Predator on the prowl, plagued by paparazzi...

  
Haven't seen this guy/lady (oh, yeah, Max was the name) in weeks ("Watching the watcher" in Feb). Here are FUZZY pictures of this very-much-not-a-kitty cat. Pics taken late yesterday afternoon. As in 6:30 p.m. late.

"Oh, no. Paparazzi -- feh!" (as ALways, click to enlarge =) )

"Alright, I'm outta here." (turning around on a log can be a trifle awkward...)

"But first, a good stretch, just to show I'm leaving of my own accord."

Do bobcats whistle merry tunes? If so, how do you spell that?

So, not 30 minutes later, light is getting very dim (so completely fuzzy pic, shutter was open an hour), Max re-appears, MUCH closer to the coop (structure on right).

Time to don my Ogre hat and stomp out there, shovel in hand. Sorry, Max. He's swiped at the hens through the coop cage before, and I just don't  think they need that stress.

So, off Max trotted into the forest behind our property, stopping occasionally to stare back at me to see if I was a) still following, b) indeed, following him, which I answered by staring straight at him.

Yes, you.

So conflicted. As photographer, REALLY want Max to be relaxed and happy here and to get used to me and my camera. Could get amazing photographs.

As chicken guard, not so much. Hmph.

But, as I've observed before, I probably only GET to see Max because he's attracted by the chickens. 

And who can blame him. He wouldn't be the first to be seduced by the charm of a chicken. =) Join the club, Max.

xo biobabbler

foot-long isopods feeding on sea floor: was eye-to-eye with 1" cousins this weekend

  
Below is link to great footage of HUGE, foot-long isopods, plus and crabs and eels, snarfing dead things on the sea-floor.

This weekend, hanging over my head, clutching sandstone cliff, completely upside down, were cousins closer to 1 inch long. Had they been as large as the following, I think I would have moved aside...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeOSXtBCY30&feature=player_embedded

biobabbler

Rocky intertidal splendor in the surfgrass

            
Had SUCH an amazing weekend. Got a big, fat dose of the ocean and it's creatures. And fellow bio-enthusiasts.

Basically drove all day Friday and Monday, but Saturday and Sunday participated in the 20th year of rocky intertidal sampling at Cabrillo National Monument.

I've spent a LOT of time, mostly on the clock (tho' now I volunteer), in the rocky intertidal. On Sunday I saw TWO species I've NEVER seen there. Shocked and excited.

Here's the setting. Rocky intertidal zone, tide decidedly OUT. Doesn't immediately make you think WOW, a biological wonderland!

If you look v. close (and click on pic, of course) you can see the Coronado Islands, property of Mexico.

I like the above photo 'cause the flying blonde hair nicely demonstrates the afternoon wind that gradually gets faster and faster. With ocean-drippy pants and shoes, it can get a wee bit cold, but we lucked out with very nice, warm weather.

The low was only about -0.8 feet, but the high pressure (very sunny, dry day) really helped push the water out so I think the effective low was much better (at least -1.0).

Here's a lovely boulder sporting California mussels (Mytilus californianus), owl limpets (Lottia gigantia),  aggregating anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima), thatched barnacles (Tetraclita rubescens), various algal species, plus many other things I can't see in this picture which are, nevertheless, tenaciously present.

Huge, old mussels, covered in thatched barnacles, acorn barnacles (Chthalamus spp.) and more. Awesome old brutes.

Knobby seastar (Pisaster giganteus). A pretty big one for this area, and the blue was fairly muted. I've seen some with more intense blue, but they are, nevertheless, pretty cool looking creatures.

Click on this to see the knobs more clearly. Interesting structures, and you can also see the little red thingies that look to me like the tiny finger-like projections in our intestines (villi) to increase surface area.

According to my genius marine biologist friend up at U Washington, Tacoma, Dr. Bonnie Becker, they are "Pedicellariae. Little pinchers on the surface." See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedicellaria.

Best picture I EVER got of a giant keyhole limpet (Megathura crenulata). You can actually see the creature and his/her little face! Upside down, clinging to underside of intertidal rock; both rock and limpet festooned with algae.

