my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald

[Robert]

Ian,

I forgot to list the birds I saw on my last outing to Rockbound Pass.

Clark's Nutcracker - Nucifraga columbiana
Stellar's Jay - Cyanocitta stelleri
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis
Dark-eyed Junco - Junco hyemaolis - I call them Oregon Juncos
Raptor - It was too far away to get an ID
Sparrow - Hiding in the chaparral. It too never appeared long enough to make an ID

I was also pleased to see a Sagebrush Lizard, Sceloporus graciosus. They look a bit like the common Western Fence Lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis.

An Atlantis Fritillary, Speyeria atlantis, was another good sighting.

I will be my best to post this information on my diary.

[ian mcdonald]

A colourful group Robert.

[ian mcdonald]

A mixed day today with the weather being neither sunny or dull. A short walk along a path and I noticed a roe deer watching me from tall grass. I knew if I reached for the camera the deer would probably run off. Instead, we looked at each other for a few seconds, which seemed longer and I spoke to the deer. The deer then turned and disappeared into the grass. Roe deer bark like a dog if alarmed, this one did not.  It seemed quiet on the site as far as birds were concerned, I think we are in the period when most summer visitors have left and the main force of winter visitors have yet to arrive. Birds seen were lapwing, teal, mallard, marsh harrier, reed bunting, kestrel, grey lag geese, jay, wren, willow warbler or chiff chaff (I can only identify these birds if they are singing), crow, linnet, house martin, pheasant and 15 pink foot geese (winter visitors). Images 00350, 00351, 00352, 00353, and 00354 show some of the many pools on site. There was a feeling that Autumn was nearly here.

[ian mcdonald]

The weather forecast for yesterday was rain but it stopped after breakfast. The rest of the day was more like summer. I heard geese making a noise so went to see what it was about. They were just having a good time splashing in a pool. More geese were heard a distance away so I walked in that direction. Again, the geese were having a wash in the other pool. These two groups of geese were grey lags, plus one canada. I heard pink footed geese calling and saw a flock of about a hundred circling round from the north. These dropped down to the pool and immediately started bathing before flying off again. Two cranes started calling from a distance away. I noticed three ruff prodding the ground for food by another pool. Several stonechat were flitting about on small birch bushes. A marsh harrier was hunting low, hoping to flush her lunch. Two people were seen to be using a GPS system on a pole but they walked off before I could ask what they were doing. Many dragonflies and darters were seen, some of them mating on the wing. Fungi are more prominent now. The flowers are far fewer but some are still responding to the wet and warm weather we are having. A small patch of michaelmas daisies was seen and were providing a food source for various bees and hoverflies. As I was leaving I heard the roar of a red deer. I decided to walk towards the sound but it became apparent that the deer was in a wooded area. Not wanting to come face to face with a stag in the rutting season I retreated. Other wildlife seen were a frog and two rabbits. Birds seen were grey lag geese, teal, mallard, ruff, lapwing, marsh harrier, buzzards, pheasant, reed bunting, stonechat, wren, wood pigeon, robin, magpies, pied wagtail, pink footed geese, canada goose, crows, shoveler and three snipe.  Img. 1020936, not swan lake but goose lake. Img. 1020944, pink footed geese dropping in for a wash. Img. 1020941, Inkcap. Eddible when young but tasteless. Img. 1020934 michaelmas daisy and diner.

[ian mcdonald]

Img. 00370, a ruff at the edge of one of the pools. Img. 00365 is an Aeshna juncea? Img. 1020942 shows one of the tracks across the site.

[David Nicholson]

As usual very interesting stuff Ian.

A couple of weeks ago I was in Norfolk and noticed on a number of sites Horse Chestnut trees had many damaged leaves- brown and crisped. Since we returned to Devon I have  noticed similar damaged trees here too, including at RHS Rosemoor. I wondered if you had noticed this at all in your part of the country?

[ian mcdonald]

Hello David, I was told of the disease, bleeding canker, which affects horse chestnut, several years ago. There are two other diseases which affect conker trees. There is a site, londongardenstrust.org/features/chestnut.htm which gives some information. I have not noticed any infected trees here myself and the botanist who would know is out at present. There are no horse chestnuts on "the local patch" so I can,t check for signs of any disease. Perhaps it is spread by air-borne particles or maybe infected plants imported from other countries? Many of the plant diseases seem to travel from the south of the country northwards. There is a good case for plants to be sourced from this country in planting schemes to prevent the spread of disease. To answer your question, I have not seen any infected horse chestnut here myself but there may be some. Best wishes, ian.

