A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DUW.

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

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JAMAUGHN
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Joined: May 15th, 2011, 12:16 am
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DUW.

Post by JAMAUGHN »

It’s been a year since last year ended. Here's a long, meandering post to fill up a few more minutes of your new year. The Mayan Apocalypse didn't do us in, so I guess we can afford to look back, for now.

Rather than just do an inventory of the herps I saw this year, I thought I'd make a year-long photo-narrative of my rambles and the wildlife I saw during them. While herps will be well-represented, of course, I wanted to try to fit the herps into the larger context of my interactions with the outdoors this year. I hope this will be interesting, and not just self-indulgent. If it is just self-indulgent, please let it go by. I promise not to do this more than once a year. Or less. Probably less.

So, here are some highlights of what I saw in 2012.

In January of each year, the Gray Whales pass close to the coast during their migration. Here’s one off the Big Sur coast, where the water is all sorts of funny colors:

Image
Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) at Sunset by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Herps showed up from day one. First were a couple of Slender Salamanders:
Image
Gabilan Mts. Slender Salamander, Batrachoseps gavilanenensis by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
Santa Lucia Mts. Slender Salamander, Batrachoseps luciae by J. Maughn, on Flickr

I managed a couple of ehh pictures of my first Burrowing Owl this year. Here’s one of the ehh’s:
Image
Burrowing Owl, Athene cunicularia by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Back to the herps, a “Monterey” Ensatina (More likely an intergrade, but looks more Monterey than anything else):
Image
Monterey Ensatina, Ensatina eschscholtzii eschscholtzii by J. Maughn, on Flickr

"Habitat" Shot:
Image
http://www.flickr.com/photos/Monterey County/ by J. Maughn, on Flickr

I've been getting into birds a bit this year. I kind of like this shot of a White-tailed Kite:
Image
White-tailed Kite, Elanus leucurus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

…and was pleased to see my first Ibis:
Image
White-headed Ibis, Plegadis chihi by J. Maughn, on Flickr

One of the pleasures of living near the ocean is tidepooling. Here’s a Giant Green Anemone, for example:
Image
giant green anemone, Anthopleura xanthogrammica by J. Maughn, on Flickr

In the redwoods, I found this B. attenuatus guarding its pet beetle:
Image
California Slender Salamander, Batrachoseps attenuatus w/ Beetle by J. Maughn, on Flickr

I’m fond of mushrooms. These don’t necessarily look like much, but put them on a pizza…!
Image
Black Chanterelle, Craterellus cornucopioides by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Coral Mushrooms are interesting to look at, but should NOT be put on pizza:
Image
Coral Mushroom by J. Maughn, on Flickr

I'm also fond of fairly large trees.
Image
Coast Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens by J. Maughn, on Flickr

The Arboreal Salamanders in Monterey Co. sometimes have appealingly big yellow spots:
Image
Arboreal Salamander, Aneides lugubris by J. Maughn, on Flickr

An “Oregon” Ensatina. (See comment about “Monterey” ensatinas above.)
Image
Oregon Ensatina, Ensatina eschscholtzii oregonensis by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Image
http://www.flickr.com/photos/Marin County/ by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Fetid Adder’s Tongue is beautiful to see, and awful to smell:
Image
Fetid Adder's Tongue, Scoliopus bigelovii by J. Maughn, on Flickr

My first wild boar:
Image
Wild Boar, Sus scrofa by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Two of the five bobcats seen on my “Day of the Bobcat.”
Image
Bobcat, Lynx rufus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

With Owen’s help I got to see my first CA Tiger Salamander this year (Lifer):
Image
California Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma californiense by J. Maughn, on Flickr

As well as my first-time-photographed Sharp-tailed Snake (Lifer):
Image
Common Sharptailed Snake, Contia Tenuis by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Image
http://www.flickr.com/photos/Santa Clara County/ by J. Maughn, on Flickr

I found this Santa Cruz Black Salamander with Rob Schell. I think he almost certainly got a better picture of it than this, but I was happy with this one:
Image
Santa Cruz Black Salamander, Aneides flavipunctatus niger by J. Maughn, on Flickr

A Yellow-eyed Ensatina going into defensive mode:
Image
Yellow-eyed Ensatina, Ensatina eschscholtzii xanthoptica by J. Maughn, on Flickr

