Photos / Sounds
What
Bindweed Turret Bee (Diadasia bituberculata)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Large colony about 3m long and 1m wide. Very active.
See observation in 2017 of another colony about 1/2 mile further south in the park.
Photos / Sounds
What
Coastal Rosy Boa (Lichanura orcutti)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Overcast, 75F
Lethargic, but reacted quickly to touch.
Photos / Sounds
What
Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Egg sac and emerging babies on Lantana.
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What
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
On a large ham radio antenna at 60'. Basing ID mostly on distinctive head markings. Camera autofocus was more interested in the antenna than the bird.
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What
Monarch (Danaus plexippus)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Kept circling the yard, but landing on this same spot on a large wisteria.
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What
Genus MecaphesaObserver
ericjorgensenDescription
Hiding in plain sight in a ragwort flower. Tiny crab spider about 5-6 mm across. Tiny hairs probably indicate Mecaphesa as opposed to other members of Thomisidae found on the same plant. The hairs are clearer on the enlarged second photo.
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What
West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Feeding on Lantana blossoms
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What
Oblique Streaktail (Allograpta obliqua)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Small, no longer than about 12mm. Swept back wings. Very precise hover and movements. Rested frequently on leaves, but didn't observe it feed on the Lantana blossoms.
Photos / Sounds
What
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Passer domesticus
A dozen at a time can descend on my lawn.
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What
Common Digger Bees (Genus Anthophora)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Darting, hovering, hectic behavior unlike the honeybees on the same Lantana flowers.
Green eyes. Well-defined stripes on abdomen.
Photos / Sounds
What
Nuttall's Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Relatively frequent visitor to this power pole on the corner of my lot. Very noisy.
Originally told it was Nuttal's, but I don't think the face is dark enough.
No red crown so probably female.
Photos / Sounds
What
Valley Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa sonorina)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Female Valley Carpenter Bee. They are attracted in large numbers to the Wisteria that covers my patio. This one was apparently too cold to function. She sat in the sun for about 10 minutes, then took off.
My patio has several brazen if not tame lizards. Two of them watch her closely the whole time, but must have decided it wasn't worth it.
Photos / Sounds
What
California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Pulling nesting materials from a planter
Photos / Sounds
What
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Maybe a juvenile female. No striking head markings or blue coloration.
Perched on tall ham radio tower observing gophers in backyard.
Photos / Sounds
What
Tall Flatsedge (Cyperus eragrostis)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Growing in pond near intersection of East Entrance and N. Arroyo trail in Sycamore Cyn Park. They are ubiquitous in the park waterways.
Photos / Sounds
What
Fremont Cottonwood (Populus fremontii)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Growing a few yards from a small creek. Deeply fissured bark on old growth. Heart-shaped leaves with elongated tip and rounded teeth on the edges.
Photos / Sounds
What
Acmon Blue (Icaricia acmon)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Temps in the low 90's F.
At rest, the butterfly never revealed the dorsal side of the wings. In flight, the dorsal side is clearly a light blue. Very erratic flight. Landed several times on ground level straws and twigs, but never on a flower indicating what it feeds on. The surrounding area was a large spread of Common Spikeweed which several Checkered Whites were feeding on.
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Western Black Widow (Latrodectus hesperus)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Western Black Widow wrapping honey bee. I saw the bee land in the web very close to the ground. The spider came out of a small (about 25 mm diameter) hole in the flat ground, trussed up the bee, and dragged it into the hole in less than 30 seconds.
Photos / Sounds
What
Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exilis)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Very small butterfly on Lantana. Wingspan maybe 2.5-3 cm. Late in the day. Temps around 75 deg F.
I can't even guess what the dorsal side of the wings looks like. The thorax is light blue.
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What
Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Stiff stems arcing gently from the center. Evergreen. Green leaves, about 5 cm in length and very narrow, almost spiky-looking. Fruit in dense clusters. Yellow flowers.
Its leaves did not have the characteristic odor of culinary tarragon (French tarragon) which is a variant.
Photos / Sounds
What
Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Stiff stems arcing gently from the center. Evergreen. Green leaves, about 5 cm in length and very narrow, almost spiky-looking. Fruit in dense clusters. Yellow flowers.
It's leaves did not have the characteristic odor of culinary tarragon (French tarragon) which is a variant.
Photos / Sounds
What
Willow Gall Midges (Genus Rabdophaga)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Willow with rose-shaped leaf gall caused by the Rhabdophaga rosario midge.
Photo also shows Willow Apple Gall on stems and leaves.
Way out of my element here so any guidance would be appreciated.
Photos / Sounds
What
Willow Apple Gall Sawfly (Euura californica)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Fleshy willow leaf gall caused by a sawfly. These are distinctively different from galls caused by eriophyid mites.
All willows observed in Sycamore Cyn Park had these galls. Willows seem to be particularly prone to galling.
Photos / Sounds
What
Willow Bead Gall Mite (Aculus tetanothrix)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Willow blister galling from eriophyid mites. Every willow I've observed in Sycamore Cyn Park is affected.
The mite itself is too small to photograph (with my equipment). They don't seem to harm the tree.
Photos / Sounds
What
California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
At first glance it looks very much like W. robusta. But the photos clearly show long marginal filaments on new and old growth which indicate W. filifera.
This example is growing in a stand of Sycamore and cottonwood trees.
Photos / Sounds
What
Vivid Dancer (Argia vivida)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Beautiful blend of black, blue and lavender.
Note wings folded at rest. Dragonflies leave them extended.
Narrow shoulder strips. S8 and S9 are solid blue.
Photos / Sounds
What
Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Must have been basking in the sun It certainly couldn't be feeding on this dried up fiddlehead.
Skipper characteristic "hooked" ends on the antenna.
Photos / Sounds
What
Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
Gray Hairstreak feeding on Climbing Milkweed
Photos / Sounds
What
Hartweg's Climbing Milkweed (Funastrum heterophyllum)Observer
ericjorgensenDescription
5 petal lavender flower in clusters. Leaves long, skinny and roughly arrowhead-shaped.
This example was a deep, dense tangle of vines.
