Photos / Sounds

What

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

Observer

howardfriedman1

Date

April 10, 2021 03:29 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)

Observer

wanderant

Date

March 14, 2021 11:28 AM PDT

Description

At times I’m taken into a different world in close encounters with this species.. a very prehistoric look. One can easily get lost in the depths of its turquoise blue iris... these birds definitely the most prominent figure of El Estero waters in my opinion. Breeding tufts on the sides of head were visible on this bird. Another cormorant was also seen foraging nearby. I can imagine there will be a nesting site somewhere near in the surrounding tree growth here soon.

Photos / Sounds

What

Northern Red-shafted Flicker (Colaptes auratus ssp. cafer)

Observer

wanderant

Date

July 7, 2020 09:29 AM PDT

Description

Came across this male gleaning an oak while on my way out to check on the Pygmy Owl family this Tuesday morning. Still my favorite plumage of all our parks aves.

Photos / Sounds

What

California Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis zonata)

Observer

wanderant

Date

June 2020

Description

My second encounter with an axanthic morph (lacking of any red/yellow pigmentation). This snake could easily be mistaken for the very similar L. getula, but when taking a closer look you will notice the black face/black nostril of this snake, something unique to L. zonata, whereas L. getula has a white face/white nostril. Spotted this snake not even 5ft off trail. Made for quite the easy handle, after only a few seconds of trying to slither away the snake got quite relaxed, laying still for minutes, allowing me to handle it for about 15 minutes in total before putting it back onto the granite boulder in which it was found. I’d say this was quite the healthy adult. About 2 1/2 to 3 ft in length, and seeming to have recently shed (the dorsal and ventral scales of the snake glistened dramatically in direct sunlight). So blessed to have come across yet another one of these more uncommon morphs for the species here in the Sierra.

Photos / Sounds

What

Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis)

Observer

wanderant

Date

July 22, 2020 03:39 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

California Bay (Umbellularia californica)

Observer

wanderant

Date

February 17, 2020 08:40 PM HST

Photos / Sounds

What

Sierra Columbine (Aquilegia pubescens)

Observer

wanderant

Date

July 25, 2020 09:02 AM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Pacific Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum)

Observer

wanderant

Date

March 12, 2021 03:26 PM HST

Description

I will say... there is a beauty to be appreciate in the fresh buds of the treacherous three-leaf.

Photos / Sounds

What

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

Observer

wanderant

Date

January 20, 2021 09:55 AM HST

Description

Silent in the cottonwoods was this Red-shouldered..

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Raven (Corvus corax)

Observer

wanderant

Date

January 19, 2020 02:30 PM HST

Photos / Sounds

What

Western Black Widow (Latrodectus hesperus)

Observer

wanderant

Date

September 18, 2019 02:07 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Davidson's Penstemon (Penstemon davidsonii)

Observer

wanderant

Date

June 24, 2018 02:50 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Northern Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma)

Observer

wanderant

Date

June 14, 2020 10:09 AM PDT

Description

Day Five: Spent over 2hrs w/ the Pygmy family this Sunday morning. Lots of activity to be witnessed. Shortly after arriving at the Pygmy’s home I got a visit from one of the adults on the branches of a Canyon Live Oak maybe 15-20 feet to my left (this was now the third time witnessing the owl land on this exact branch). The adult had yet another fence lizard in its talons, and some pestering female Anna’s Hummingbird company as well. Got to witness the adult drop off the fence lizard into the cavity for its owlets. Not long after one of the owlets came up to the entry hole to give me a brief stare. Within the next hours time I witnessed a pair of Cassin’s Vireo swarm one of the adult Pygmy, along with a stand off between an adult female Hairy Woodpecker and one of the adult Pygmy owls. The both puffed out their breast feathers, and even head feathers for the female Hairy, as if putting on some sort of territorial display. The female Hairy seemed to impose her dominance though, leaving the Pygmy on branches below as she displayed her feathers from directly above the owl.