Blog

Monarch Caterpillars And Milkweed

September 13, 2023 The excitement of finding monarch butterfly caterpillars has been keeping my attention for the last couple of weeks. While looking closely at the showy milkweed, Asclepias speciosa, and the narrowleaf milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis, we discovered that there were caterpillars on the narrowleaf milkweed. Last year, the majority of caterpillars we observed were…

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A Pre-Autumn Song

September 5th, 2023 This is a fine late summer/pre-autumn day. The morning was cool enough for me to start the day wearing layers, including a down vest. As the sun rises higher the temperature is approaching hot, so I am down to my t-shirt layer! The sky is a clear, brilliant blue with not a…

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So Many White-lined Sphinx Moths!

August 23rd, 2023 Recently, there has been a huge number of large, beautiful moths observed in the gardens throughout our valley and in the surrounding mountains. I have seen this moth in previous years in my own garden at dusk when the Evening Primroses open up. This was a summer after-dinner activity, going out and…

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The Clever Northern Raccoon

August 9th, 2023 This week a carcass was found that created a stir for a short time. Upon first look, it appeared to possibly be a California Badger. This would have been the first sighting of one on the Mitigation Project Lands but upon further research and looking carefully at the skull structure and paws,…

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California Vole Extravaganza

7/31/2023 A very common yet seldom seen animal of Little Lake Valley is a small rodent called the California vole (Microtus californicus). They are often mistaken for mice and are commonly referred to as ‘meadow mice.’ California voles are overall brown in color with a lighter gray underside. Its tail is also bicolored, brown on…

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The White-breasted Nuthatch

There is still a lot of bird activity happening in Little Lake Valley as we have entered summertime.  Juvenile birds chase their parents around, begging loudly for food while the parents madly gather insects and other edible items for these hungry young. White-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis, is our largest nuthatch in Mendocino County. The Pygmy…

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Damselflies and Dragonflies

July 6th, 2023 The riparian corridors on the Willits Bypass Mitigation Lands are the best place to walk in the heat of summer. Not only do humans think so, but the birds, mammals, insects, and other wildlife also seem to prefer these areas. Since plenty of water still flows into pools along Outlet and Davis…

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A Few Mushroom Decomposers

May 3, 2023 This cool and moist week has me thinking about mushrooms and fungi, important members of every ecological community. Luckily, there are still plenty of them out there to photograph and enjoy before the summer heat. There are different definitions for decomposers but this one from the Biologyonline.com website is clear and concise:…

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