A nesting female at the local nursery. In a Cut-leaf maple with a sold sign on it. The buyer is having them hold the tree until the chicks have fledged.
many of the lower branches of the oaks are infested with the caterpillars this spring
Photos 2 is of the frasse or Oak moth droppings upon a spider web.
Nesting female in an Alder branch hanging over the trail. Three youngsters underneath!
People often miss the fruit balls hanging from the now dead vines. Seeds are big and, as I understan it, very poisonous.
Feeding on Live Oak. Looks like another bad year for the oaks. I recently saw numerous small oaks whose leaves were eaten away by the California Oak Moth so it is double trouble. Don't know if it is response to early winter rains and then none or unusually warm days in the past few weeks with temperatures exceeding 80º, which is unusual for our area.
I almost stepped on these two as I went to reprogram a garden times. My question was: SEX or CANNIBALISM?
Guess it was the former since they were still there, unchanged, three hours later.
Active nest building
The the trees at the Duck Pond. I could hear five or six calling to ano another.
Nesting time in the trees
hanging out in our garden.
A fairly open area covered with lots of ground up woody materials. Many individuals still to open if the weather conditions will permit.
a variety of Manzanita native I think. In open fence-line, drainage.
Under boards and other materials. Last photo shows underside of a dead individual
At junction of trails 7 and 8
I suspect a Mason Bee. Appear in a friend's woodpile almost yearly. Often just sit there for a couple of days and then die.
What I call Giant Bedstraw, climbing to 3' while hanging on to other plants with its sticky leaves and stem
Thought he was hiding from me by being still.
Alpine Road Trail, deep in the shade, associated with CA Buckeye and Riparian habitat. 4 locations; largest grouping: 6 clumps
Seeds sown after the town/Stanford remade the trail. A few have survived and in several places seem to be reseeding.
Small and large patches along the trail; generally heavy shade under Live Oaks
all along Alpine Road Trail; from 6" to 5' tall, long tendrills
Many of these out in the Desert Garden Section. This one sat still long enough to photograph.
Many, many plants viewed on our walk but only one in bloom right now. The flowering stalk stands nearly three feet high.
Much of the Dirca is in full bloom now. At this site the Dirca is located with Oaks and in the fringe of the chaparral
A wonderful stand is developing here again this season.
I believe there has been a name change to: Lowland Shooting Star , Dodecatheon clevelandii ssp patulum. Out in the open, the green stem easily visible.