The first of the two new-to-me species:

I believe this is a blind goby, Typhlogobius californiensis, but I have only found ONE picture on-line to confirm my on-the-spot guess, and that picture was from far, far away from San Diego. I do know someone from Scripps surveyed for them decades ago and found a lot, then another Scripps person (this a Ph.D. candidate) searched for same around the year 2000 and found close to, if not, none.

Anyhow, if I'm right, these creatures live comensally with ghost shrimp in burrows. Both species can tolerate very low dissolved oxygen. This is all stuff I learned through my contact with the aforementioned Scripps student.

Okay, I'm out of time, but next thing I'll post on this topic is a) the 2nd new-to-me species, and b) a photo quiz!

=)

biobabbler

Science Friday on Talk of the Nation = aquatic caterpillars, and Snacks = Science

                 
I was driving south on I-5 last Friday afternoon (3/26/2010), headed to my rocky intertidal sampling locale, and my companion and I decided to tune in to Science Friday, the special weekly science injection courtesy of Talk of the Nation, a national radio program.

First thing I notice is the phrase amphibious caterpillars...next thing I realize is, it's Dan's voice!

Dan, Dr. Daniel Rubinoff to the public at large, was being interviewed about his discoveries, and did a GREAT job. Very interesting and fun. Dan's one of those rare breeds: a scientist with great people skills. Not just good, but great. So the interviewers were also clearly enjoying themselves. I highly recommend the podcast.

During the interview, Dan was describing the names they've come up with for some of the sacs the caterpillars cover part of their bodies with. Mind you, this is not just the aquatic caterpillar, it's the 80+ species they've discovered in the Hawaiian chain of islands. Names like burrito, bugle (the snack, not the musical instrument), candy wrapper, and the interviewer commented that it seems like there's a lot of names associated with food. And Dan said, "When you do fieldwork, you think about food."

Couldn't agree more.

During my first interaction with Dan, when he visited the park I worked at, looking for a research permit to sample there, he and I walked down a trail, he looking for his bugs and their habitat, me chatting to get to know him and his work, and doing my usual "here's what to expect doing research in this park" spiel.

At one point we were both getting spacey, not articulating at all well. Then he produced a giant bag of generic cheetos, so we munched on extremely orange snack food for a while. Before long, we could both speak coherently again, and continued our conversation.

Fieldwork needs to be fed.

And I was reminded of this just this morning.

I dined in one of my favorite breakfast places, and ate a LOT. And I was rather surprised, not usually being such a big eater. Then I was reminded that I'd done hours and hours of field work yesterday, and was going to do more  today, so it was probably a very good thing. And necessary.

Years ago, doing fieldwork with a crew of mostly volunteers, I learned that a fed volunteer is a happy volunteer. You can see people's eyes light up when presented with an array of homemade scones, or a dozen doughnuts. It's kind of amazing.

Have snacks, will sample.

So here's to Dan's discoveries, their snacky names, and all the people doing fieldwork, paid and otherwise.

While snacking with one hand, and collecting data with the other, they are also feeding the public information about the amazing natural world we all live in. Ultimately, providing us with information on the proper care and feeding of a planet.

Nice work!

Fascinating article on possible new human group discovered...

Highly recommend. Wow.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/science/25human.html?ref=science

And I love the phrasing of this quote:

"We are learning more and more what a luxuriant evolutionary tree humans have had,” said Ian Tattersall...

Nice!

biobabbler

off to splash in the intertidal

        

I'm heading south to do some rocky intertidal sampling this weekend.

I'll be slapping on sunblock, sloshing around in soggy fleece pants, trying not to crash and burn on a boulder (one time that created what has ever since been called, and I was quoting an urgent care doctor, the "terrible hematoma"), or get swept away by a sneaker wave (happened--lifted by wave, carried off a few yards and unceremoniously dumped), and seeking and measuring owl limpets (Lottia gigantia) for hours at a time.

I CANNOT WAIT!

I seriously live for this kind of thing. =) 

Am bringing (typo was "brining") camera, even though I'll be in an environment (splashy, salty, wet, algae-y, slippery, sandy, rocky) that terrifies my Nikon. So, hope to have some pics of SOME kind next week from this adventure, as well as a healthy camera--no promises, though, re: photos, as I will be sampling and since it's only possible when the tide is out, one is somewhat pressed for time.

