Diario de bob-dodge

October, 2012

Observed Road Kill: Striped Skunk, Black-Tailed Deer, Coyote, Raccoon, Barn Owl

Observed while on the freeway: Great Blue Heron, Red-tailed Hawk, Snowy Egret, Great Egret, Turkey Vulture, American White Pelican, 4 Coyotes, numerous Ravens and Crows.

At or near the Ranch: American Kestrel, Northern Flicker, Meadowlark, European Starling, Canada Goose, Mallard, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Varied Thrush, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, House Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Stellar's Jay, Hermit Thrush, Mountain Chickadee, Mourning Dove, Dark-eyed Junco, Western Bluebird, Red-tailed Hawk, Black-billed Magpie

Lodgepole Pine, Ponderosa Pine, Spruce ssp, Cedar ssp, Manzanita ssp, Western Grey Squirrel

Datura roadside, Russian Thistle

Here it is the middle of October and the area is experiencing a third wave of Oak Moths. Our first hatching was in late spring (May) but was not, to my knowledge, a heavy infestation. Hatch Number Two was a monster on the Stanford Campus with numerous oak trees totally stripped of leaves, especially near the new Performing Arts Center, but I heard reports of this at other on-campus sites. Hatch Number Three began about three weeks ago (early October) corresponding with warm days and nights, unusual for this time of year.

I noted two days ago (10/18) that there are still moths flitting around the Valley Oaks seeking a place to deposit their eggs to assure the species will survive through into the next season.