Nature
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| Sapsuckers and Hummingbirds in the Fen |
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The Fen out by Happy Isles, at the east end of Yosemite Valley, is perhaps the most diverse and interesting habitat in Yosemite Valley. … —» go to main page for Sapsuckers and Hummingbirds in the Fen —» |
| Wildflower Observations, 2012-05-27 |
Lots of stuff is starting to come up at higher elevations this week. At the house, we got our first Five Spots and Wallflowers this week, 5/20-5.27. … —» go to main page for Wildflower Observations, 2012-05-27 —» |
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| Nashville Warbler |
I'm not sure what he's doing so far from Nashville, but he brings a splash of color to Yosemite. In fact, the Nashville Warbler was first observed in Nashville, but doesn't breed there. … —» go to main page for Nashville Warbler —» |
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| Sierra Newt (Taricha torosa) |
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During the right season, you can see tons of Sierra newts crossing the trail to Hite's Cove. … —» go to main page for Sierra Newt (Taricha torosa) —» |
| Blooming, May 1-6, 2012 |
Already on April 29, we saw Wood Violets (V. lobata along the Chowchilla Mountain Road near Wawona (about 4200 feet in elevation). … —» go to main page for Blooming, May 1-6, 2012 —» |
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| Saving the Large Blue Butterfly |
I'm always fascinated by tight and intricate relationships in nature. Sometimes the effects are unpleasant — malaria that goes from human to mosquito to human. But we expect that from microbes. … —» go to main page for Saving the Large Blue Butterfly —» |
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| Carpenter Ants |
I'm thinking about ants this morning for whatever reason, but these handsome fellows with their bejewelled butts are definitely worth of thinking about. … —» go to main page for Carpenter Ants —» |
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| Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) |
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If I were going to be a bird and wanted to coolest Latin name in perhaps the entire animal kingdom, I think I would want to be Tyrannus verticalis. How cool is that? … —» go to main page for Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) —» |
| Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) |
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The male Spotted Towhee's distinctive call often resounds around my house in the spring and early summer, but for several years running, he carried on a battle with my living room window. … —» go to main page for Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) —» |
| Sooty Grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus) |
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The Blue Grouse was split into the Sooty Grouse and the Dusky Grouse in 2006. Before that, they were considered differently colored subspecies of the Blue Grouse. … —» go to main page for Sooty Grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus) —» |
| Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) |
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The most widespread and common North American hawk. The juvenile red-tailed doesn't have a red tail! I have much better pictures than this, but finding them might take a while. … —» go to main page for Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) —» |
| Northern Flicker |
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The Norrhern Flicker is a beautiful bird whose wicka-wicka-wicka is heard throughout Yosemite Valley and Yosemite West in the mating season. … —» go to main page for Northern Flicker —» |
| Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) |
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The Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) is the largest "ringed" plover in the US and is distributed throughout North America, including Soda Springs in Tuolumne Meadows as witnessed by these pictures.< … —» go to main page for Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) —» |
| Hammond's Flycatcher (Empidonax hammondii) |
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According to the Audubon Field Guide, the Hammond's Flycatcher (Empidonax hammondii) flicks it's wings and tail more vigorously than other similar species. … —» go to main page for Hammond's Flycatcher (Empidonax hammondii) —» |
| Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianis) |
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The Great Horned Owl is one of the most easily recognized owls in the area. … —» go to main page for Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianis) —» |
| Gray Crowned Rosy Finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis) |
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There's some debate about what does and does constitute a species of Rosy Finch, but following Laws Field Guide, p. 270 and WhatBird.com, this would be a Gray-Crowned Rosy Finch. … —» go to main page for Gray Crowned Rosy Finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis) —» |
| Cassin's Finch (Carpodacus cassinii) |
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Cassin's Finch (Carpodacus cassinii) is closely related to the Hous and Purple finches, but they are each found at different altitudes. … —» go to main page for Cassin's Finch (Carpodacus cassinii) —» |
| Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) |
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Black Phoebes (Sayornis nigricans) like open areas near water, sitting on exposed perches and making forays out to grab ill-starred insects. … —» go to main page for Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) —» |
| Band-Tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) |
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The Band-tailed Pigeon is named for the light banding at the end of the tail feathers, visible in the back view in the pictures below. … —» go to main page for Band-Tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) —» |
| White-headed Woodpecker |
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The White-headed Woodpecker (Picoides albolarvatus) is the bane of homeowners in the Yosemite area (along with the Red-Breasted Nuthatch and the the Flicker). … —» go to main page for White-headed Woodpecker —» |
| Pika |
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Everyone's favorite — the pika! The Pika lives at high elevations and for a while was the poster child for the negative effects of climate change. … —» go to main page for Pika —» |
| Mule Deer |
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Depending on who you ask, the Sierra Nevada has two species of deer or two subspecies of deer. … —» go to main page for Mule Deer —» |
| Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel |
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The Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel is a favorite of tourists, and the feeling is mutual — he is an inveterate beggar who loves to share a picnic. Remember, NEVER feed the wildlife. … —» go to main page for Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel —» |
| Coyote |
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Coyotes of Yosemite are beautiful animals, not the somewhat mangy character you see down at lower elevations. They are also probably a bit overabundant. … —» go to main page for Coyote —» |
| Black Bear (Ursus americanus) |
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Everybody's favorite animals. I give a 1.5-hour program on bears in the summer, so this could get long, but I'll just throw out a bit of bear trivia. … —» go to main page for Black Bear (Ursus americanus) —» |