributing to the problem by producing more ferals. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f_1K-kExEec/ToaO_BwUv1I/AAAAAAAAApM/ley-EpeQ7oE/s1600/feral1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f_1K-kExEec/ToaO_BwUv1I/AAAAAAAAApM/ley-EpeQ7oE/s400/feral1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mDZ_tUgKhPE/ToaPA43jiQI/AAAAAAAAApU/nMJDjSyFpTw/s1600/feral3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mDZ_tUgKhPE/ToaPA43jiQI/AAAAAAAAApU/nMJDjSyFpTw/s400/feral3.jpg" width="400" /></a>Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-75257247816385714012011-10-05T09:29:00.000-07:002011-10-05T09:29:32.683-07:00A fox in our backyard<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-axvAK9pmGtM/ToaHOZUDQ6I/AAAAAAAAApA/zwQXbfoaaa0/s1600/fox11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-axvAK9pmGtM/ToaHOZUDQ6I/AAAAAAAAApA/zwQXbfoaaa0/s400/fox11.jpg" width="400" /></a>Going through the fridge last week we found a Tupperware container with the remnants of three-week-old <i>arroz con pollo</i>. There was one piece of chicken left, a drumstick. It was too old to eat, of course, and we don't put meat in our compost bin. But just tossing it seemed wrong. Repurpose! We got a bright idea: let's put it in front of the trail cam and see who comes to dinner!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a1cfHcIw7bU/ToaHN_DvyKI/AAAAAAAAAo8/gvOkimDc8Wo/s1600/buck1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a1cfHcIw7bU/ToaHN_DvyKI/AAAAAAAAAo8/gvOkimDc8Wo/s400/buck1.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>We have been moving the trail camera to different locations in the hills here and have not gotten a lot of postable pictures. We did see a few house cats or feral cats by a creek nearby (perhaps I'll post those later), and a bunch of blurry deer pictures. We moved the camera into our back yard and put the drumstick a few yards in front of it. A day later, the morsel was still there in front of the camera, but a couple of days after that it was gone. We went to get the card out of the camera and 'OH NO' the batteries in the camera had died and there were no photos on the card. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jzm3o67mtAE/ToaHPJT8yVI/AAAAAAAAApE/mS_T0APFo-w/s1600/Raccoon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jzm3o67mtAE/ToaHPJT8yVI/AAAAAAAAApE/mS_T0APFo-w/s400/Raccoon2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Not completely daunted by this, we looked in the fridge for another item a critter might enjoy, and found a half of a cantaloupe that was never very good anyway and getting kinda old. We put it in front of the camera and 2 days later, <i>voila</i>, several very good pictures of a fox! And a pair of raccoons, and a young buck. All came to investigate the melon. <br />
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I'm not sure the species of the fox, all foxes look gray in the IR light at night.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oY9UbPuPrqU/ToaHNBfxk_I/AAAAAAAAAo4/bk9tCn3QJOw/s1600/Raccoon3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oY9UbPuPrqU/ToaHNBfxk_I/AAAAAAAAAo4/bk9tCn3QJOw/s400/Raccoon3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Strange though, all they did was nibble on it. It's still there. Maybe we will get more pictures yet. Or maybe, like us, they didn't think the melon was very tasty.Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-26156996628852089312011-08-16T07:38:00.000-07:002011-08-16T07:38:26.605-07:00A Green Anole on Maui<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pmtth2Rym9s/TkmrJ4QmoTI/AAAAAAAAAos/LBiZpFMrbdM/s1600/Gecko1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pmtth2Rym9s/TkmrJ4QmoTI/AAAAAAAAAos/LBiZpFMrbdM/s400/Gecko1.jpg" width="292" /></a>After hiking around Haleakala (the tallest dormant volcano in the world, on Maui during our vacation last week, we stopped at a Mexican restaurant for lunch. They seated us right at a window with a view of a neat little rock garden just outside. And while we were eating, this guy appeared on the rocks. He sat in the sun for awhile, then scurried to and fro, jumped from rock to rock, then lazed in the sun some more. Every time a fly or other insect buzzed passed him, he would lift up his head and watch it closely, but we never saw him catch one.<br />
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He has a dewlap or throatfan under his chin that he would open up from time to time. It was bright red or orange in color and would stick out from under his neck by half an inch or so. He wouldn't do this when I had the camera on him, though. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SWe_5eU4uW8/TLYwzGXW22I/AAAAAAAAAPg/P6yZnRmFfHY/s1600/anole+dewlap.jpg">But, here is a picture of a gecko with his dewlap out.</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ashGQWMp5Jw/TkmrIjrFdUI/AAAAAAAAAoo/q9QCpURL8Hg/s1600/Gecko3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ashGQWMp5Jw/TkmrIjrFdUI/AAAAAAAAAoo/q9QCpURL8Hg/s640/Gecko3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The waitress said it was a gecko, and they like the geckos on Maui because they eat a lot of bugs. A gecko in your <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">house is considered a good sign. But after researching him up on the web, I see he is not a gecko, but a Green Anole (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #003300;"><i>Anole carolinensis)</i></span>, a lizard that is native to the the southern United States and was introduced to Hawaii in the 1950's</span>. <a href="http://www.instanthawaii.com/cgi-bin/hawaii?Animals.ganole">Some say they escaped from a pet store.</a> Who could blame the critters? Life in a Maui rock garden beats a box in a pet store.<br />
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Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-19850776954079449892011-08-13T17:04:00.000-07:002011-08-13T17:04:29.260-07:00Back from Hawaii<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maui Grey Francolin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In late July, we took a vacation on the island of Maui in Hawaii, and while we were there we kept an eye out for the local critters. We saw many, although few are native to the islands. Birds, lizards, goats and mongeese, to name a few. Here is the noisiest of them, the grey francolin (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><i style="font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Francolinus pondicerianus)</i></span></span><b>.</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frankolin Hen and Chicks, Top View</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We noticed these birds soon after we arrived. It would be hard not to. They are one of the largest birds in the area, and did not seem to mind humans coming within a few feet of them. We were marveling at these birds in a Kihei park when an apparently inebriated local gave us a 5 minute dissertation on how noisy they are. When we asked what they are called, he struggled to remember, but could not think of it. But as he walked away, he yelled back, "Oh yeah, I remember, they are 'Franklins'".<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UQwQ-oeQc8k/TkcJnp4QlUI/AAAAAAAAAoc/8JTMBafhQjc/s1600/Francolin3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="385" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UQwQ-oeQc8k/TkcJnp4QlUI/AAAAAAAAAoc/8JTMBafhQjc/s400/Francolin3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Francolin Chicks Learning to Squawk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The francolins were brought to Hawaii from India in the late 1950's to establish a flock of game birds. They have flourished on the islands. It appears they have no local predators, but if they continue to squawk at the top of their lungs at sunrise, just outside of the hotel rooms and condominiums of late sleeping vacationers, this might change! Just as the sun comes up these guys can make one heck of a racket. And there were several flocks of them scurrying around the gardens, lawns and open spaces near our hotel. We saw a couple of litters of young as well. <br />
