Wild (speedy) wildlife photo fling

Just in case you don't follow me on Twitter or Instagram,

I wanted to be sure you see the lovely creatures

that have been gracing our property, of late.  =)

The grand coyote (Canis latrans) arrived after big splashes of rain.

Was cruising around, hunting gophers,

spending a lot of time looking about (hence, Wily Coyote).

(Note coat is wet fm. all that rain)

The classic LEAP & JAM down into gopher tunnels. =)

We also saw bobcat (Lynx rufus).

That fence is at the northern (and very wild) edge of our property.

Source of many great things for a biologist. =)

Sleepy bobcat in manzanita shade at the edge of our driveway.

Very exciting for me, but I only allowed myself 3 photos, 

then left that window so it could relax w/o the paparazzi. =)

And, here's an animal both the above species love to eat,

and of which we have plenty, the humble gopher (Thomomys spp.).

Attracts SO many exciting carnivores for me to ogle. =)

 Wily Coyote Tale

I'd recently noticed the fencing of our hen's porch

seemed a little more pulled away from the framing than it had been.

As if a creature was helping that process along...

So, investigating it to asses when & how to fix it,

I saw FOUR long hairs right at one of the pulled-away corners.

Pretty sure hair that long is from a coyote.

Funny, when I'm about (& awake) the coyote studiously avoids the hen house.

Looks like when the humans are snoozing,

coyotes return & look into opening that tantalizing snack shack.

Since then I've shored it up & will do more of that work today.

Mechanical exclusion is my #1 method for dealing with pests,

whether they're gophers or deer (gardening) or coyotes & bobcats (chickens).

That way, if I'm smart, there's no need to kill anything.

These giant brains can be very useful, if we employ them. =)

xoxobb

I FINALLY planted milkweed seed. WOOT! =)

Did some work in the a.m., then in the afternoon felt unwell.

DH prescribed gardening.

Who am I to question him? =)

So, planting milkweed seed was priority one.

I weeded this iris plot (protected fm. gophers via that wire mesh)

and got to work.

I took photos 'cause I've learned that where I plant X Y and Z

stays in my brain about 15 minutes.

Next day, it's gone.

SO, I made these! =)

And here's the details, re: the seed packets.

I'd researched it in the past to find spp. native to California

and which help monarchs specifically, butterflies in general.

Note the one above likes to be over 1,000 feet in elevation: we're 3500, so we're a go!

Note: "packed for 2014" means I shoulda planted them 2 falls ago,

but, whatever.

Planted is better than not planted.

Part of learning to garden is learning to quash the perfectionist.

Just. Do. Something.

Also, I paid for these (& a bunch of to-be-planted-in-spring kinds)

versus looking for a free source. 

My priority was get the right spp. for our area & bugs.

Didn't cost much, anyhow. =)

Next, I had to protect our seeds from the HOARDS of hungry seed-eating birds:

Before I learned this trick, I'd plant seed mixes and get almost nothing.

I concluded I was a crap gardener.

Turns out, dark-eyed juncos (& friends) kick through & eat seeds on & under the ground.

So, I protected newly planted areas in the above manner

and suddenly I had LOTS of BABY PLANTS! Total miracle.

=)

Next I need to attach that wire mesh to wood so it's safe for wildlife.

But, now, having followed my husband's recommended cure,

I am now well, AND I've got 3 species of milkweed planted in our garden.

Some of which can grow to 5 feet. SWEET!!

One of the best things about gardening is it gives you things to look forward to.

Like stunning, fabulous flowers attracting stunning, fabulous insect life

that I then get to ogle and PHOTOGRAPH.

Woot!

xoxooxxobb

Stunning stilt striding, and other natural delights--it's been a good week

With weather like this, and longer days, I've been outside more.

Which means more photo phun.

Black-necked stilt at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge. 

Western kingbird, same place. Always beautiful. That stunning yellow underbelly knocks me out. 

