Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis)
Seen in Crescent City, CA harbor.
Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina)
A group on a dock in Crescent City, CA harbor.
Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina)
A group on a dock in Crescent City, CA harbor.
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
Three pictures of the same bird but different views.
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima)
This is a female bird that came to the Crescent City, CA harbor for about 7 days. This bird is rare to CA and was confirmed by many birders in the field. This is the second ever sighting in California.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Parus rufescens)
Black-capped Chickadee (Parus atricapillus) in my backyard.
Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)
both male and female swimming in Crescent City, CA harbor.
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) in a flock. This picture is just a very small part of this large flock that settled down to eat in Cascara trees.
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) in a tree.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Parus rufescens)
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) in a cherry tree
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) - Oregon junco form. Male in the middle with 4 females.
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) red-shafted form. This one is probably a female.
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) male has red crown and throat while the female just has a little red on the throat.
Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) in my backyard.
American bison (Bison bison)
Douglas Squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii)
This little fellow was unfortunately hit in front of my house. But for us, it is a good opportunity to get a closer look at him/her.
This is the top and bottom look.
Belladonna lily (Amaryllis belladonna) blooming in my front yard. There are several types similar to this flower and all go by common names such as Belladonna, naked lady, resurrection lily, and magic lily.
All these grow in the Amaryllis family but several are classified in other genus' such as Lycoris.
Those plants also follow a similar pattern of growing leaves in the rainy season, dying in the summer dry season, and flowering in the fall at the beginning of the rainy season.
I utilized the USDA web site for the best ID of this plant. www.usda.gov
wax myrtle (Morella californica)
Two pictures; the first is a closeup of the leaves and the second is the tree habit in the Redwood forest.
leathery polypody (Polypodium scouleri)
My field guide and internet searching has narrowed this plant to this polypody. If I found it on the east coast it would be a Common Polypody.
I have seen these plants in the Redwood forest living up in the trees on branches with lots of duff.
The plant pictured I found in my front yard in an overgrown section that invasive plants I removed. This was from a larger group growing on a log. It fell off, I put it in the pot with bark and mulch, hung it in a tree next to my house and I has loved it there for years now.
mountain lion (Puma concolor)
Seen in the morning while driving to a work site with a co-worker. We came around a corner and it was in the road coming at us. It took one bound up the bank of the road and disappeared into the brush.
What a thrill!!
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
Note the red shoulder patch on the left side of the bird.
Redwood-sorrel (Oxalis oregana)
With white or pink flowers this is a common plant under Redwoods. Turning the leaf over reveals the reddish to dark red underside which distinguishes it from Wood Sorrel which would be just green.
This plant is edible in small quantities as an herb in salads. The Oxalic acid gives the leaves a sour taste.
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
Also known as the domestic pigeon. This bird mainly lives in cities and towns coming in a variety of colors and mottled designs as the ones pictured show.
Western wild ginger (Asarum caudatum)
A herbaceous plant that grows in along the understory of wet and shaded Redwood and evergreen forests. This one was under Redwoods.
salal (Gaultheria shallon)
Family: Ericaceae(Heath/Cranberry family)
centipedes (Class Chilopoda)
I will need to work on further identification of the species. Any help is appreciated.
I believe it is in the Order Geophilomorpha - Soil Centipedes.
I see these all the time, in the leaf litter, in rotten logs that I break apart and under items that are wet.
Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella)
