Irene

Joined: Jun 16, 2020 Last Active: Mar 28, 2024 iNaturalist Monthly Supporter since April 2021

Hello I-Naturalists!
I'm a Nature-nerd and full-time I-Naturalist. I'm passionate about adding what I see in nature and what I learn to I-Nat because it brings me Joy! I'm an avid hiker-traveler, plant-finder, bird-watcher, bug-seeker, herp-lover--which takes me to many interesting natural places where I enjoy taking WAY too many photos of everything that grows, flies, creeps and crawls. I love nature and find all living things fascinating and worth studying. I appreciate all comments, corrections and confirmations to my observations, and I look forward to seeing your sightings in nature too.

I-Nat tip: The more Projects you join that match your interests--the more expert eyes will see and confirm your observations.

As a former research/reference librarian, I'm always thrilled to discover new learning tools. Some of my favorite helpful resources:

PLANTS
Jepson eFlora: Plants of California (includes botanical illustrations) https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/
Calflora: Wild Plants of California (includes species distribution map) https://www.calflora.org/search.html
Flora of North America http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Main_Page
Leaf Shape and Arrangement diagrams: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Leaf_morphology.svg
Native American Ethnobotany: Native plants used as food, medicine, dyes, tools, fibers and more by indigenous people of North America: http://naeb.brit.org/ (search by scientific name)
Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell (2300+ species), 2015
Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California (includes peak bloom times), David Styer, 2019
Monterey County Wildflowers– a photographic guide https://montereywildflowers.com/index/
Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell (950+ species), 2016
Calscape: California Native Plant Society https://calscape.org
5-minute video of Fort Ord Flora and Fauna, produced by David Styer: https://fortordcleanup.com/archives/2020/natural-treasures-of-fort-ord-90-amazing-photographs/
Coastal California's Living Legacy: The Monterey Pine Forest, 2nd. ed, Nikki Nedeff, et. al. The Monterey Pine Forest Watch, 2018
Fort Ord A Love Story, Dorothy E. Denning, 2024 (includes 1,000+ color photos, available on Amazon)
Field Guide to Manzanitas: California, North America, and Mexico, 2nd edition. M.E. Kauffmann, T. Parker, and M. Vasey, Photographs by Jeff Bisbee. 2021.
Oak Tree Species I.D. and Ecology: https://oaks.cnr.berkeley.edu/oak-tree-species-id-ecology/
Oaks of California, B. Pavlik, P. Muick, S. Johnson, M. Popper, 1991
Field Guide to Insects and Diseases of California Oaks, Swiecki, Tedmund J. and Bernhardt, Elizabeth, USDA, 2006.
Field guide for CA Tree Oaks written, designed, and illustrated by Joshua Zupan and free to download here:
https://joshuazupan.com/portfolio/tree-oaks-of-california-a-field-guide
Lupine (Lupinus) anatomy, etc. Pictorial Guide to Characteristics Needed for Lupine Identification, by Tom Chester http://tchester.org/plants/analysis/lupinus/identification.html
Plants For A Future: Edible and otherwise useful plants: Medicinal Plants: https://pfaf.org/user/MedicinalUses.aspx Home page https://pfaf.org/User/cmspage.aspx?pageid=305
Central CA coast Endangered Species Fact Sheets website http://www.elkhornsloughctp.org/factsheet/
California Native Plant Society https://rareplants.cnps.org/Search/Advanced
California Desert Wildflowers, Philip A. Munz, 1975
Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflowers (and more) https://borregowildflowers.org/
Baja California Plant Field Guide, Jon P. Rebman, Norman C. Roberts, 3rd. ed, 2012
Southern California Plant Communities: http://www.calflora.net/botanicalnames/plantcommunities.html
Temalpakh: Cahuilla Indian Knowledge and Usage of Plants, Lowell John Bean and K. Saubel, Malki Museum Press, 1972
Desert Strawhouse Native Plant Nursery. Specialize in Native Plants to attract Pollinators in the Coachella Valley https://www.desertstrawhouse.com/plant-nursery
Cacti, Agaves, and Yuccas of California and Nevada. Text and photos by Stephen Ingram. Cachuma Press, 2008
Cacti of California, E. Yale Dawson, 1966, 3rd printing 1975
Plants of Southern California: Regional Floras http://tchester.org/plants/floras/#abdsp (comprehensive website)
Native and Introduced Plants of Southern California by Tom Chester http://tchester.org/plants/index.html
Shrubs and Trees of the Southern California Deserts. Jim W. Dole and Betty B. Rose, Foot-loose Press, 1996
Oregon Flora https://oregonflora.org/checklists/dynamicmap.php?interface=key
Calflora: Wild California Plants: http://calflora.org/ (search by county for species presence/absence)
Geranium Leaf Comparison Chart, by INat truthseqr https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/69454-geranium-leaf-comparison-chart#activity_comment_23952f10-11e5-491d-99a1-cd209ae3ce4d
Thistles (non-native) https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/cwarneke/61995-thistles-with-white-in-their-leaves
Conifers of Western North America https://www.conifers.org/topics/W_NA_trees.php by Christopher J. Earle
Tale of Big Tree Hunting In California by Christopher J. Earle https://www.conifers.org/topics/biggest.php
San Diego Natural History Museum https://www.sdplantatlas.org/
Jepson Flora: Abbreviations and Symbols Used in The Jepson Manual, Second Edition https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/TJM2_abbrev_symbols.html
Jepson eFlora: Filtered Keys--lists plants by California Provinces, Regions and Subregions https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/filter_keys.html?
Endangered (plant) Species Fact Sheets, and more http://www.elkhornsloughctp.org/factsheet/
Environmental issues in California's Central Coast region: http://www.cccal.info/
Serpentine Soils https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpentine_soil
INaturalist Project: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/serpentine-endemics-and-related-plants