 White-faced ibis (Merced NWR).

Not always the most helpful name, but what a ridiculously regal bird.

 Husband spotted this creature & knew I'd want to see it.

Holy. Wow.

I love that face.

Learned from Twitter friends (@ta_wheeler) and bugguide.net

that though it looks like a crane fly, it's not a fly at all

(flies have 2 wings, this creature has 4).

It's a hanging fly (Bittacus chlorostigma),

and the only representative of its genus among the Pacific states.

I am so glad I got to meet it.

Last, but not least, the first confirmed painted lady I've seen here this year.

I took this photo because twitter-folks (@ErikRunquist @eButterfly_org)

are interested in tracking their migration.

And I'm so very glad I was therefore motivated to encounter this charming animal.

I hope spring is springing forth merrily (northern hemisphere),

or fall is falling elegantly (southern hemisphere),

wherever you are.

=)

xoxobb

Feeder frenzy, fawn photobomb and fabulous fungi

It was a cold morning and I'd just flung a bunch of wild bird seed out.

The birds rewarded us with early morning visits.

Two hungry acorn woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus)

neatly photobombed by a mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) fawn.

THREE acorn woodpeckers on one pinecone. Impressive.

Especially the one that's upside down.

I also like that one tiny bit of feed falling 'neath them.

Sticking the tongue out.

First saw these two Steller's jays (Cyanocitta stelleri)
and wondered why the little one was standing its ground in the face of a larger one.

And then I thought: oh... the little one is probably the offspring of the big one.*

And rather than threatening with the big mouth, it's saying, "Feed me!"
It's a theory.*

Since we've gotten a bit of rain these last few weeks,
the hygroscopic earthstars (Astraeus hygrometricus) unfurled again,
much to my delight.

I love this olive green one... so elegant.

Nice beige, crackly one.

This one shows JUST how much they can look like an exploded acorn.

So, that's some of the things kicking around the property in February.

I will be posting more images of birds
and the early-blooming flowers soon.

In the meantime, here's to more rain here in the west! Woo-hoo!

xoxoxo bb


*Yes, it's a theory, but it's probably wrong. Two smarties commented that
this sort of behavior is common in mated pairs. Flirting, basically. =) Thanks, peeps!

2 manzanita shots to go, please...

Busy, but today's assignment was "red"

(for the 30 day photo challenge by @just_go_do_it)

so as soon as I realized that meant some quality time with manzanita,

I grabbed the Nikon and headed out.

I find myself gazing at this plant like I'm in love.

Just staring and staring.

So beautiful. We're very lucky to have them here.

SO many wildlife species eat the berries,

and they are early bloomers in the spring,

which gives a low hummmmm to the landscape

as thousands of bees merrily pollinate them

to begin their little bee lives for the year.

Maybe I am in love. =)

xoxobbb

Bugs on my house, inaugural edition

If you've not noticed, I added a new page to this blog

(see BB Pages, right column)

explaining #BugsOnMyHouse, a campaign to

document & learn about bugs wherever you are.

EASY-style.

EVERYONE is welcome to participate. =)

Bloggy, tweety, instagram-y, tumblr-y, however you wish.

#BugsOnMyHouse will unite them.

Feel free to "comment" links to your work if you like. =)

*********

Here's First Batch, from Saturday, 31 May.

Beautiful bug: guessing it is a hemipteran,

that is, a member of the Hemiptera order, true bugs.

 As with the rest of these, will look them up as I have time.
I've already updated this post once to improve the IDs.

Here's another hemiptera candidate, 2 views:

 My SUPER unscientific 1st guess was stink bug,

'cause I tend to think they're cute. And this guy was cute.

Update: looking at Laws Fieldguide to the Sierra Nevada and bugguide.net,
I now think it's a shield bug, in the genus Eurygaster.

Side view of same.

This one was SO dark, I had to lighten it a LOT to see anything.

Some kinda beetle?

Guessing it's a treehopper or a planthopper... 