Hm.... where did I put my drybag?

the biobabbler

more species in bloom chez-nous (at our house)...

            
Walked around our property a few days ago, searching for any species newly in bloom, and very nearly walked right past this beauty.

I believe it's a Sierra gooseberry, Ribes roezlii (http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=7137). Just learned from my beloved Calflora that it's a California endemic! Nice.

A gorgeous, dramatic bloom, and a flush of them, but this is why I almost passed it: they're cleverly hanging below the branches, so the shrub, even in it's full glory, looks like this.

Not exactly a show stopper.

And to redress an earlier oversight, here's the steadily blooming white leaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos viscida).

You can pretty much hear when they are in bloom.

The background sound on our property changes from nothing to the steady hum of many, many bees when this plant blooms. The first time I stepped outside and heard it I was quite confused. There's such a profusion of blooms on just one tree, and we have dozens, that en masse they change the soundscape entirely.

(I am presently being chortled at by an early morning robin, singing to greet the sunrise.)

Mystery plant that I must try to figure out. Small guy. Blooms smaller than fingernail.

Here's a better shot of a different mystery plant, the tiny, tiny bloom I blogged about earlier.

(I'm starting to think this robin has a head mic like Madonna--this is a loud song!)

Body of tiny bloom. Cute little rounded spade-shaped leaves.

Our local Dodecatheon representative. Looks like they've just started blooming at our house. I'd say, based on the leaves, it's Henderson's shooting star, Dodecatheon hendersonii.

Here's a hint of things to come, along those lines...

A veritable profusion of Dodecatheon plants... this site should be awash in blooms before too long. I love their sweet, simple leaves.

And lastly, a mystery grass species...

It's near the very edge of our property. I'll have to figure out whether it's friend or foe, and to what degree, before I decide what to do with it. Once you are professionally trained to rid the native landscape of exotics, it's hard to stop... 

NOT that I've been terribly conscientious about that on our property, outside of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) patrol. Maybe this blog will inspire me to address the non-native issues we have in a more methodical way.

As if I used to get paid to do this. =)

the biobabbler

P.S. Anyone know what any of these mystery plants are, by all means, enlighten me. Guesses are welcome. =)

promised bud, new spp to me and mystery bee-thing...

      
The Dichelostemma capitatum (bluedicks) bud I promised...

As always, looks MUCH better big.

Dove's-foot geranium, Geranium molle, a new one for me. 

Thanks to CalPhotos (calphotos.berkeley.edu) and http://www.birdmom.net/wildflowerindex.html for chucking me clues.

And now for a pollen covered bug I have an urge to hug...

It was fun to watch it bumble around, moving like a bumper car.


And now, the mystery insect. It appeared as I was taking pics of poppy/bluedicks.


Looks v. bee like and I KNOW I've seen something like this before, but I cannot find it in my books... And I cannot find my Powell and Hogue's California Insects book, drat it all... 


ooh, just figured out it's probably a male bee fly (family = Bombyliidae)? Pics are NOT sharp, darn it, but they're all I have. It was flying, after all... =)

Here you can start to see the LONG legs...

Best view of face. Guessing male 'cause it looks like the eyes are connected, but it's not super sharp, and the head looks flattened on top...

Best view of super long legs and proboscis...

Bee bailing.

Bye!

So, can any of you folks confirm or deny my guess? Sierran foothills is locale (Hite Cove Trail). I realize a serious i.d. is not possible due to mobility of creature, lack of focused view of wings, etc.

Anyhow, it was a very exciting and unexpected visit by a cool creature.

the biobabbler

okay, now aquatic caterpillars with no lungs and who don't surface?

          
I just HAD to post this as the P.I. is a friend of mine. Beside the fact that it's freaky and mysterious, of course. Go, Dan!

"Amphibious caterpillars discovered in Hawaii

Scientists aren't sure how the 12 species spend weeks underwater without breaking the surface. They don't have gills and they don't hold their breath."

