iwoodard's Favorites
Photos / Sounds
What
Paruroctonus tulareObserver
sanjoaquinserpentsDescription
Three individuals observed: 1 small juvenile (not photographed) and two presumed gravid females, one in each photo
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American Beaver (Castor canadensis)Observer
tombaxterDescription
Tail slapped when it dove to get away. I am not 100% sure it isnt a Muskrat, but the tail slap makes me pretty sure it was a beaver
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Rhopalomyia salviaeObserver
hkibakDescription
This female, and four other adult midges were reared from several 5-10 mm tubular galls, 2-3 mm in diameter, on Salvia mellifera leaf edges, stems, and petioles.
The plant material was collected on February 11, 2024, and the approximately 2 mm long midges were photographed in 70% isopropanol on April 9th, 2024.
Photos / Sounds
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Rhopalomyia salviaeObserver
hkibakDescription
Collected for rearing. Two exuviae in this first photo.
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California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)Observer
camerinoDescription
landed on the rock where a young hiker was already residing on. Condor ended up perching alongside the individual for roughly 30-40 minutes
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Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris)Observer
iwoodardDescription
First birth of the year from this colony!
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Genus TorymusObserver
iwoodardDescription
This post is for ID'ing the wasp pictured, who appears to parasitizing the midge Rhopalomyia californica
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Bearberries and Manzanitas (Genus Arctostaphylos)Observer
fredwatsonDescription
Twig photos are from 3 separate twigs. Likewise for the inflorescence photos.
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California Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis ssp. coturniculus)Observer
connorcochraneDescription
Being Eaten by a GREG
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California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)Observer
nrabiDescription
At least 10 flying
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Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia)Observer
iwoodardDescription
Putting lower level ID in the hopes of attracting an expert here. Unfortunately, the only photo I have of this stunning butterfly! All neon green-yellow and black striped wings. In understory of some palms and pines. Hopefully identifiable with the bigfoot-quality photo!
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Lilian's Meadowlark (Sturnella lilianae ssp. lilianae)Observer
christopherrustayDescription
I think that this is a Chihuahuan Eastern Meadowlark (S. lilianae). First photo shows light cheek and no yellow on the malar. 2nd photo shows strongly contrasting crown stripes, but cheek looks dark. Made no noise and I didn't see the tail spread as it landed after flying off from this perch ...Letting the iNaturalist community have their say.
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Island Manzanita (Arctostaphylos crustacea ssp. insulicola)Observer
fredwatsonDescription
Photo 1: abaxial leaf.
Plenty of stomates and hairs.
Photo 2: adaxial leaf at same magnification as Photo 1.
0 stomates & very sparse hairs.
Photos / Sounds
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Bearberries and Manzanitas (Genus Arctostaphylos)Observer
hkibakDescription
Here is the path I followed on Jepson (Keybase CW) to get to glandulosa:
- Burls at base of main stem, also above or not; plant sprouting after fire [ED: Some question whether this is a burl or a reaction to mechanical injury]
- Leaves with stomata on both surfaces, occasionally fewer adaxially, surfaces generally the same in color and/or hairiness [ED: Stomata are on both surfaces, but far fewer adaxially]
- Old stem bark smooth or peeling, +- red
- Plant erect; inflorescence panicle
- Twig and/or inflorescence axes and/or bracts glandular
- Glands black or clear (pink), on short and long hairs; burl hemispheric; KR, NCoR, SnFrB, SCoR, w SnBr, PR
- Twig generally glandular; KR, NCoR, SnFrB, SCoR, PR
Sorry I did not bring my good camera for the black glandular hairs but you should be able to make them out.
https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=49170
Also looks a great deal like the photos on page xx of David Stryer's "Flora of Fort Ord" (2019), his "key:"
- Long twig hairs
- Hairs glandular
- Medium sized leaves, soft and felty underneath [Scabrous]
- Shrubby growth habit [???]
- Smooth red bark down to burl
Burl present [???]
Note that the leaf petioles are more than 5mm
Comments/disputes welcome as always!
Photos / Sounds
Observer
fredwatsonDescription
Photos:
- Adaxial
- Abaxial
- Glands closest
- Glands
- Glands
- Glands farthest
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Explorer's Manzanita (Arctostaphylos tomentosa ssp. hebeclada)Observer
fredwatsonDescription
All photos of leaves, twigs, & inflorescences are from different twigs i.e. in an attempt to sample variation within the same plant.
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Mediterranean Buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus)Observer
cmeffordDescription
Some type of ornamental plant that must have been planted a while ago but has since become a “naturalized” shrub along the edge of FONM. Looks most similar to R. alaternus, open to ideas
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Dacite Manzanita (Arctostaphylos tomentosa ssp. daciticola)Observer
fredwatsonDescription
All twig and inflorescence photos are from different twigs. Same with the leaf photos.
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Glandular Woollyleaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos tomentosa ssp. bracteosa)Observer
hkibakDescription
A manzanita a day is supposed to keep the doctor away, but...
As usual the Jepson Key fails on Fort Ord...
resulting in Arctostaphylos tomentosa daciticola
At 4-5 meters tall, this one was as tall as our Toro Manzanitas or taller, ruling out A. crustacea?
Burl below and above.
Old stem bark persistent, gray, and shedding, not smooth.
Leaf surfaces differing in color and hairiness.
Twig hair not glandular.
Twig hair short and long bristles
iNat can only come up with Arbutus
David Styer's guide puts it at A. crustacea crinita which at least is found here but he mentions "shrubby growth habit" which rules this one out. I guess I am going to go with a record tall A. crustacea crustacea
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Glandular Woollyleaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos tomentosa ssp. bracteosa)Observer
fredwatson
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Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus ssp. oreganus)Observer
majordomo
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Genus RhopalomyiaObserver
hkibakDescription
Rhopalomyia is just a placeholder. I have no idea what this is except that I think it is an undescribed gall on Eriophyllum confertiflorum
They look suspiciously like flower buds, but in photo #3 you can see the typical budding terminal inflorescence of E. confertiflorum. The galls were half way down the stem where it gets woody. The observation of the host plant is here https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/115409217