 Those beautiful wings are almost iridescent.

Ladybird beetles are having a banner year. 

Maybe because it didn't freeze forever so there are 10 million aphids.

Update: best guess is convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens.

Mayfly. Pretty intricate, when you look closely.

 the Ephemeroptera order.

Update: it may be a female Callibaetis ferrugineus hageni,
one of the small minnow mayfly species
(btw, the photo at that link is AMAZING).

I remember from water quality monitoring (looking at benthic macro-invertebrates),
finding this species indicated good water quality. =)

DONE.

See?!? EASY.

That's the point:

photograph, post, guess & go.

=) Happy Summer Bug Time!

xoxobb

5" snow to green in 1 week + mystery kill = same ol' same ol'

Our greenhouse, post-snow, on April Fool's Day, appropriately enough. 

Shimmery: watching snow fall in the morning as things warm up. 

Meanwhile, under cover of snowness, still growing in the greenhouse:

Basil babies are SO symmetrical, I just love them. CUTE cotyledons. 

Close up of spinach babies, some still sporting their seed case. EXTRA cute.

I didn't crop out the yellow on the right so I'd remember to tell you that I FINALLY figured out
how to foil the mice et al. that would eat my baby plants.
Put 5 gallon buckets (yellow or otherwise) upside down on a table,
put plants on top of that. DONE!

I am SO not a designer, but I love how the lavender & oregano look together.

Happy accident.

I'm taking overview photos of the garden, now and then,

so MAYBE, later this year, I'll have some cool time lapse thing. Maybe.

Depends upon whether my garden ever stops looking like

an "AFTER TORNADO" photo. *sigh*

Was just wondering if we'd see any baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii)

post-snowfall, then spied this:

Just the one, but I'll take it.

Such a lovely flower, such a brief show.

I heart them.

And I found a partial spine & pelvis in the back of our property, near the violets,

so I'll probably be looking this pup up today to try & ID it.

This is near where I've seen most of the carnivores cruising through;

coyotes, foxes, bobcats, lion.

Makes you wonder what goes on in the night.

xoxobb

BAM! Turkey glamour KNOCKS me out in 1 photo

This stunner paraded by 20 minutes ago...

*swoon!*

Can't resist 2 more.

Never caught it perfectly focused, etc.,
but that back turns to orange/copper FIRE w/the right angle.

An embarrassment of riches, for sure.

xoxobb

Rando photos w/a wee bit o' rumination...

Earlier this week, thanks to Olivia  (@squidfan) at Beasts in a Populous City,
I've agreed to take a photo every day for 365 days,
as sponsored/inspired by 500px.

 Round robin (day 2)

AND I signed up at 500 px (as biobabbler),
where Olivia already has some lovelies up.

Catfish Upon Carp (TX)

Also learned this week to see if there's ROOM
in the fridge before picking TONS o kale...

Hence kale living as bouquet, this week...

Kale glamour


Kale karbunkle?


First day of photo phun was yesterday, wherein I TOTALLY SPACED
until, "Aw, pretty sunset!"

Then remembered.
DASHED for camera and raced outside to shoot rapidly fading sunset.

But, no go: battery dead.

eep!

RAN back inside, scrambled for backup battery, replaced,
JAMMED back outside, & shot a few before the sun was done.

Phew.

Day 1:
an inglorious beginning.
However, for me, that's part of the point.

Just take the plunge, elegantly or otherwise.

KerSPLASH!

Just shoot it!
(You know, with a camera…)

Please let me know if YOU have started some new campaign this year,
or are planning on it.

When pondering Yea or Nay,
I landed on: life is for the living.
DO IT.

The alternative is SO dull.

=)

xoxobb

p.s. haven't decided when or where or which photos I'll share,
but will probably not share them all. Just ones I think are interesting,
or provide a view into my-life-at-that-moment (photo-diary style).
Already flung several on twitter (@biobabbler). xo