mosscoveredrocks's Favorites
Photos / Sounds
What
Long-nosed Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei)Observer
rilesDescription
Caught under dead tree. Approx 80 degrees F. Looks like a juvenile, orange coloring is faint. Approx 10 inches long
Near a river on fort Churchill road
Photos / Sounds
What
Sand Aliciella (Aliciella leptomeria)Observer
blakepaddlesDescription
Loose sand on a southern slope in one of the drainages at Hidden Valley. Elevation around 5000’. Stared at this for awhile hedging on species, but truncate-acuminate lobes are how I’m distinguishing this from A. lottiae. Couldn’t get the camera to focus too well on the calyx.
Genus named for Alice Eastwood. Leptomeria means small/narrow/thin/slight.
Polemonioideae / Loeselieae
Photos / Sounds
What
Great Basin Spadefoot (Spea intermontana)Observer
twillrichardsonDescription
Getting pretty big. Interesting to note their strong dorsal pattern at this age, and black lips
Photos / Sounds
What
Cross Sandpuffs (Tripterocalyx crux-maltae)Observer
blakepaddlesDescription
This has been a fairly dependable patch of Tripterocalyx over the years, but two or three months prior to these photos, the roadside was re-graded and widened. This seems to have no discernible effect on the population.
Developing fruits in last photo.
Growing in very unconsolidated sand.
Photos / Sounds
What
Zygina flammigeraObserver
mosscoveredrocksDescription
This is a tiny little leaf hopper, maybe 2mm long. 2 ornate red squiggles down the thorax and forewings. Yellow colored everywhere else. Found it about a month ago but never got to ID it.
Photos / Sounds
What
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)Observer
mosscoveredrocksDescription
bill and head were wrapped in green landscaping netting
Photos / Sounds
What
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)Observer
mosscoveredrocksDescription
I have no clue what happened here?? Maybe it was the Bald Eagles that visit here once in a while??? It does suggest avian predator, as the animal went in through the belly and rear, unlike a coyote would (they kinda just tear the whole thing apart in my experience, especially the wings, which were perfectly in tact here). The head and a Good part of the neck was missing, all of the innards were missing (again suggesting avian pred) except the heart, which I found 10m away. One leg was torn off and found further away still. The fishing line in the photo did not appear to be responsible for the incident, probably just picked up in the scuffle.
Photos / Sounds
What
Sierra Bog Orchid (Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys)Observer
mosscoveredrocks