I went to Chicago in February for a poetry conference. When I wasn’t at the conference, I had the pleasure of dropping by the Chicago Herp Society, and meeting the great Mike Pingleton. (…and thanks again for the ride back to the hotel, Mike.) While there wasn’t much point in trying to find any herps, I did see a few nice birds:
Image
Wood Duck, Aix sponsa by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens by J. Maughn, on Flickr

…and one DIM (Dead in Museum) herp:
Image
Sue, Tyrannosaurus rex by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Back in CA, with some more birds:
Image
Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) and Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) by J. Maughn, on Flickr

A couple of orchids:
Image
Helleborine Orchid, Epipactis helleborine by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
Calypso Orchid, Calypso bulbosa by J. Maughn, on Flickr

The first Northern Pacific Rattlesnake of the year, found with, and by, Owen:
Image
Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, Crotalus oreganus oreganus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Not far from it was this nice little WYB Racer:
Image
Western Yellow-Bellied Racer, Coluber constrictor mormon by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Here’s a CA Newt in a puddle, eating a grub:
Image
California Newt, Taricha torosa by J. Maughn, on Flickr

And here’s the biggest Garter Snake I’ve ever seen, a four-foot CA Red-sided (SubLifer):
Image
California Red-sided Gartersnake, Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis by J. Maughn, on Flickr

On that same walk, I finally found the first California Kingsnake I have seen as an adult (Lifer):
Image
California Kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula californiae by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Ringnecks like to strike odd poses sometimes:
Image
Pacific Ringneck Snake, Diadophis punctatus amabilis by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Though still not as odd as the Red Cage Fungus:
Image
Red-cage Fungus, Clathrus ruber by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Porter said he liked this shot of a Turkey Vulture in a tree. Since he’s a far better photographer than I am, I appreciated the compliment. So here’s the photo:
Image
Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Cute little Hantavirus carrier:
Image
deer mouse (Genus Peromyscus) by J. Maughn, on Flickr

My first Bald Eagle:
Image
Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

My first Muskrat, which swam by as I watched the Bald Eagle:
Image
Muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Skilton’s Skink:
Image
Western Skink, Plestiodon skiltonianus skiltonianus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Sierran Treefrog:
Image
Sierra Chorus Frog, Pseudacris sierra by J. Maughn, on Flickr

The Soquel Demo Forest Surveys, put on by Lawrence (calfirecap) are always a thrill. This year I was able to participate in two, one in April, and one in November.

Finds from the April Soquel survey:
Image
Forest Sharptailed Snake, Contia longicaudae by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
California Giant Salamander, Dicamptodon ensatus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Some Santa Cruz Co. habitat with herpers:
Image
Herpers herping by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
Herpers Herping by J. Maughn, on Flickr

On my own again, I came across this little neo NorPac:
Image
Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, Crotalus oreganus oreganus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

And a big toad:
Image
California Toad, California Toad, Anaxyrus boreas halophilus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

RobertH’s son, Nicholas, found this CA Slender eating a moth.
Image
California Slender Salamander, Batrachoseps attenuatus, eating a moth by J. Maughn, on Flickr

T. elegans terrestris comes in a bewildering array of colors. Here’s one from Santa Clara Co.
Image
Coast Garter Snake, Thamnophis elegans terrestris by J. Maughn, on Flickr

And one from San Mateo County, with a WYB Racer. (I didn’t notice the Garter in this shot until I got home.):
Image
Western Yellow-bellied Racer, Coluber constrictor mormon & Coast Garter Snake, Thamnophis elegans terrestris by J. Maughn, on Flickr

A Foothill Yellow-legged Frog from Sonoma Co. (Lifer):
Image
Foothill Yellow-legged Frog, Rana boylii by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Image
Sonoma County/]J. Maughn[/url], on Flickr

This Sharptailed Snake was a NAFHA Database county record for Santa Cruz Co.
Image
Common Sharp-tailed Snake, Contia tenuis by J. Maughn, on Flickr

The endemic Mt. Diablo Globe Lily:
Image
Mount Diablo Fairy-lantern, Calochortus pulchellus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

A couple more Mt. Diablo flowers:
Image
Wind Poppies, Papaver heterophyllum by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
Red Larkspur, Delphinium nudicaule by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Habitat:
Image
Contra Costa County by J. Maughn, on Flickr