Copy and past this to your browser, if you wanna see...

  http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-caterpillar23-2010mar23,0,893554.story

biobabbler

unbelievably cool ant stuff

            
wow. For a look at a-MA-zing photos of ant faces and really interesting info about a few of the species, check out the video at:

http://nobonesaboutit.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/face-to-face-with-ants-at-the-smithsonian/

Then when you get down to comments, there's a video of the gliding ants getting dropped from the tree canopy and circling back to the trunk.

Seriously.

I really don't understand how people can NOT be fascinated by biology.

Thanks so much to the Bug Whisperer for these links!!

biobabbler

some "best of" Hite Cove photos, few words...

    
People have been searching for Hite Cove trail or flower shots, probably looking for inspiration to get out, so here's some favorites from last Sunday. =)

This hiker jokingly asked if I wanted them to model, to break the monotony of all the flowers and I laughed. Then they passed me, and I thought, What the heck? He's taking a photo, she's gazing happily. Typical scene, that day. Like all the pictures, it looks better if you click on it.

Blue dicks, Dichelostemma capitatum, punctuating the orange with lovely hits of purple. Later I'll post pictures of the bud of same, which is a lovely, moody, dark thing.

My favorite wildflower when I was a kid. Still nuts about them. Shooting stars, Dodecatheon spp. Based on the habitat, I'd guess it's Dodecatheon hendersonii, but again, this is a Q&D guess.

Face to face...

Stunner.

And, last but not least, the California state flower:

Again, click on above for pollen-acious detail. I don't know why seeing the pollen grains makes me so happy, but it does.

Have you ventured out, yet? Do tell.

biobabbler

shocked and awed hens

  

So, our Rhode Island Red (Fanny) laid a soft egg Sunday night/Monday morning. That, in this case, is an egg that looks mostly normal, then you pick it up and much of the shell is pliable. Very strange.

It was also on her perch (where she sleeps) vs. in the egg laying box. Also v. unusual.

I looked it up and one of the causes of soft eggs is a shock. As in chickens are out grazing and a sudden rainstorm appears, some of the hens then lay soft eggs (per what I read on the web).

And then I remembered the persimmon.

Oops.

See, I had two very ripe persimmons, and figured I'd give them to the chickens.

Chucked one to the three amigos, who were in the garden/patio enclosure.

Then, was trying to toss one into Fanny's coop/veranda, but unfortunately it ended up landing on her back with a splat. Definitely frightened her, but she soon recovered and chowed on the very orange treat (minus the splashes on her back).

I'm thinking having a persimmon drop from 8 feet and explode on your back might count as a shocking experience for a hen. Sorry, Fanny.

In the meantime I'm going to make sure the chickens have access to all the oyster shell they want, but can eat their food straight, so that the two are eaten in an optimal ratio (which apparently chickens manage when they have choice). Getting the right amount of calcium, etc., is important for egg shell strength.

Anyhow, my pardons to a precious poultry pal for plastering her with a plump persimmon.

I'd call a soft-shelled egg a very gentle rebuke.

the biobabbler

homework for a biologist - Q&D flowering plant i.d.

          
From the hike I took yesterday are, as usual, many unanswered questions. Most of which are "what is this plant?" So, here's a look at a few of the plants I got shots of, but was not certain re: it's name (common or scientific), or where I learned something about it today that I did not know yesterday.

Caveat: these names are my best guesses, based upon readily available references and these photos, and not from having the specimen in hand and our field scope out of storage (where it sadly waits for us) and Jepson's guiding me at every step in keying out. This is the quick and dirty (Q&D) version.

1st, candidate for most adorable. SO tiny. The whole thing is about two inches tall. A Lilliputian masterpiece.

I am basically in love with this plant. Linanthus bicolor is the scientific name, true baby stars and Linanthus are two of the common names (www.calflora.org). Another common name listed is bicolor linanthus, but if the scientific name is Linanthus bicolor, I don't think that common name adds much, do you?

Here's one I learned last year and since forgot, but looked up again and, voila, caterpillar phacelia (Phacelia cicutaria):

It's a flower you can readily overlook as there are SO many other, much brighter white flowers, not to mention the purple, orange, yellow and pink ones. But it is a cool bloom, especially when you stop and look at it more closely.