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They look a bit like partridge or quail, and are about the same size. If you plan to visit Maui, and like to get up with the sun, just leave your windows open and you'll have an authentic Maui alarm clock awakening.<br />
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Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-47781972853629102042011-07-20T09:05:00.000-07:002011-07-20T09:05:01.345-07:00Bucky is Back!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y-TJsg3MWBU/TiXedjqceXI/AAAAAAAAAnw/EdDWpWKXbMQ/s1600/bucky1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y-TJsg3MWBU/TiXedjqceXI/AAAAAAAAAnw/EdDWpWKXbMQ/s400/bucky1.jpg" width="390" /></a></div>Last week, <a href="http://backyardcritterwatch.blogspot.com/2011/07/camera-trap-captures-these-critters.html">we lamented </a> that we had not seen any of the local black tail deer bucks lately, and our trail camera trap has not caught any either. We have been seeing a couple of does wandering around the neighborhood, one with a couple of fawns in tow. Then the other day when we were out for a walk we saw 2 bucks in a local school yard, but alas, I did have my camera.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fLdBoH_VplI/TiXefREy-sI/AAAAAAAAAn0/su7XD2ixols/s1600/bucky2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fLdBoH_VplI/TiXefREy-sI/AAAAAAAAAn0/su7XD2ixols/s640/bucky2.jpg" width="467" /></a></div>Then last night while cooking dinner, we looked out our kitchen window and there, just 15 feet from our house, was a buck. He was looking for a way to get into our garden and munch on all those delicacies--day lilies, a lemon tree, succulents. Fortunately, our six-foot-tall deer proof fence proved to be just that, and he gave up, munched on some greens outside of the fence, then curled up and mulled it over for awhile before sauntering away.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Alg77dMCzEU/TiXecVh2TVI/AAAAAAAAAns/k48WU8PnwlE/s1600/Bucky3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Alg77dMCzEU/TiXecVh2TVI/AAAAAAAAAns/k48WU8PnwlE/s400/Bucky3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>His antlers are quite large now, but they still have the velvet on them, so it looks like they may still be growing. I hope we get a shot of the velvet coming off when that happens.<br />
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For more of our pictures of deer, click on "Deer" in labels section at the bottom of this page.Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-9057750025065525202011-07-15T09:00:00.000-07:002012-07-13T18:54:14.223-07:00Camera Trap Captures These Critters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dghRwPZhbgM/ThyX2slujVI/AAAAAAAAAnY/tzpWabYGcJA/s1600/trailcamJul11update1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="383" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dghRwPZhbgM/ThyX2slujVI/AAAAAAAAAnY/tzpWabYGcJA/s400/trailcamJul11update1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
We have been moving around the <a href="http://backyardcritterwatch.blogspot.com/2011/01/game-camera.html">trail camera </a>to different locations in the open space parks in the hills of the east bay near Berkeley and El Cerrito, CA, and the results have been very satisfying. We've set up the camera near obvious game trails to spy on the comings and goings of our animal neighbors, often near streams that would be an attraction for thirsty critters.<br />
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This camera has proved to be a lot fun and worth the investment. Posted here are a few of the more appealing and intriguing pictures, and again, they are mostly of deer. While many are clear shots, others are more mysterious, leaving us to wonder the real identities of the flash of fur before the lens.<br />
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Click on <a href="http://backyardcritterwatch.blogspot.com/search/label/Trail%20Camera">'Trail Camera'</a> in the section titled 'Labels' at the bottom of the page for more pictures from our Trail Camera.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L7xYJFvI2TY/ThyX5wFK5II/AAAAAAAAAnk/oSKGWuCX3qE/s1600/trailcamJul11update4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L7xYJFvI2TY/ThyX5wFK5II/AAAAAAAAAnk/oSKGWuCX3qE/s400/trailcamJul11update4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
It is interesting we have not seen any bucks lately, only doe and fawns. We would like to see how the buck's antlers have grown lately, and if they are losing their velvet yet, but no luck on this. <a href="http://backyardcritterwatch.blogspot.com/2011/06/does-this-fawn-look-ok-to-you.html">It is good to see that the fawn we wrote about earlier, with the swollen nose, is better.</a> We think it is the same fawn as in the first picture here. It must have been due to a bee sting.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-292NBdT7IUk/ThyX6qra-8I/AAAAAAAAAno/4eyI3vG4lS0/s1600/trailcamJul11update5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-292NBdT7IUk/ThyX6qra-8I/AAAAAAAAAno/4eyI3vG4lS0/s400/trailcamJul11update5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
We have gotten a few pictures of other animals, but they have been at night, taken with IR, and they have been so blurry and muddy that it is often difficult to identify the critter. We think we got several shots of a fox at one location, and perhaps a few shots of a bobcat, but it is really hard to tell. We got a few very blurry pictures of a raccoon, too. There was a mountain lion sighted in El Cerrito a few weeks ago, but we are disappointed he didn't stop and pose in front of the camera while he was in town. One animal we can't identify is posted here. Is it a very skinny fox? or perhaps a weasel, or a long legged ferret, or ?<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WCFvHRF877Q/ThyX1l-BCmI/AAAAAAAAAnU/TF6oBBFfcqs/s1600/trailcamJul11update6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WCFvHRF877Q/ThyX1l-BCmI/AAAAAAAAAnU/TF6oBBFfcqs/s400/trailcamJul11update6.jpg" width="390" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BlbFzUUzOyg/ThyX4lrH7XI/AAAAAAAAAng/XmlAy8Nf84o/s1600/trailcamJul11update3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BlbFzUUzOyg/ThyX4lrH7XI/AAAAAAAAAng/XmlAy8Nf84o/s400/trailcamJul11update3.jpg" width="363" /></a></div>Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-27959459742492290132011-07-07T14:16:00.000-07:002011-07-07T16:12:44.239-07:00Pretty Poison Hemlock<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ep4ukSmaPa0/ThXxIgGcgnI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/c3f_gX0QKFE/s1600/Hemlock3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ep4ukSmaPa0/ThXxIgGcgnI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/c3f_gX0QKFE/s400/Hemlock3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ladybug on a hemlock flower</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N6qC7LANrGw/ThXwrQDnguI/AAAAAAAAAnE/XpxzHD7wUkA/s1600/Hemlock2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N6qC7LANrGw/ThXwrQDnguI/AAAAAAAAAnE/XpxzHD7wUkA/s400/Hemlock2.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How to tell plants from very far away: <br />