A Crimson Columbine, from Santa Cruz Co.
Image
Crimson Columbine, Aquilegia formosa by J. Maughn, on Flickr

A Wild Turkey:
Image
Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo by J. Maughn, on Flickr

CA Striped Racer:
Image
California Striped Racer, Coluber lateralis lateralis by J. Maughn, on Flickr

An adult Santa Cruz Black Salamander:
Image
Santa Cruz Black Salamander, Aneides niger by J. Maughn, on Flickr

My first-ever CA Nightsnake. (Lifer) This one was a thrill:
Image
California Nightsnake, Hypsiglena ochrorhyncha nuchalata by J. Maughn, on Flickr

A silly shot of a WYB Racer:
Image
Western Yellow-bellied Racer, Coluber constrictor mormon by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Habitat (San Mateo County):
Image
Lots and lots of Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum) by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Lazuli Bunting:
Image
Lazuli Bunting, Passerina amoena by J. Maughn, on Flickr

The first adult CA Kingsnake I’ve found as an adult, from Monterey Co. My friend, who was with me on the hike, said this snake was at least five feet. It was about 3 and a half:
Image
California Kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula californiae by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Western Pond Turtle:
Image
Western Pond Turtle, Actinemys marmorata by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Mariposa Lily:
Image
Butterfly Mariposa Lily, Calochortus venustus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

CA Whiptail:
Image
California Whiptail, aspidoscelis tigris munda by J. Maughn, on Flickr

This CA Mountain Kingsnake was the tiniest I’ve ever seen, only about 5”:
Image
Coast Mountain Kingsnake, Lampropeltis zonata multifasciata by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Another, larger, CA Mountain Kingsnake:
Image
Coast Mountain Kingsnake, Lampropeltis zonata multifasciata by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Image
http://www.flickr.com/photos/Santa Cruz County/ by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Calochortus tolmiei:
Image
Tolmie Star-tulip (Pussy-ears), Calochortus tolmiei by J. Maughn, on Flickr

A trip to visit my folks in Portland, OR produced some interesting creatures, and a number of lifers, as well.
A Northwestern Garter Snake (Lifer):
Image
Northwestern Gartersnake, Thamnophis ordinoides by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Western Redbacked Salamander:
[Image
Western Redbacked Salamander, Plethodon vehiculum by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Larch Mountain Salamander(Lifer):
Image
Larch Mountain Salamander, Plethodon larselli by J. Maughn, on Flickr

An “actual” Oregon Ensatina:
Image
Oregon Ensatina, Ensatina eschscholtzii oregonensis by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Dunn’s Salamander (Lifer):
Image
Dunn's Salamander, Plethodon dunni by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Rough-skinned Newt:
Image
Rough-skinned Newt, Taricha granulosa by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Pacific Treefrog(Lifer):
Image
Pacific Treefrog, Pseudacris regilla by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Red-spotted Garter Snake (subLifer):
Image
Red-spotted Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis concinnus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Some habitat (Multnomah Co. OR):
Image
http://www.flickr.com/photos/Multnomah Co./ by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
http://www.flickr.com/photos/Multnomah Co./ by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Back, again, in CA, my first Rubber Boa of the year:
Image
Northern Rubber Boa, Charina bottae by J. Maughn, on Flickr

In San Benito Co., I was very excited to see my first San Joaquin Coachwhip (SubLifer):
Image
San Joaquin Coachwhip, Coluber flagellum ruddocki by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Image
San Benito County by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Side-blotched Lizard:
Image
Western Side-blotched Lizard, Uta stansburiana elegans by J. Maughn, on Flickr

California Red-legged Frog:
Image
California Red-legged Frog, Rana draytonii by J. Maughn, on Flickr

A goofy Fence Lizard:
Image
Coast Range Fence Lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Valley Garter Snake:
Image
Valley Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi by J. Maughn, on Flickr

In Santa Clara Co. I visited a small pond with RobertH, his wife, and son, Nicholas. The pond had some big Santa Cruz Garter Snakes, and more American Bullfrogs per square foot than anyplace I've ever seen:

Santa Cruz Garter Snake:
Image
Santa Cruz Garter Snake, Thamnophis atratus atratus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

