my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald

[MarcR]

Ian,

Your countryside is amazingly beautiful!

[ian mcdonald]

Thanks Marc. I think people tend to take it for granted, especially if they live in the area. Too much TV and not enough walking? Any area has wildlife to offer if we take the time to look?

[Robert]

Hello Ian,

There have been many unexpected changes here. As we are able, Jasmin and I continue to enjoy your photographs and postings immensely. Jasmin especially enjoys birds, however everything is incredibly fascinating. I will get back to you with our details in a number of days. Tomorrow, Thursday, I have a long day at the farm. I am still trying to catch up with some of my research. July 2024 in our region was the warmest July in recorded history. Many high temperature records were broken. On many days high temperatures exceeded 43.3 C. My trials with local Eriogonum species were quite encouraging. Other local native species faired well too.

Thank you for sharing your excellent photographs and your insights of your local flora and fauna.

[ian mcdonald]

I had another trip to the coast yesterday. The area I visited is just behind the piles of shingle thrown up by the sea. There are areas of low marsh with much Creeping Willow, Salix repens. Also there is the variety argentea. Marsh Pennywort, Hydrocotyle vulgaris is common here, as is Marsh Cinquefoil. Other plants on the marsh include Marsh Lousewort, Northern Marsh Orchid, Common Butterwort and rarely Coral Root Orchid. In another area piles of pebbles have been arranged in a semi-circular fashion. These piles are colonised by a variety of plants including Burnet Rose, Sheeps Bit Scabious and Bell Heather. Creeping Willow carpets the ground in-between the mounds. Many Silver Y moths were here.  Gorse is out-competing the area. Seen yesterday were two Scotch Argus, my first this year.  In an area of short turf Field Gentians, Gentianella campestris, can be seen. On bare sandy areas are many dry habitat plants such as Common Birds-foot, Ornithopus perpusillus, Hop Trefoil, Trifolium campestre and Sheeps Bit Scabious. Most plants had finished flowering now. I then went to an area where mud was exposed by the out-going tide. I met a party of bird watchers who told me that Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Ruff and Godwit were there. I did not see any godwit (that I recognised). Photography was hampered by a strong sun making the birds a silhouette.



Semi-circular banks of pebbles.



Creeping Willow.



Burnet Rose.



Sheeps-bit Scabious.



Field Gentian.

 

[ian mcdonald]

Silver Y.



Scotch Argus.



Ruff on left, Dunlin behind and Ringed Plover.

[Yann]

Interesting bog, here we don't find Coral Root Orchid but Gentianella and Gentiana are in huge quantity this year. The summer was so wet that the countryside looks lije in June.

[MarcR]

Ian,

Your profusion of temperate orchids reminds me of the Canadian Labrador coast. They grow different genera and species; but an equal, or somewhat greater profusion.

[ian mcdonald]

Marc, in the UK we are loosing orchid (and other) habitats at an increasing rate to "developments."

[Jeffnz]

Development and climate change not a good combination.

[Robert]

Hi Ian,

You mentioned some fascinating plants on your last outing.

I was wondering, are the piles of pebbles natural or of manmade origin? In another correspondence you mentioned tank traps and areas of soil erosion. Is this the same site?

We have a number of Orchidaceae species that are native to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in our region. Ladies’ Tresses, Spiranthes romanzoffiana, is fairly common in moist meadows at higher elevations in the Sierra and Nevada mountains.


Spiranthes romanzoffiana

Summer Coralroot, Corallorhiza maculata var. maculata, is also fairly common in drier locations over a fairly broad altitude range.


Corallorhiza maculata var. maculata

Rattlesnake Plantain is very common in dry mixed coniferous forests. Sierra Bog Orchid, Plantanthera dilatata var. leucostachys, and Rein Orchids, Piperia elongata and P. transversa are not numerous but commonly seen in the spring. Stream Orchid, Epipactis gigantea, is found at times growing along the banks of streams and rivers.

Development, wildfires, and rapid climatic changes are wreaking havoc in both managed and unmanaged ecosystems in our part of California. It would require an extensive article to thoroughly describe the impacts development, wildfires and climate change are having on our wild ecosystems as well as agriculture, and even ornamental horticulture. The magnitude of the crisis unfolding is very difficult for many to comprehend.

[ian mcdonald]

Hello Robert, thanks for your photos of orchids in your area. I thought that someone might ask about the banks of stone so I did some research about them. I could find no reference as to why they were arranged this way but seem to remember someone telling me the area was worked for the stones. The tank traps are only a few yards away from the banks of stone, on the shingle beach. The Marsh is also in the same locality. The area is a fairly small nature reserve but does not seem to be managed at all.

[MarcR]

Hi Ian,

------ We have a number of Orchidaceae species that are native to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in our region. Ladies’ Tresses, Spiranthes romanzoffiana, is fairly common in moist meadows at higher elevations in the Sierra and Nevada mountains.

(Attachment Link)
Spiranthes romanzoffiana

Summer Coralroot, Corallorhiza maculata var. maculata, is also fairly common in drier locations over a fairly broad altitude range.

(Attachment Link)
Corallorhiza maculata var. maculata

Rattlesnake Plantain is very common in dry mixed coniferous forests. Sierra Bog Orchid, Plantanthera dilatata var. leucostachys, and Rein Orchids, Piperia elongata and P. transversa are not numerous but commonly seen in the spring. Stream Orchid, Epipactis gigantea, is found at times growing along the banks of streams and rivers.
-------

Robert,

I find it interesting that we have Corallorhiza maculata var. maculata native on our property at 360 feet above sea level.