#1 the Hemlock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Most people around here know and respect poison oak, a native plant whose leaves and stems contain a potent oil that can cause your skin to erupt into an itchy blistering rash if you brush up against it. But few are aware that we have a more toxic poison plant common to this area. This one can kill you if you eat at least 5 or 6 leaves. It is an invasive species, not native to Bay Area. In fact, it comes from the Mediterranean and was used as a method of execution several thousand years ago. It is Poison Hemlock (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Conium maculatum)</span>, the plant that killed Socrates about 2400 years ago.<br />
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Lots of people think that hemlock is a tree, and there is a conifer called the hemlock, but that's not where the famous (or infamous?) poison comes from. Instead it comes from this plant in the carrot family. Poison hemlock has lacy, almost fern-like leaves just like a carrot's, but it grows up to 8 feet tall. It really does look like a giant carrot plant. I would not recommend eating the root, though, as it is poisonous, too. <br />
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According to literature online, the poison works by paralyzing the muscles that keep you breathing, so you basically suffocate. The antidote is to get in an iron lung or respirator or something that will artificially keep you breathing until the effects wear off in a few days. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_NRB3mNbeuI/ThXwnVxxojI/AAAAAAAAAm8/6O8ICDzvmPA/s1600/Hemlock4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_NRB3mNbeuI/ThXwnVxxojI/AAAAAAAAAm8/6O8ICDzvmPA/s400/Hemlock4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hemlock Leaf</td></tr>
</tbody></table>These specimens were growing in <a href="http://www.ebparks.org/parks/wildcat">Wildcat Canyon Regional Park</a>, but they are in bloom in most open space parks around the Bay Area.Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-78927395197696772552011-07-05T12:03:00.000-07:002011-07-06T08:47:43.419-07:00Disabled Bluebird<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NF0uF3ZhYgw/Tg1ADYv8BHI/AAAAAAAAAms/InWif6-cKL8/s1600/BluebirdAtMissionPk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NF0uF3ZhYgw/Tg1ADYv8BHI/AAAAAAAAAms/InWif6-cKL8/s400/BluebirdAtMissionPk.jpg" width="377" /></a>Here is a picture I shot of a bluebird <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">(</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Sialia mexicana</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">)</span> in the parking lot at <a href="http://www.ebparks.org/parks/mission">Mission Peak Regional Preserve</a>, in Alameda County, a few years ago. I sent it to a photo contest run by the local newspaper, the Contra Costa Times. It won the weekly contest and was published in the paper. One of my few claims to fame. <br />
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In any case, this bird does not look disabled to me and flew off without a problem, so he should probably use one of the standard parking spaces next time.<br />
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Youtube has an interesting clip of a bluebird hovering in flight that <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9FbEwzhNrI">you can watch here</a>. Also, Cornell has a camera inside a bluebird nest box, <a href="http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/nestcams/camera/index">and you can view it here</a>.Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-46878437905510850302011-07-01T13:30:00.000-07:002011-07-01T13:30:03.689-07:00A cross between a grasshopper and a shrimp?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CcPkqW-q56c/Tg4pHZiaXVI/AAAAAAAAAm4/9jCjRERf6Xk/s1600/Katydid2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="391" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CcPkqW-q56c/Tg4pHZiaXVI/AAAAAAAAAm4/9jCjRERf6Xk/s400/Katydid2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Last fall we bought a couple of packages of California Po<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">ppy <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">(<i>Eschscholzia californica</i>) </span>seed</span>s. We spread them around our semi-landscaped front yard, and all over our not-landscaped and wild backyard. We really like California poppies with their bright orange and golden colors. They brighten up the hillsides and roadsides all around California in the springtime. And best of all, they are a drought tolerant native plant that is tough and persistent, even in poor soil.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qOqMZ2TCo9c/Tg4pHOpmFJI/AAAAAAAAAm0/7ekv_MU4LzQ/s1600/Katydid1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="367" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qOqMZ2TCo9c/Tg4pHOpmFJI/AAAAAAAAAm0/7ekv_MU4LzQ/s400/Katydid1.jpg" width="400" /></a>In early spring a couple of years ago, we drove to Yosemite, and along the way passed a hillside that was absolutely covered in poppies, completely orange, with very little green showing through. The poppies are now in full bloom in our front yard, but the weeds still have the advantage in the backyard.<br />
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<div>We are having some beautiful weather this week after a rather cool and wet spring, which has been good for our nascent garden. So the other morning I was wandering around our front yard with my camera. I saw a bumble bee visiting some of the poppies, but I wasn't quick enough to get a photo of him. As I looked closer, though, I did see a strange looking bug in one of the poppies and took these photos. I was sure surprised when I viewed them on the computer and zoomed in. A little spotted cricket? It is less than an inch long, including the lobster-like antennas. </div><div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fwbObPl7LxE/Tg4pGUDxB4I/AAAAAAAAAmw/x2JC0ncF4js/s1600/katydid3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fwbObPl7LxE/Tg4pGUDxB4I/AAAAAAAAAmw/x2JC0ncF4js/s400/katydid3.jpg" width="390" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cross between a shrimp and a cricket?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>I found a very similar looking bug on the <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/498413/bgimage">bugguide.net website</a>. The expert there says it looks like the nymph of a katydid, probably a Scudder's bush katydid, maybe <i>Scudderia furcata. </i>If you are an Orthoptera expert, please let us know if this is correct.</div></div>Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-28052502654490527362011-06-28T13:17:00.000-07:002011-06-28T21:43:13.412-07:00An Oriole Takes a Bath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Db6CpswAzfg/TglmCunuZ1I/AAAAAAAAAmo/CaBk64AGP10/s1600/Oriole2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="323" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Db6CpswAzfg/TglmCunuZ1I/AAAAAAAAAmo/CaBk64AGP10/s400/Oriole2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When we were on vacation in New York in May, we drove out to the easternmost tip of Long Island, to Montauk Point. We were hoping to get a picture of a Montauk Monster for this blog, but alas, none were to be seen. We took a long, meandering drive through the burgeoning vineyard country out in western Suffolk County, in farm land that has managed to hold on against the tide of suburban sprawl.<br />