Now, on to goldfields, which are painting the foothills right now (hence their name).

Now, a closer look:

This particular goldfield is sporting what I assume is a crab spider (family Thomisidae), specifically a flower crab spider (genus Misumena). SO cute. I love crab spiders and how they love to hang out on flowers. Charming trait.

Of course, once I think about it again, what better place to lurk than a flower, which SO many species are drawn to for sustenance... cute? Hm... maybe not so much. Efficient, yes.

Many blog entries ago I put up a picture of a spider doing a very good job of NOT looking like a spider. Pretty sure it's also a crab spider.

BTW Thank you bugguide.net, AGAIN. Check out this amazing picture... http://bugguide.net/node/view/67374/bgpage  Those are some fierce, stylish spiders.

Alright, that's all for now. More soon. Rest of day/life beckons... but so psyched about the additional photos I have to fling at you! And a tiny butterfly let me get SO CLOSE I was amazed...

xobiobabbler

P.S. Anyone else out there nuts about spring? LOVE it so much.

Spring! Flowers a blazin' at Hite's Cove trail today...

  
A-ma-zing out there, today.

Hm.... what will be the first picture I post?

To set the scene for those who've not been to Hite Cove Hiking Trail (which my friends and I call Hite's Cove trail, but the former is what the USFS called it, and they own most of it), here's a wide shot.

So, yes it's a bit steep to your left and right (this is looking downstream at the South Fork of the Merced River, and you can see the bridge that supports Highway 140), and it's not wide, but just keep your feet on the trail, and you'll be fine.

And either walk, or take photos--not both. =)

Here's a shot of our state flower--fun pollen-acious detail if you click on it. And arcing just above it is an older bloom, with a seed pod just starting to develop.

And the flower in the background above, the blue-eyed gilia (Gilia tricolor), star below.

Frankly, I cannot believe I remembered the common name of the above. I didn't remember the scientific name, but am very psyched I didn't lie to folks on the trail who asked what it was. It's a truly charming flower.

Our old (and somewhat mysterious) friend Plagiobothrys spp. (woah, almost forgot to type common name, popcorn flower), VERY conveniently propped up by a branch so the wind didn't toss it to and fro. Wind was a bit of a challenge, but how bad can a day of photographing wildflowers be?

And, last (for today) but not least, a gorgeous bug. I believe it is a true bug, per http://bugguide.net/node/view/94266.

Trust me, its' worth a click to check out this creature's stylish attire. I like how there's orange poppies in the back and foreground. The place really was awash in blooms.

And now, while digesting tasty quiche, I am off to park fanny on couch and watch Fistful of Dollars. A good end to a great day.

the biobabbler

more newly bloomed species...

  

Now that the red maids and red-stemmed filaree are blooming like mad, there are two new species to add to our list of bloomers.

1. popcorn flower (a.k.a. Plagiobothrys spp.)

Just noticed this blooming yesterday.

2. and a mystery flower.

It's a tiny bloom, so you really need to click on this to see it at all... I'm not sure I've even consciously noticed it before. First saw this about 4 days ago.

Working on i.d.s for these, will keep you posted re: what I determine.

1st thing Jepson's* says about identifying Plagiobothrys (there's many species in California) is it's essential to have the nutlet (the seed). Jepson's, typically, is scrupulously efficient in its language, so confirming my suspicion that they mean what they say, the page where many of the different species are drawn, in many cases, the only thing drawn is the nutlet.

Ah.

Guess I gotta find a nutlet, or wait for one to mature.

=)

Next I will share pics from yesterday re: disturbance-loving flowers (and cool bugs therein), and muse on disturbance-loving species--and my tiny (and presumed) role inadvertently aiding, through tromping around for lizards, a plant species so rare that Jepson's lists it as "PRESUMED EXTINCT."

biobabbler

* within the pages of biobabbler, "Jepson's" always refers to "The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California" edited by James C. Hickman. I have the 1993 edition. It's a MAJOR reference for biologists with an exceedingly robust reputation. A smidge over 1400 pages. A truly amazing resource.