A pair of Common Ravens has been nesting in McClellan Ranch this year. I don't believe this species has nesting in McClellan Ranch in the precious 25 years.
A large gopher snake with a blunt tail, presumably from some injury. I have been trying to keep notes on the markings of snakes to determine if I am encounter the same snake multiple times, or new individuals. With gopher snakes I number the splotches that run from the head down the center of the tail, noting any that are distinct.
This snake was found by Austin Pleban.
The third white band from the head of this California Kingsnake was unique in that it did not completely cross the back. I have been trying to keep notes on the markings of snakes I see at McClellan Ranch in order to determine if I am seeing the same snakes over and over or whether I am seeing different individuals. I have only seen a California Kingsnake on two occasions, and after checking notes and photos, it appears to be the same snake. I also found a shed skin from the same snake. The snake was previously seen on May 7, 2010.
This snake pulled at least two baby rabbits out of a burrow while an adult brush rabbit cowered nearby. It did not eat the first rabbit before going back into the burrow for another.
This swarm was captured and hived and is now in the Rolling Hills 4H beeyard in McClellan Ranch.
For quite a few years I have been seeing bees I think are in the genus Andrena show up around March 1st, making numerous small burrows. A few week later another bee can be seen entering the same burrows. I think these are genus Nomada.
Found by Lucas.
Growing in the Cupertino Community Garden, but if gardeners have their way, not for long.
A lousy photo, but wanted to document the first sighting at McClellan Ranch this season.
I have noticed this fungus for years, growing along wood chipped paths in the community garden in McClellan Ranch Park.
This photo is of a tree with male flowers just upstream from the amphitheater.
There were four Red-shouldered Hawks in the park this morning.
Three White-breasted Nuthatches were searching out insects on the trunk of the Valley oak by the blacksmith shop.
Sandia, a volunteer, noticed these larvae in the water bowl of a lizard in the nature museum. Steve Fend identified them under the microscope. They may be in the genus Dasyhelea, but we decided to wait and see if they grow larger and possibly rear to adult stage.
Noticed many tiny worms on side of an aquarium in which I've kept a crayfish and two Gambusia for about a year.
This squirrel gathered numerous Boletus mushrooms over a two day period at McClellan Ranch. It would sometimes pause to eat a bit before scampering up a tree with the mushroom, only to shortly come back down and seek out another Boletus. In Europe, Red Squirrels "pick" a variety of fungi (mainly boletes) and store them in trees where they dry. The dried stores are then eaten through the long winter and form up to 25% of the diet. For this reason Boletus are sometimes referred to as "squirrel's bread".