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Out at The End, as Montauk is known, we got these pictures of Baltimore orioles (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">Icterus galbula)</span>, one taking a bath in a mud puddle, the other watching from an awkward perch on a thicket of dead vines. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZjUOddMy-0/TglmCDU-nPI/AAAAAAAAAmk/n0aBA29OlDM/s1600/Oriole1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZjUOddMy-0/TglmCDU-nPI/AAAAAAAAAmk/n0aBA29OlDM/s400/Oriole1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The orioles are impressive birds with their bright orange coloring and a pretty song that reminds me of a meadow lark or red-winged blackbird. There are no orioles in California so they are a special treat for us.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L7lVh_CEmlI/TglmBhnfEGI/AAAAAAAAAmg/zsU5zR9fxZU/s1600/Oriole3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L7lVh_CEmlI/TglmBhnfEGI/AAAAAAAAAmg/zsU5zR9fxZU/s400/Oriole3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Locals say they are not common on most of Long Island, but they are commonly seen in apple and other fruit orchards in upstate New York. They eat bugs, not fruit, so they are welcomed by the farmers.<br />
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Perhaps this pair was on a migratory trip down south and just stopping by a favorite tourist destination.Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-22802204798024362462011-06-26T09:08:00.000-07:002011-06-26T09:08:00.074-07:00The Spotted Towhees Eggs Hatched<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nbMOJcDD9O4/TgbBlMb3UnI/AAAAAAAAAmU/-Xi9qiGpATs/s1600/Baby+Spotted+Towhees1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nbMOJcDD9O4/TgbBlMb3UnI/AAAAAAAAAmU/-Xi9qiGpATs/s400/Baby+Spotted+Towhees1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>They've hatched!<br />
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I went down the path in our backyard yesterday to pick up the trail camera so we could move it to a new location. As I approached the brush with the spotted towhee nest <a href="http://backyardcritterwatch.blogspot.com/2011/06/clutch-of-spotted-towhee-eggs.htm">we wrote about two weeks ago</a>, I couldn't resist taking a quick peek to see if the eggs were still there, or if they had hatched. I pulled back the brush just enough to see 4 little birds with mouths wider than their heads, as still as statues and starring back up at me.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--KMOllIbqso/TgbCIkFXQcI/AAAAAAAAAmY/si5Yt1ZGiMw/s1600/Baby+Spotted+Towhees2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--KMOllIbqso/TgbCIkFXQcI/AAAAAAAAAmY/si5Yt1ZGiMw/s400/Baby+Spotted+Towhees2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I let the brush settle back in place and quickly scurried off to retrieve the trail camera. I was ecstatic. We had not scared off the mother bird as we had feared a couple of weeks ago. She had returned to the nest and continued to incubate the eggs. Not only did she finish incubating, but these little guys look very well fed, and perhaps almost ready to fledge. Another generation of critters for our neighborhood.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jEP0jb_1gFU/TgbF-ZxgMgI/AAAAAAAAAmc/coxXAGqpKfg/s1600/Spotted+Towhee+Eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jEP0jb_1gFU/TgbF-ZxgMgI/AAAAAAAAAmc/coxXAGqpKfg/s400/Spotted+Towhee+Eggs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how the nest looked 18 days earlier.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Since they look so healthy, and since it appears the mother cannot be scared off that easily, I decided to take another photo for this blog. I got my camera ready, and as I went back up the path, I stopped for a moment, pulled back the brush again and took a couple of quick pictures. The best ones are here.<br />
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We can't wait to see the babies take flight and, hopefully, make their way up to our bird feeder. To be continued....Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-6494793759128746722011-06-24T09:06:00.000-07:002011-06-24T12:37:08.167-07:00The Soap Plant, Mother Nature's Bodega<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pHhESeW_JLI/TgQTCFaMcbI/AAAAAAAAAl4/uVffC7Copm0/s1600/Soap+Plant3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pHhESeW_JLI/TgQTCFaMcbI/AAAAAAAAAl4/uVffC7Copm0/s640/Soap+Plant3.jpg" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soap Plant Flowers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Among the many native flora populating our yard and the neighboring open space parks, one caught our eye soon after we moved here, with its broad floppy leaves that grow in bunches and thick bulb with a mass of fine fibrous roots. There are a dozen of these 'soap plants' or 'soap lilies' (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 5px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 5px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Chlorogalum pomeridianum)</i></span></span> in our yard, and we even transplanted one into our flower garden. They are indigenous to the Bay Area and apparently have a variety of uses, according to the many citations on the internet. Native Americans in the region--probably the Miwok and other tribes--used them for soap, thus their common name, but also for food and so many other uses, it seems they are an entire general store in one species.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JANzLD3aIM8/TgQTprg1ISI/AAAAAAAAAmM/wP4yOtiyz30/s1600/Soap+Plant1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JANzLD3aIM8/TgQTprg1ISI/AAAAAAAAAmM/wP4yOtiyz30/s400/Soap+Plant1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soap Plant Leaves</td></tr>