American Bullfrog:
Image
American Bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Bird-in-a-hole:
Image
Violet-Green Swallow, Tachycineta thalassina by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Brush Rabbit:
Image
Brush Rabbit, Sylvilagus bachmani by J. Maughn, on Flickr

The Mount Hermon June Beetle is endemic to the Santa Cruz Sandhills:
Image
Mount Hermon June Beetle, Polyphylla barbata by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Southern Sea Otter, with a crab:
Image
Southern Sea Otter, Enhydra lutris nereis by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Whiteflower Rein Orchid, piperia candida:
Image
Whiteflower Rein Orchid, piperia candida by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Hoping for a certain Garter Snake, I found instead a nice place to watch Virginia Rails:
Image
Virginia Rail, Rallus limicola by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Summer in the Monterey Bay region is a great time for whale watching. Many different species are possible. Here are a few.

Humpback Whales:
Image
Humpback Whales, Megaptera novaeangliae by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Blue Whales:
Image
Blue Whale, Balaenoptera musculus, lunge feeding by J. Maughn, on Flickr

More Blue Whales:
Image
Blue Whales, Balaenoptera musculus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Another whale-watch trip produced some Risso’s Dolphins:
Image
Risso's Dolphin, Grampus griseus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

From whales to ants. Wasps, actually:
Image
Velvet Ant, Dasymutilla aureola pacifica by J. Maughn, on Flickr

My partner, Jessica, and I, made a couple of trips to the Sierra Nevadas. During the first, to Lake Tahoe, we made a side trip to the Nevada Desert. I saw a few interesting things:

Great Basin Fence Lizard:
Image
Great Basin Fence Lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis longipes by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Northern Sagebrush Lizard:
Image
Northern Sagebrush Lizard, Sceloporus graciosus graciosus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

…and the best find of all, a Desert Striped Whipsnake:
Image
Desert Striped Whipsnake, Coluber taeniatus taeniatus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Habitat:
Image
Washoe County, NV by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Back in the mountains, a few other things:

Clark’s Nutcracker:
Image
Clark's Nutcracker, Nucifraga columbiana by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Mountain Garter Snake:
Image
Mountain Garter Snake, Thamnophis elegans elegans by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Explorer’s Gentian:
Image
Explorer's Gentian, Gentiana calycosa by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Sierra Lily:
Image
Tiger Lily, Lilium lancifolium by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Northwestern Fence Lizard:
Image
Northwestern Fence Lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis occidentalis by J. Maughn, on Flickr

More habitat:
Image
El Dorado Co. by J. Maughn, on Flickr

In Santa Clara Co. I came upon this young Great Horned Owl:
Image
Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus (Fledgling) by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Then back to Oregon, briefly, where I saw my first Nutria:
Image
Nutria, Myocastor coypus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

As Autumn settled in, I visited a park in Monterey Co., where I saw this coyote:
Image
Coyote, Canis latrans by J. Maughn, on Flickr

As well as this young Coast Horned Lizard:
Image
Coast Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma blainvillii by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Image
Monterey County by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Autumn also sees the male tarantulas start to wander:
Image
California Tarantula, Aphonopelma sp. by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Allen’s Hummingbirds turn up:
Image
Allen's Hummingbird, Selasphorus sasin by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Image
Alameda County by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Another of the varied Coast Garter Snakes:
Image
Coast Garter Snake, Thamnophis elegans terrestris by J. Maughn, on Flickr

There’s nothing quite like seeing a California Condor flying overhead:
Image
California Condor, Gymnogyps californianus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Our second Sierras trip took us to Yosemite. Not a lot of herps to be seen, but there were some other things:
Image
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, Callospermophilus lateralis by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
Coyote, Canis latrans by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
White-headed Woodpecker, Picoides albolarvatus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

We did see a Western Sagebrush Lizard or two:
Image
Western Sagebrush Lizard, Sceloporus graciosus gracilis by J. Maughn, on Flickr

As well as San Joaquin Fence Lizards below the park:
Image
San Joaquin Fence Lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis biseriatus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

There were also more large trees:
Image
Giant Sequoia, Sequoiadendron giganteum by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Not to mention scenery:
Image
Pack Train crossing the Tuolumne River by J. Maughn, on Flickr