BIRDS
Ebird with species description, range map and sound recordings: https://ebird.org/explore
Xeno-canto Bird songs, sound recordings, and species range map: https://xeno-canto.org/explore?query=Meleagris%20gallopavo
Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/bird-guide
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 7th ed., 2017
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 2008
Monterey Birds, Don Roberson, 2nd ed. 2002, sponsored by Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society
The Cornell Lab (Birds in U.S. and Canada) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/
Merlin Bird ID (great app available for Iphones) by The Cornell Lab (Bird ID help for 8,500+ species) https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/
Comprehensive Feather I.D. tools and more: https://foundfeathers.org/resources/
Found Feathers (Worldwide): https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/idtool.php
How to Tell a Raven From a Crow, ID Tips: https://www.audubon.org/news/how-tell-raven-crow

BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS
BugGuide: Butterflies and Moths (US and Canada) clickable categories or use search bar: https://bugguide.net/node/view/57
Butterflies of Monterey County: A comprehensive guide to finding and identifying 91 species of butterflies in Monterey County, Chris Tenney and Jan Austin, August 2023
Coming soon: Companion website to Butterflies of Monterey County: https://www.montereybutterflies.online/
Glossary of butterfly terms: https://butterfly.ucdavis.edu/resources/glossary
Butterflies and Moths of North America https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species_search
Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West: a field guide to the butterflies of western North America, by Jeffrey Glassberg, 2001
Caterpillar anatomy diagram: https://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/activities/printouts/caterpillarprintout.shtml
Butterflies of Central and Northern California: a guide to common and notable species, Jim Brock, laminated pamphlet, 2023
Moth Photographers Group https://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=7872&state=CA
(Be sure to limit the interface to California. The website is a little clunky but it’s better set up for moth taxonomy than BugGuide)
Geometer Moths (Geometridae family) in Monterey County: checklist with photos compiled by INat Kueda https://www.inaturalist.org/check_lists/260565-Geometridae-of-Monterey-County--CA--US?page=2
Butterflies & Their Favorite Flowering Plants: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park & Environs, Lynn and Gene Monroe, 2004
Southern California Butterflies http://socalbutterflies.com/index.htm
Common Butterflies of California, Text and Photographs by Bob Stewart, 1997
Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America. Brock and Kaufman, 2003
Caterpillars: INaturalist Project https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/california-caterpillars
Wagner's Caterpillars of Western North America "last we heard 1450 species accounts were in progress" thebals 6/6/23.

HERPS: REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
Amphibians and Reptiles of California: https://californiaherps.com
California Snakes Range Maps: https://californiaherps.com/snakes/snakesmaps.html
Amphibians Amphibiaweb: https://amphibiaweb.org/site.html
Reptile Database (worldwide) https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/
Desert Lizards by James W. Cornett, 2006 (excellent photos, rangemaps and anecdotes)