</tbody></table>One thing I don't understand is how something that works well as soap, could also be edible. These two properties seem diametrically opposite. Most good cleaning products are very poisonous and taste awful. And conversely, I can't think of a single food that doesn't just make things dirty in the preparation and eating of it. Anybody who has washed dishes, or has kids knows this very well.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Jc3jSiyo5M/TgQTEP0K2XI/AAAAAAAAAmA/iR5RPzGOPWQ/s1600/Soap+Plant2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Jc3jSiyo5M/TgQTEP0K2XI/AAAAAAAAAmA/iR5RPzGOPWQ/s400/Soap+Plant2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soap plant root fibers. These look like they would make a good brush</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The other uses attributed to this plant on <a href="http://waynesword.palomar.edu/pldec198.htm">'Wayne's Word Online Textbook of Natural History'</a> are so numerous as to be questionable: brushes for sweeping flour, poultices for sores, cure for rheumatic cramps, glue for arrow feathers, goo for waterproofing baskets, ink for tattoos, and a poison used to kill fish so they can be scooped up for food. He does list references, so someone could followup and see if these are all true or just someone's imaginings. Or, better yet, we could harvest a few of these plants and test out these uses. Maybe I will see if it makes a good soap the next time I take a shower.Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-81572754620937284792011-06-22T09:05:00.000-07:002011-06-22T09:05:00.515-07:00Mosquito Eaters, aka Crane flies<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JMwUD3RIKl4/TgDyRi1eWII/AAAAAAAAAls/_0181mSp1zY/s1600/Cranefly3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JMwUD3RIKl4/TgDyRi1eWII/AAAAAAAAAls/_0181mSp1zY/s400/Cranefly3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crane fly on the patio door</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Every spring we get a minor invasion of these critters. They look like giant mosquitoes. I remember the first time I saw one, I was just a kid and I was terrified. I thought it was going to suck every last drop of blood out of me, but the older kids just laughed and said, "It's not a mosquito. It's a mosquito eater! They're good". </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><br />
</b></i></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JCiEIbNsLjU/TgDyScdCutI/AAAAAAAAAlw/mp-kS166BMI/s1600/cranefly1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JCiEIbNsLjU/TgDyScdCutI/AAAAAAAAAlw/mp-kS166BMI/s400/cranefly1.jpg" width="390" /></b></i></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><i><b>Crane fly close up</b></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It wasn't until years later that I learned they're really called crane flies and they don't eat mosquitoes. T</span>hey do not bite and they do not suck blood. They are harmless. In fact, they don't eat much at all as adults. The larvae, which do eat plants, especially lawns, are considered a pest. There are a gazillion different species, some as small as gnats, and a tropical species that has a leg span of 4 inches (100 mm). This one was hanging out on our patio door. I took photos of it from inside and out. Its body is less than an inch long.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><br />
</b></i></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eFkmqsz1_Ug/TgDyUMDmCnI/AAAAAAAAAl0/8Rz2Djk02ZY/s1600/cranefly2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eFkmqsz1_Ug/TgDyUMDmCnI/AAAAAAAAAl0/8Rz2Djk02ZY/s400/cranefly2.jpg" width="381" /></b></i></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><i><b>Bottom of Crane fly, through the glass door</b></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I read that other people call these 'daddy long legs,' but not us. The bug we call a 'daddy long legs' around here is a true spider, and they commonly get in the house and build a cobweb in the corners of ceiling. I'll do a post on them one day.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><br />
</b></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I am not sure the exact species of this crane fly, and it is not easy track it down as there are over 400 species of crane flies living in California, according to <a href="http://www.sgvmosquito.org/downloads/Crane%20Fly%20Facts.pdf">a local mosquito control disctrict.</a> They are in the family <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><i>Tipulidae</i>. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><br />
</b></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It appears to be a male, based on the rounded end of it's tail. Females have a more pointy tail to deposit eggs in the soil. This may be a<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 4px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 4px; border-collapse: collapse;"> <i>Nephrotoma</i> <i>alterna</i>, or a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 4px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 4px;"><i>Tipula</i> <i>oropezoides</i>, or </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><i>Tipula jacobus</i>.</span></span>Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-25547115533568225722011-06-15T09:04:00.000-07:002011-06-21T17:47:16.965-07:00The Antlers are Growing<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eHErByCKcKU/TfZxwZo05hI/AAAAAAAAAlY/q_2x_bBEY7g/s1600/buck21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eHErByCKcKU/TfZxwZo05hI/AAAAAAAAAlY/q_2x_bBEY7g/s400/buck21.jpg" width="375" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reminds me of my drivers license photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After we got back from our trip to New York, we moved the trail camera (<a href="http://backyardcritterwatch.blogspot.com/2011/01/game-camera.html">formerly called the game camera</a>) to a tree in back of our property and aimed it at a trail that deer have been using. There are several spots of matted-down grass along this trail where we think the deer have been taking naps. <br />
<br />
It is a lot of fun to look through the photos because the camera has been catching several deer each day. It's a well trafficked path! The better photos from the last couple of weeks are posted here for your viewing pleasure. The nighttime pics are strange and beautiful, especially when the camera's infrared light reflects in the eyes of an approaching deer, which is visible only as two glowing globes.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m33xN1KpSGA/TfZx69DHSbI/AAAAAAAAAlg/1k2i_H5u8Po/s1600/Buck22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="371" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m33xN1KpSGA/TfZx69DHSbI/AAAAAAAAAlg/1k2i_H5u8Po/s400/Buck22.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surveying his domain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Notice the antlers on the buck. He is one of two we have seen in the neighborhood recently. The other buck has a smaller rack. The velvet is still on the horns, so they are still growing. Compare these antlers to the those in these older posts (<a href="http://backyardcritterwatch.blogspot.com/2011/04/deer-developments.html">Early April</a>, <a href="http://backyardcritterwatch.blogspot.com/2011/03/young-bucks.html">Mid March</a>) to see how much bigger they are now. <br />
<br />