[ian mcdonald]

David, I have just spoken to a local naturalist. He is keen on all aspects of the subject. When the disease affecting the leaves of horse chestnut appeared in our area he decided to study the cause. He says the leaf problem is caused by a larvae of a micro-moth. It is a leaf miner and lives between the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf. It appears that a fungi also enters the leaf and between them they cause the leaf to whither. The micro-moth now has predators which are helping to control the numbers. My friend says that the moth seems to have spread from the south along main highways. Hope this is of interest.

[Robert]

Ian,

Autumn-like weather has arrived to our part of California, both the high elevations and here in the Sacramento Valley. Yesterday, I saw Sandhill Cranes migrating south over our Sacramento home.

In the high country of the Sierra Nevada the weather has turned frosty at night, however there is still much activity. I saw the following birds on my Thursday outing: Clark's Nutcracker, Steller's Jay, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Dark-eyed Junco, Mountain Chickadee, Common Raven, White-crowned Sparrow, Dipper, Mallard (female), Fox Sparrow, Red-shafted Flicker, and a Warbler (species unknown - a female and I did not get a long look). There were still insects active too (but fewer).

Your report was interesting - a somewhat similar situation. I will be very interested to see how things progress.

[ian mcdonald]

Robert, we do not usually get extremes of weather in our area. No frosts yet and snow is now a rare event. The Autumn season seems to be about on time this year. Cottongrass is now brown and the leaves of birch are turning yellow and falling. Oak trees are still green. The daytime temperature in the greenhouse on Thursday was 80f. The Autumn rut has started with red deer roaring towards evening. I don,t know where our cranes go during winter but they are only away for about three months. I imagined California to be constant hot sunny days with people surfing all day, as in the adverts on TV? Are your ravens, mallard and dipper the same species as we have.

[David Nicholson]

David, I have just spoken to a local naturalist. He is keen on all aspects of the subject. When the disease affecting the leaves of horse chestnut appeared in our area he decided to study the cause. He says the leaf problem is caused by a larvae of a micro-moth. It is a leaf miner and lives between the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf. It appears that a fungi also enters the leaf and between them they cause the leaf to whither. The micro-moth now has predators which are helping to control the numbers. My friend says that the moth seems to have spread from the south along main highways. Hope this is of interest.

Many thanks for looking further into this Ian. It will be interesting to see if the problem re-occurs next year.

[ruweiss]

Practically all the horse chestnuts in our region are affected by these micro moths which results in brown
leaves already in summer. The communites ban the planting of these trees and ask the people to collect
the fallen leaves which get mostly burned and must not be composted. I heard, that the red flowered
horse chestnuts do not get affected by these moths but I am not quite sure about this.

[David Nicholson]

It seems there is much information on the Internet about this problem (one article below) which seem cast serious doubt on the future of Horse Chestnut trees.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/17/conkers-could-vanish-from-britain-within-15-years-as-horse-chest/

Sorry to have 'grabbed' your diary Ian.

[ian mcdonald]

That,s OK David, that is what it is for. I have just been to our local churchyard where we have conker trees. It is too late to see if the leaves are affected as they are falling now. There was no sign of bleeding canker. I asked the local authority who are now responsible for the churchyard maintenance, to leave a small area of grass uncut. There was a rare sedge there, and they have left it uncut. It may be too late to save the sedge as the area around the graves used to be treated with weedkiller. The LA tell me this will no longer be used. A small step forward for conservation.

[Robert]

Robert, we do not usually get extremes of weather in our area. No frosts yet and snow is now a rare event. The Autumn season seems to be about on time this year. Cottongrass is now brown and the leaves of birch are turning yellow and falling. Oak trees are still green. The daytime temperature in the greenhouse on Thursday was 80f. The Autumn rut has started with red deer roaring towards evening. I don,t know where our cranes go during winter but they are only away for about three months. I imagined California to be constant hot sunny days with people surfing all day, as in the adverts on TV? Are your ravens, mallard and dipper the same species as we have.

Hi Ian,

Our Dipper is Cinclus mexicanus, Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos, and  the Common Raven - Corvus corax.

The photograph of the Dragonfly was fantastic! Very 

I don't know where the concept of California always being hot and sunny with young men surfing all day came from. It seems like the images from the 1950's and 1960's Disney beach movies. If so, kind of amazing such images and ideas are so long lasting and have traveled beyond the U.S.A. Needless to say, this is a fantasy, even in Southern California. Here, in the north, autumn weather is here with cool nights and warm days (what we call Indian Summer).