Photos / Sounds

What

Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)

Observer

tesgeorge

Date

September 22, 2023 01:13 PM PDT

Description

Killing (or had killed) a river otter due to territorial dispute, pics 1-3 show it with the river otter. Victim ID confirmed by professional naturalist on whale watching tour. River Otter observation here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/184795515

Photos / Sounds

What

Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)

Observer

ki6h

Date

April 21, 2023 06:51 AM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)

Observer

rouxroo

Date

April 20, 2023 10:59 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)

Observer

codypham

Date

April 2023

Photos / Sounds

What

California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)

Observer

njjturner

Date

February 2023

Photos / Sounds

What

House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)

Observer

bobc

Date

February 20, 2023 09:50 AM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)

Observer

pplvsdogs

Date

February 10, 2023 11:53 AM PST

Description

This little wren was having a great time taking a dirt bath underneath a log.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

squidpastry

Date

April 2022

Description

pool party!

Photos / Sounds

What

Western Gray Squirrel (Sciurus griseus)

Observer

chilipossum

Date

September 8, 2022 12:47 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Merriam's Chipmunk (Neotamias merriami)

Observer

chilipossum

Date

September 10, 2022 08:18 AM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)

Observer

chilipossum

Date

September 8, 2022 04:45 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

Observer

chilipossum

Date

September 8, 2022 04:18 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)

Observer

crow

Date

August 2, 2022 10:36 AM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Big Berry Manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca)

Observer

grmorrison

Date

August 5, 2020 02:56 PM PDT

Description

A truly massive big berry manzanita found in the Figueroa Mountain area. The human pictured for scale is 1.6 meters tall. Estimated height is approximately 8 meters tall. Growing in relatively open chaparral, intermixed with grassland. This individual and another immediately next to it are of this massive stature. It appears that these individuals are the result of some unusual set of circumstances, that allowed the plants to survive multiple fires. Individuals of the same species in the surrounding area are of a non-remarkable stature, so likely germinated after the most recent fire in the area. Unfortunately, I did not grab a closeup photo of leaf morphology, but the leaves were large, roundish, glabrous, and markedly glaucous-white. Plant was clearly an Arctostaphylos glauca, just huge.

This individual named "Hyperbolon".

Update (2 September 2022): Found some preserved material of this guy, and added some new photos (photos # 2-5). Also, adding note that the plant was in fruit, with typical A. glauca fruits, glandular/viscid, large, spherical, lacking any mesocarp, with a woody, marble-like "stone". Nascent inflorescences also typical of A. glauca, if maybe somewhat unusually fuzzy. Coin used for scale is a US quarter dollar (¢25 piece), 24.26 mm, 0.955 inch in diameter. Each line on the edge of the coin is approximately 0.64 mm apart. Photo # 2 photographed on a black background and manually cleaned up to have a solid black background.

Photos / Sounds

What

Chaparral Yucca (Hesperoyucca whipplei)

Observer

velodrome

Date

April 30, 2022 02:02 PM PDT

Description

My mirror failed to fully retract on one shot (I think), making a false "ground" right where it should be for a chaparral yucca. This (hespero)yucca also afforded me a glimpse of two yucca moths! Previously observed. Initial observation Follow-up observation showing habitat and height scale

Photos / Sounds

What

California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)

Observer

suepemberton

Date

March 22, 2015 08:52 AM PDT

Description

This handsome adult male choked to death on a leopard shark

Photos / Sounds

What

Aquatic Garter Snake (Thamnophis atratus)

Observer

justingarwood

Date

August 21, 2018 03:06 PM PDT

Description

Trifecta!! Competing in tug-o-war with a common garter snake for adult female cascades frog prey. Amazing rare observation!
Published observation in Herpetological Review as a note:
Garwood, J., and N. Garwood. 2020. Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi (Valley Garter Snake) and Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus (Oregon Aquatic Garter Snake). Foraging Competition. Herpetological Review 51:881-881.

Photos / Sounds

What

Wandering Garter Snake (Thamnophis elegans ssp. vagrans)

Observer

mihmdunning

Date

June 20, 2020 11:39 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus ssp. oreganus)

Observer

hazelrah7

Date

June 10, 2022 06:08 PM PDT

Description

Roadkill. Rat or other rodent apparently in its belly

Photos / Sounds

What

House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)

Observer

mtu

Date

May 22, 2022 11:03 AM PDT

Description

Female on nest

Photos / Sounds

What

California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica)

Observer

kclarksdnhmorg

Date

May 6, 2022 07:45 AM PDT

Description

Pair feeding fledglings.

Photos / Sounds

What

Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)

Observer

jeromelikesbirds

Date

July 2, 2021 08:38 AM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Observer

lkaycexplores

Date

November 8, 2021 11:06 AM PST

Description

Western Monarch spotted in the garden midday.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

cjtsai

Date

September 21, 2021 01:06 PM CST

Photos / Sounds

What

American Black Bear (Ursus americanus)

Observer

earthwalker127

Date

September 8, 2020 03:56 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus ssp. oreganus)

Observer

earthwalker127

Date

August 20, 2020 02:43 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Chaparral Yucca (Hesperoyucca whipplei)

Observer

velodrome

Date

January 15, 2022 02:07 PM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

California Aglaja (Navanax inermis)

Observer

ibrake4botany

Date

January 2, 2022 04:28 PM PST

Photos / Sounds

What

Bee Assassins (Genus Apiomerus)

Observer

wildnettle

Date

May 2021

Photos / Sounds

Observer

quilicotriste

Date

September 14, 2021 02:59 PM UTC

Photos / Sounds

What

Mint-loving Pyrausta Moth (Pyrausta acrionalis)

Date

September 15, 2021 06:40 PM EDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Observer

jvaughn2000

Date

July 16, 2021 09:16 AM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)

Observer

kristalwatrous

Date

April 1, 2021 08:49 AM PDT

Description

We have red tailed, Cooper’s, and maybe sharp-shinned hawks nearby. Does this feather belong to one of those?

Photos / Sounds

What

Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)

Observer

leighlaughing

Date

October 15, 2020 01:21 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

norah8

Date

June 29, 2020 03:48 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Garden Tortrix (Clepsis peritana)

Observer

ectothermist

Date

March 5, 2019 04:17 PM PST