Sometime this summer we hope to get pictures of the velvet coming off, and we will post them if we do.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cAgGzXVwLaA/TfZx5QEt75I/AAAAAAAAAlc/P0zGFI9F1aM/s1600/doe2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cAgGzXVwLaA/TfZx5QEt75I/AAAAAAAAAlc/P0zGFI9F1aM/s400/doe2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A doe looks over her shoulder</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qcJXn6JsDu4/TfZx8oU_sEI/AAAAAAAAAlk/-YsGgPieJV4/s1600/Doe1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qcJXn6JsDu4/TfZx8oU_sEI/AAAAAAAAAlk/-YsGgPieJV4/s400/Doe1.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doe, a deer, a female deer...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-16132572182093066062011-06-13T09:00:00.000-07:002011-06-21T17:51:08.860-07:00A clutch of Spotted Towhee Eggs<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L207hlJkxEc/TfKYC5U9wcI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/x1BbRYbqZKk/s1600/Towhee+eggs1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="327" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L207hlJkxEc/TfKYC5U9wcI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/x1BbRYbqZKk/s400/Towhee+eggs1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spotted Towhee nest with a clutch of 4 eggs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>A couple of days ago we were walking down the steep trail to the back of our property to change the SD card in the trail camera (formerly known as the game camera). As we approached the end of the trail, I saw a spotted towhee (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">Pipilo maculatus)</span> fly out from under a thicket of grass, ferns and monkey flower plants not more than 2 feet from where I had stepped. We thought it was strange that the bird had stayed in the brush until I got that close, and wondered if she had a nest there. We looked around a bit and sure enough, there was a nest on the ground cradling 4 dappled eggs. We quickly left the scene and went on to the trail camera, marveling at our find.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Kxl5Yebu2c/TfKYGIMHPYI/AAAAAAAAAlU/iJAPn3p-I2w/s1600/Towhee+nest+thicket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Kxl5Yebu2c/TfKYGIMHPYI/AAAAAAAAAlU/iJAPn3p-I2w/s400/Towhee+nest+thicket.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nest was under this thicket, invisible to all who pass by</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Then we noticed our two cats had followed down the trail! Evidently they did not notice the bird or the nest, and stayed at our side as we lazed in the sun well away from the nest. Rather than taking the trail back with the cats following us right past the nest, we herded the cats up a different route to give the nesting bird some peace. <br />
<br />
We decided to try to photograph the nest for this blog, so the next day we went back down the trail. We watched carefully to see if the towhee would fly from the nest as we approached, but we never saw her leave. We did find the nest again and I took 2 quick photos and quickly left the scene. Since we didn't see the mama towhee, we are worried we may have scared her off for good the first day we stopped at the nest.<br />
<br />
According to the <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Spotted_Towhee/lifehistory">Cornell Lab of Ornithology</a>, the incubation period for towhee eggs is 12-13 days and the nesting period is 10-12 days, so we will take another look at the nest 25 days after we first discovered it, and see if the eggs have hatched and the little birds have flown.Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-10936094419244903432011-06-11T09:00:00.000-07:002011-06-21T17:51:37.232-07:00Camels in the Backyard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VMi0xXyF6Cc/TfGKnvmB_eI/AAAAAAAAAlA/7Dk2p3g2BCw/s1600/Camel4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VMi0xXyF6Cc/TfGKnvmB_eI/AAAAAAAAAlA/7Dk2p3g2BCw/s400/Camel4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Yes, camels! Not in our backyard, but I guess this is somebody's backyard. I was returning last year from a visit at the newest University of California at Merced, California, driving down a country road just a few miles from the campus, when I looked to my right and saw these camels. They were standing in a muddy pasture and looking as out of place as a duck in the desert. Or an igloo in Ecuador. Or a camel in California!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ebNCcrEBFQ4/TfGKpFgbfeI/AAAAAAAAAlE/ZlZyr9SFpug/s1600/Camel1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ebNCcrEBFQ4/TfGKpFgbfeI/AAAAAAAAAlE/ZlZyr9SFpug/s400/Camel1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IPzjt8mHY5U/TfGK2Max4MI/AAAAAAAAAlI/2NDo0S87VIw/s1600/Camel2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IPzjt8mHY5U/TfGK2Max4MI/AAAAAAAAAlI/2NDo0S87VIw/s400/Camel2.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
I had my camera, so I stopped and took these pictures. One of the camels became very interested in me and came over to the fence that separated us. Or maybe he is just a ham and wanted me to get some good closeups of his handsome(?) face?<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">These are the Bactrian camels (</span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camelus_bactrianus" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;" title="Camelus bactrianus"><i>Camelus bactrianus</i></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 19px;">) which once roamed wild in Mongolia and the Gobi desert but now are completely domesticated. There were some feral camels, both Bactrian and Dromedary (with one hump) loose in the American southwest. They had been imported for use as military vehicles, but the project was terminated </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 19px;">in the mid 1800s, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 19px;">and some of the animals escaped or were let loose. The rest were shipped to </span></span><a href="http://www.beniciahistoricalmuseum.org/AboutOrganization/museum_home.htm" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">a now abandoned Army garrison at Benicia</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 19px;">, CA and auctioned to the public. The feral camels were last seen in 1972 and are presumed to have died out. A large and thriving population of feral camels live in the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 19px;">Australian</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 19px;"> outback, and are considered, like rabbits, to be an invasive species there. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uQX-pt7qARw/TfGK20DkNLI/AAAAAAAAAlM/jmMzPO0h6Tk/s1600/Camel3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uQX-pt7qARw/TfGK20DkNLI/AAAAAAAAAlM/jmMzPO0h6Tk/s400/Camel3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 19px;">Another local angle: Fossil evidence indicates that camels evolved here in North America, then split into two groups. One group went south and evolved into llamas, alpacas and vicunas in South America. The other group went into Asia and evolved into Bactrian and Dromedary camels. Evidently none stayed here. Maybe they had a beef with the bison.</span></span>Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-17166314037573459232011-06-09T09:07:00.000-07:002011-06-21T17:52:10.972-07:00Raccoon on the Deck<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zri07Mjj5Dc/Te2vemwJEOI/AAAAAAAAAk8/CJg5h1-yKrA/s1600/RaccoonDeck1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zri07Mjj5Dc/Te2vemwJEOI/AAAAAAAAAk8/CJg5h1-yKrA/s400/RaccoonDeck1.jpg" width="375" /></a>The other night, just after we fell asleep, we thought we heard some noises in the house. I tried to ignore them at first, but I finally really sat up and listened. Yep, there was a strange noise, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. We were both awake by now and looked out the window. There was the source. A raccoon was on the deck railing, eating birdseed out of the feeder stationed there!<br />