INSECTS AND SPIDERS
BugGuide: Photos of Insects, Spiders & Their Kin (US & Canada), clickable categories or use search bar (scientific name): https://bugguide.net/node/view/3/bgpage
Lady Beetle Key for North America https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?guide=Ladybug&cl=llp
Field Guide to Spiders of California and the Pacific Coast States, RJ Adams and Tim Manolis, 2014
Spiders in Your Neighborhood: A Field Guide, Revised and Expanded Paperback, 2022, Patrick Stadille
Spider Eye Arrangements (for each family) Lynette Elliott: https://bugguide.net/node/view/84423
The Fly Guide--Fly Families https://sites.google.com/view/flyguide/species-guides
Native Bees: Get to Know Native Bees of the Santa Cruz Mountains with Obi Kaufmann. May 6, 2020 https://openspacetrust.org/blog/native-bees/
Bumble Bee I.D. Tips: https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/identification-tips/
Bumble Bees of the Western United States, 114 page PDF (7.6 MB), by By Jonathan Koch, James Strange, Paul Williams, a comprehensive, well written resource, with excellent diagrams and photos. https://xerces.org/sites/default/files/2018-05/12-053_01_Western_BB_guide.pdf
Insects that enter homes I.D. help: https://www.orkincanada.ca/pests/ants/harvester-ants/ and other categories of insects: https://www.orkincanada.ca/pests/
BugGuide: Unidentified Webs, Tracks, Signs, Larvae, Parasites, and Other Mysteries: https://bugguide.net/node/view/696662/bgpage

GALLS
Plant Galls of the Western United States: a photographic guide to 536 species of plant galls found west of the Rockies, with 400+ color images and plates, Ronald A. Russo, April 2021. (Available on Amazon)
Gallformers: Identify Galls by name or by host plant https://www.gallformers.org/id
INaturalist Project, Galls of California https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/galls-of-california
California Oak Galls (photo guide), Joyce Gross: https://joycegross.com/galls_ca_oak.php
California Oak Galls Induced by Unknown or Undescribed Species (photo guide), Joyce Gross: https://joycegross.com/galls_ca_oak_undescribed.php
Nancy Asquith Journal: California Oak Galls https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/california-plants-with-mystery-galls/journal/44142-california-oak-galls
Nancy Asquith Journal: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/galls-of-california/journal/44203-where-to-learn-more-about-galls
BugGuide: Identification, Images, & Information for insects and other gall-inducers, (US & Canada) clickable categories or use search bar: https://bugguide.net/node/view/3/bgpage
BugGuide: Unidentified Tracks, Larvae, Webs, Parasites, and Other Mysteries: https://bugguide.net/node/view/696662/bgpage
INaturalist Project: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/all-your-galls-are-belong-to-us

MUSHROOMS/LICHENS/SLIME MOLDS
An iNaturalist Introduction to Mushrooming, 6-minute Utube video by Christian Schwartz (leptonia on INat) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKF_pIY0Zpc
Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast: Comprehensive Guide to the Fungi of Coastal Northern California, Siegel and Schwarz, 2016.
California Mushrooms: The Comprehensive Identification Guide, D. Desjardin, M. Wood, and F. Stevens, 2nd printing 2019.
Fungi of California: Home page https://www.mykoweb.com/index.html and https://www.mykoweb.com/CAF/ and https://mykoweb.com/CAF/skey.html and https://www.mykoweb.com/CAF/keys/index.html
A Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, 2014.
The Curious Observer's Guide to Slime Mold: of Santa Cruz and Beyond, Carrie Niblett, 2nd ed. 2021.
Slime Molds: 27 references, websites, videos, and other resources compiled by @ regularslimeguy https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/169310771

MARINE LIFE
Beachcombers's Guide to Seashore Life of California, J.D. Sept, Rev. ed. 2009
SEANET Hopkins Marine Station for "Nearshore Plants and Animals of the Monterey Bay" https://seanet.stanford.edu/
Mollusks: MolluscaBase https://www.molluscabase.org/index.php (spelled "mollusk" in the U.S.)
The Living World of Molluscs (marine and terrestrial) https://molluscs.at/index.html
Abalone Identification Guide: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Invertebrates/Abalone/Abalone-ID
Limpets - cap-shaped snails: SEANET Hopkins Marine Station https://seanet.stanford.edu/Limpets
Limpet Characteristics and I.D. SEANET Hopkins Marine Station: https://seanet.stanford.edu/limpet-table
Algaebase: Listing the World’s Algae https://www.algaebase.org/
Field Guide to Seaweeds of the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Bridgette Clarkston, Harbour Publishing, 2015
Pacific Northwest Shell Club http://www.bily.com/pnwsc/web-content/Northwest-Shells.html
Whale barnacles https://scienceline.org/2010/03/how-do-barnacles-attach-to-whales/
Mer Society (Marine Education and Research Society), dedicated to marine conservation through scientific research, education, and marine wildlife rescue. https://www.mersociety.org

OTHER
Frequently Used Responses to Help Users New to INat: https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/responses

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