Lake Merritt Bioblitz

A beautiful sunny day! It turns out that Lake Merritt is really big and has nudibranchs in it (whaaaaat). I said hello to gyrrfalcon and met kueda and robberfly, who are all rad and are collectively the first through third people I have ever met "from the internet."

My favorite find was this secret tiny burrow that emitted bees, my favorite vicarious find was Ken-ichi's splendid millipede, and my favorite knowledge-find was learning that Lake Merritt has a full suite of animals that I would normally only expect to see on a reef, just writ browner and smaller. Tiny anemones, tube worms, glass shrimp, sea slaters, and sea slugs.

Posted on February 26, 2014 09:01 AM by sea-kangaroo sea-kangaroo

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Brass Buttons (Cotula coronopifolia)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 03:31 PM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 03:11 PM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 03:06 PM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 02:31 PM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Nuttall's Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 02:29 PM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 02:21 PM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Petty Spurge (Euphorbia peplus)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 02:12 PM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

European Paper Wasp (Polistes dominula)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 02:08 PM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 02:04 PM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Painted Ladybird (Mulsantina picta)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:41 PM PST

Description

From a pine tree.

Larva contemplating a tiny wadded-up insect.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:36 PM PST

Description

Oak leaf welcome mat.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:17 PM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Ivy (Hedera helix)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:12 PM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Crabgrasses, Cottontops, and Allies (Genus Digitaria)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:00 PM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 12:51 PM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:57 AM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:56 AM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Domestic Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos var. domesticus)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:56 AM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Feral Pigeon (Columba livia var. domestica)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:52 AM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Groundsels (Genus Senecio)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:46 AM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:42 AM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

American Coot (Fulica americana)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:22 AM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 05:15 PM PST

Description

Small flock singing on a wire.

Photos / Sounds

What

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 05:12 PM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Mallows (Genus Malva)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:46 AM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Italian Thistle (Carduus pycnocephalus)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:46 AM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Pink Knotweed (Persicaria capitata)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:00 PM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Lawn Daisy (Bellis perennis)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:00 PM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:00 PM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:00 PM PST

Description

Eating Cheerios.

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Yellow Woodsorrels (Section Corniculatae)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 02:12 PM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Bur Clover (Medicago polymorpha)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 02:12 PM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Cut-leaved Crane's-Bill (Geranium dissectum)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 02:12 PM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:22 AM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:44 AM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Gilled Mushrooms and Allies (Order Agaricales)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:46 AM PST

Description

Big ripped-up mushrooms, and another patch of them just emerging from the mulch.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Tamarisks (Genus Tamarix)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:46 AM PST

Description

Droopy, leafless bushes next to the lake.

Photos / Sounds

What

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:46 AM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Garden Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:51 AM PST

Description

Weeds behind a building.

Photos / Sounds

What

Marvel of Peru (Mirabilis jalapa)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:51 AM PST

Description

Weeds behind a building.

Photos / Sounds

What

Great Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:53 AM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Dwarf Nettle (Urtica urens)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:58 AM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Bermuda Buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:58 AM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 12:00 PM PST

Description

With a Monarch drinking from it.

Photos / Sounds

What

Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 12:00 PM PST

Description

Was drinking from rosemary flowers just before this.

Photos / Sounds

What

Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 12:01 PM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 12:01 PM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Atlantic Ribbed Mussel (Geukensia demissa)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 11:48 AM PST

Description

Lots of big mussels along the shore.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Stinking Iris (Iris foetidissima)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:12 PM PST

Description

Thisss stuffff. Starts out as garden flowers and spreads all over the shop. Smells when you disturb it. Only in flower for a week or so, but has pods of bright red-orange berries that stay on all year.

Photos / Sounds

What

American Winter Ant (Prenolepis imparis)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:41 PM PST

Description

From a pine tree.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Pine Needle Aphids (Genus Eulachnus)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:41 PM PST

Description

From a pine tree.

Lots of these marching around.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Sow Thistles (Genus Sonchus)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 02:12 PM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 02:19 PM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Salt-loving Agaricus (Agaricus bernardii)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 02:30 PM PST

Description

Someone had clearly been through IDing this patch already.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 02:30 PM PST

Description

Big like a Western.

Photos / Sounds

What

Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 02:33 PM PST

Description

Imperturbable. When driving by later, saw this same bird perched on the fence railing literally one foot away from someone taking his photo. Night heron don't care.

Photos / Sounds

What

Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 03:23 PM PST

Description

Blurry bee on a tee tree.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:23 PM PST

Description

On a native oak.

I'm not sure if the spiders in both photos are the same one; it looks like the abdomen pattern changes, but then they both have the same weird grub thing.

Photos / Sounds

What

Running Crab Spiders (Family Philodromidae)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:20 PM PST

Description

On a native oak. Rolled up when bothered.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Twenty-spotted Lady Beetle (Psyllobora vigintimaculata)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:23 PM PST

Description

On a native oak.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:24 PM PST

Description

On a native oak.

Tags

red

Photos / Sounds

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:24 PM PST

Description

On a native oak.

Shed skin of a small furry caterpillar.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Barklice (Family Psocidae)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:25 PM PST

Description

On a native oak.

Kind of springtail-shaped, but much bigger and not jumpy.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:26 PM PST

Description

Tiny worm on a native oak leaf.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Mealybugs (Family Pseudococcidae)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:26 PM PST

Description

On a native oak.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Plant Bugs (Family Miridae)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:26 PM PST

Description

On a native oak.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Typical Cobweb Spiders (Genus Theridion)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:30 PM PST

Description

On a native oak.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:31 PM PST

Description

On a native oak.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:31 PM PST

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

California Towhee (Melozone crissalis)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:38 PM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Striped Green Sea Anemone (Diadumene lineata)

Observer

sea-kangaroo

Date

February 23, 2014 01:53 PM PST

Comments

And there's a swank new journal format!

Posted by sea-kangaroo about 10 years ago

Hah, yeah, smaller and browner and more international. We people from the Internet aren't all that bad, I hope. And yup, journals are changing to support a new kind of post called a "trip" that will let you set start and end times and list all the species you were looking for and did or did not find. Still working on it, though.

Posted by kueda about 10 years ago

Also loved being one of the internet people you've met. Delighted to now be a fully human friend.

Posted by gyrrlfalcon over 2 years ago

I am also delighted by this!

Posted by sea-kangaroo over 2 years ago

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