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I went and grabbed my camera and tried to take a couple of photos through the window. Most of these did not come out because the flash reflected off the glass. I was going to open the sliding glass door to try to take a better picture, but he shimmied down the railing to the deck and came right up to the door to face me down. I was sure that if I opened it he would come right inside.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yrM9iyqbgpw/Te2vdmF3EII/AAAAAAAAAk4/u2ukPVF2cEM/s1600/RaccoonDeck2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="364" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yrM9iyqbgpw/Te2vdmF3EII/AAAAAAAAAk4/u2ukPVF2cEM/s640/RaccoonDeck2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
After I took another couple of photos he turned and ran down the stairs and out of sight. Then we realized one cat, Paloosh, was still outside and we were worried he might run into the raccoon. I opened the door, called his name and in a few seconds he came racing up the stairs and into our bedroom. We're pretty sure he must have passed the Masked Bandit on his way up but luckily there was no fight.<br />
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The photos posted are the only decent ones I got. They are rather amusing.Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-23227438557724827252011-06-07T09:03:00.000-07:002011-06-21T17:52:57.371-07:00Cottontails on both coasts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7PdxvH-A5EU/Te2r30OZSiI/AAAAAAAAAkw/L-8pCY2VZEc/s1600/cottontail1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7PdxvH-A5EU/Te2r30OZSiI/AAAAAAAAAkw/L-8pCY2VZEc/s400/cottontail1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Traveling around America, one of the things we notice is the differences in the flora and fauna in the different regions. We were on Long Island in New York a few weeks ago and saw cardinals in a bird bath, a very interesting bird that is never seen in our Bay Area backyard. We also saw robins as we do here, but they seemed to be bigger and fatter there. Maybe there are more worms?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bZ2Vg7aYjdU/Te2r2x8O8mI/AAAAAAAAAks/u_s0ouWCsZQ/s1600/cottontail3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bZ2Vg7aYjdU/Te2r2x8O8mI/AAAAAAAAAks/u_s0ouWCsZQ/s400/cottontail3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We were walking down a trail at Montauk point--the farthest east point of Long Island--when up ahead we saw a couple of cottontail rabbits. Those critters we do see frequently. We did not get a good picture of them in NY, but here are a few photos of some we saw in the <a href="http://www.ebmud.com/recreation/trail-use-permit/east-bay-trails">East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) watershed</a> near <a href="http://www.ebmud.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/south%5B1%5D.pdf">Upper San Leandro Reservoir.</a> We took those pictures a couple months ago and I have been waiting for an excuse to get them up on this blog.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1yJwHgzpFeQ/Te2r49fIqzI/AAAAAAAAAk0/s61isMrCgwY/s1600/cottontail2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1yJwHgzpFeQ/Te2r49fIqzI/AAAAAAAAAk0/s61isMrCgwY/s400/cottontail2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>On that same Long Island hike we were happy to see some bright orange orioles, another bird we don't see here. And we got bit by no-see-ums, which, thankfully, we don't have out west!Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-15317184083474858772011-06-05T09:04:00.000-07:002012-07-13T18:55:31.712-07:00Does this fawn look OK to you?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hdfga_-_BdY/TemF3UnBfyI/AAAAAAAAAkc/Au7mjTXR9BY/s1600/DoeAndFawns1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hdfga_-_BdY/TemF3UnBfyI/AAAAAAAAAkc/Au7mjTXR9BY/s400/DoeAndFawns1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Doe and Her Progeny</td></tr>
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Sitting at my desk today I noticed one of the local black tailed does walking through my neighbor's backyard, so I grabbed my camera and went out on our back deck. Critter Watch had begun.<br />
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The doe heard me open the door and she looked up with concern, but I hunkered down below the railing and she started grazing again on my neighbor's plants. I was hoping they wouldn't eat much.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fawn with the swollen muzzle</td></tr>
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Then I noticed something in the weeds behind her, a spotted fawn! The fawn soon came out in the open and I took a few pictures. The doe would walk a few steps up the hill and her spotted baby was trailing close behind. As they approached the back of my neighbor's house, I noticed a second fawn that must have been ahead the other two as they came up the hill. I took a few more photos. Several times, the deer heard me as I maneuvered to get a better shot, and they would look up in my direction with some concern. But after a few seconds, they would get back to the task at hand, eating my neighbor's plants.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-La3VUcZI0Fg/TemF4_iokZI/AAAAAAAAAkg/J09FQEdPO_I/s1600/DoeAndFawns2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-La3VUcZI0Fg/TemF4_iokZI/AAAAAAAAAkg/J09FQEdPO_I/s400/DoeAndFawns2.jpg" width="392" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other, normal looking fawn</td></tr>
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It wasn't until I looked at these pictures on the computer that I noticed something wrong with one of the babies. Its muzzle is swollen on both sides, below the eyes and up to its nose. Take a look. Maybe it's due to a bee sting, or a mutation? Last year we saw a fawn that had a huge swelling on the side of its head by the neck, like a goiter, but we didn't get a photo of it. A friend of my dad's speculated it may have been due to a rattlesnake bite. We never saw that fawn again, so either the swelling healed or that fawn did not make it. <br />
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I'll send these photos to the local <a href="http://www.wildlife-museum.org/hospital/">Lindsay Wildlife Museum and Hospital</a> and see if they have any explanations. We'll keep you posted on the fawns' progress and hope for the best for the odd one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lWt3TQ0HHqs/TemHEQ9zcpI/AAAAAAAAAko/mxDWbIsQpBA/s1600/DoeAndFawns5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="568" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lWt3TQ0HHqs/TemHEQ9zcpI/AAAAAAAAAko/mxDWbIsQpBA/s640/DoeAndFawns5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the swollen schnozzola</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-60767747598265255432011-06-03T13:56:00.000-07:002011-06-21T17:53:59.111-07:00Crawdads and Crayfish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FOKrdYo7XrI/TegceNWR8AI/AAAAAAAAAkE/TQ6C6vdzMCQ/s1600/crawdad5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FOKrdYo7XrI/TegceNWR8AI/AAAAAAAAAkE/TQ6C6vdzMCQ/s400/crawdad5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We have a cat, Ninja, who likes to go on walks with us. Yes, I said 'cat', not 'dog'. If we put on our shoes and jackets in the evening, she will wait by the front door and follow us out and down the street, even around the block. We wonder what the neighbors think, "There go those critter bloggers, walking their cat again!" We wouldn't mind, except she is slow, very slow. She lags behind us and we worry that if we get too far ahead of her she will get lost and not be able to find her way home. If we need exercise and want a brisk, long walk, we have to escape the house without her. </span><br />
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</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7DXi7g5QZaM/TegcfIqQJXI/AAAAAAAAAkI/VMoQkQZNznM/s1600/crawdad1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7DXi7g5QZaM/TegcfIqQJXI/AAAAAAAAAkI/VMoQkQZNznM/s400/crawdad1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So the other night, we did just that, slipping out the front door before Ninja could squeeze out. And we did feel guilty. We walked to a nearby park that has a couple of shallow ponds. Shining our flashlight into the ponds as we passed, lo and behold there were a slew of crawdads! We had never seen them there in the daytime although we go to the park frequently. I didn't have my camera--of course not!--so we returned the next evening and got some of these photos by flashlight. (I diverted the cat's attention, again, and we darted out the door). </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eO-dlt75ej8/TegcgWHUHVI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/TR0yihYUJ6Q/s1600/crawdad3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eO-dlt75ej8/TegcgWHUHVI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/TR0yihYUJ6Q/s400/crawdad3.jpg" width="400" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I went by the pond again the next day and found several crawdads hiding in the shade of a footbridge. No wonder we had not seen them before. They can burrow into the soft mud pond bottom and become barely visible. I chased one out with a stick and took a couple more pictures. It's not easy getting a clear picture of a critter in a pond, even if the water is clear.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">You say crawdad, I say crayfish. Where I grew up, the names were interchangeable. But neither of them seemed to fit. If they are crawdads, are the females called crawmoms? And crayfish? They are certainly not a fish, more like a mini-lobster. The names come from the the French "ecrevisse" which sounds a bit like "crayfish" if you don't speak French.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kYjuVSGNxU8/Tegcfp24uYI/AAAAAAAAAkM/bZoEILF42Qo/s1600/crawdad2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kYjuVSGNxU8/Tegcfp24uYI/AAAAAAAAAkM/bZoEILF42Qo/s400/crawdad2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">They are crustaceans and related to lobsters. There are many species in California and some of them, including the 'signal crawfish' and the 'Red Swamp Crayfish,' are invasive. I am not sure if the pictures here show 2 different species or if they are the same. The redder one is about 4-5" long and is probably the invasive red swamp variety <span class="Apple-style-span"><i>(Procambarus clarkii).</i> The smaller one, about 3" long, with blue on it's claws may be a juvenile or perhaps a different species. The Red Swamp crawfish are a drab color when younger, according to th</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">e <a href="http://www.elkhornslough.org/research/aquaticinvaders/aquatic7.htm">Elkhorn Slough Foundation.</a></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r3Yij5xAts4/TegchK1MinI/AAAAAAAAAkU/FCU1uqHKjvY/s1600/crawdad4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r3Yij5xAts4/TegchK1MinI/AAAAAAAAAkU/FCU1uqHKjvY/s400/crawdad4.jpg" width="351" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">When I was a kid we would tie a bit of bacon or liver on a string on a stick and leave it on the bottom of Pajaro River for 10 minutes. When we pulled it up we would have a crawdad or 2 hanging on the string.</span> One time we went with a bunch or people and caught hundreds of them. We had a party afterwards, and dined on our catch. It was a lot of fun. I wonder what Ninja would think of these critters?</div>Paul Whyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04321318677779442441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798555150721487869.post-45434614110324811022011-06-01T09:30:00.000-07:002011-06-21T17:54:42.786-07:00Metallic Green Beetles in NY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PEAd2URssbQ/TeVXqoUq3pI/AAAAAAAAAj8/769Xv2ArO-g/s1600/Tigerbeetle1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PEAd2URssbQ/TeVXqoUq3pI/AAAAAAAAAj8/769Xv2ArO-g/s400/Tigerbeetle1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We haven't posted in a week or so because we were on vacation in New York--Long Island, Brooklyn and Manhattan, to be precise. While we were there, we visited <a href="http://www.nysparks.com/parks/68/details.aspx">Wildwood State Park</a> on the north shore of Long Island, which despite its name, is better known for a spectacularly beautiful beach on the LI Sound that stretches for a mile. As we walked down the trail to the beach, something bright and almost iridescent green caught our eye. We spotted a half dozen of t</span>hese bright green beetle critters flitting about.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GsZUKchFgmM/TeVXpqCySzI/AAAAAAAAAj4/aLeXlZyZXko/s1600/Tigerbeetle3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GsZUKchFgmM/TeVXpqCySzI/AAAAAAAAAj4/aLeXlZyZXko/s400/Tigerbeetle3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">They are called 'six-spotted tiger beetles' (</span><em style="font-family: inherit;">Cicindela sexguttata</em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">), although if you look closely it appears that one of them has 8 spots on its wings. The </span>metallic<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> color makes them stand out against the vegetation and ground. I figured it was an evolutionary strategy to warn other critters of their poison, but references say that they are eaten by a variety of birds, reptiles, rodents and other bugs without adverse effects. A few references say they can give off a foul odor, but we didn't smell anything.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XNWs7yszSSo/TeVXrvO7CLI/AAAAAAAAAkA/ryq0-0PgTAc/s1600/Tigerbeetle2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XNWs7yszSSo/TeVXrvO7CLI/AAAAAAAAAkA/ryq0-0PgTAc/s400/Tigerbeetle2.jpg" width="400" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Long Island has had a particularly wet spring, which creates the perfect conditions for some not-so-pretty and really annoying insects. While visiting family there, we had to battle mosquitos and worse, hoards of no-see-ums, which aren't actually invisible and can drive you crazy with their persistent and unpleasant biting. In the Bay Area, we don't have those tiny pests--just big ones, like scorpions (<a href="http://backyardcritterwatch.blogspot.com/2011/05/scorpions-in-california.html">see this post!</a>) and medium sized ones, like <a href="http://backyardcritterwatch.blogspot.com/2011/04/ticks-tick-me-off.html">ticks (this post)</a>.</span><br />
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