On an outing with Owen in Santa Clara Co. I finally got a picture of a Diablo Range Garter Snake in which the snake is discernably a snake:
Image
Diablo Range Garter Snake, Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

On the coast, some of the winter birds began appearing:
Image
Marbled Godwit, Limosa fedoa by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Around the beginning of October, the local birder community went crazy over reports of a Common Cuckoo sighted in Southern Santa Cruz Co. This was only the third time this bird has been seen in the lower 48 states. I went to see it on the last day it was visible, after that it disappeared, and was never seen again. (I suspect a Cooper’s Hawk had a very exotic meal.) Almost as interesting as seeing the bird was meeting the out-of-town birders, some of whom had flown in from the other side of the country. I met people from new Hampshire, Louisiana, and Texas who had come just to see the cuckoo. It was a little mind-boggling.

The bird didn’t prove terribly photogenic for me:
Image
Common Cuckoo, Cuculus canorus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Visiting a friend in Sonoma County, I came across this angry neonate Gopher Snake:
Image
Pacific Gopher Snake, Pituophis catenifer catenifer by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Here’s a strangely-shaped Pacific Madrone:
Image
Pacific Madrone, Arbutus menziesii, looking like a Twizzler. by J. Maughn, on Flickr

A Peregrine Falcon:
Image
Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

A bizarrely-patterned San Francisco Alligator Lizard:
Image
San Francisco Alligator Lizard, Elgaria coerulea coerulea by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Interesting beetle found by Zach Lim:
Image
Golden Tortoise Beetle, Charidotella sexpunctata by J. Maughn, on Flickr

A trip to Merced Co. gave me my first sightings of Sandhill Cranes, and a three-week fungal respiratory infection called “San Joaquin Valley Fever.” The cranes were great, but skip the latter one, if you can.

Along the way I also saw:

A Merlin:
Image
Merlin, Falco columbarius by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Tule Elk:
Image
Tule Elk by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Here are the cranes:
Image
Sandhill Cranes, Grus canadensis by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Back in Santa Cruz County, I saw this Pied-billed Grebe eating a fish:
Image
Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps by J. Maughn, on Flickr

On the November Soquel Survey, some interesting herps turned up. Best for me was this gorgeous CA Giant Salamander, found by Yolodave:
Image
California Giant Salamander, Dicamptodon ensatus by J. Maughn, on Flickr

I kind of like this shot of an Anna’s Hummingbird:
Image
Anna's Hummingbird, Calypte anna by J. Maughn, on Flickr

And this Spotted Sandpiper:
Image
Spotted Sandpiper, Actitis macularius by J. Maughn, on Flickr

This mushroom, a prized edible, looks much too much like several poisonus amanitas for me to want to try it. It’s a handsome mushroom, though:
Image
Coccora, Amanita calyptroderma by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Another prized edible, this one I can't pass up:
Image
King Bolete, Boletus edulis by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Last herps of the year, Dec. 31st:

Image
"Monterey'' Ensatina, Ensatina eschscholtzii eschscholtzii by J. Maughn, on Flickr

Image
Arboreal Salamander, Aneides lugubris by J. Maughn, on Flickr

I'll finish with a couple more habitat shots:
Image
http://www.flickr.com/photos/Santa Cruz County/ by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmaughn/Monterey County/ by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
Long Shadows by J. Maughn, on Flickr

So, that's my year. Thanks for looking, and sorry it was so long. The post, that is, not the year. Really, 2012 was about average in terms of length. I blame the Mayans, for no particular reason.

JimM
Zach_Lim
Posts: 1607
Joined: June 10th, 2010, 8:37 pm

Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by Zach_Lim »

One hell of a year, Jim.

Words cannot express how much joy was had in viewing your year in review.

We shall hit the field together soon.

Zach
hellihooks
Posts: 8025
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 8:12 am
Location: Hesperia, California.
Contact:

Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by hellihooks »

Thx Jim,
That was GREAT. And... the best way I can think of (given my low-T :roll: ) to start 013.
Are you familiar with R. Wakefield's work (which eerily mirrors mine, or visa versa) and along with being the Lit critic for the Seattle Times, and a English Professor, is an avid Mushroom photographer...? :shock:
Make it down to the Mojave this year and you'll get your 2nd live bore... :crazyeyes: :lol: :lol: jim
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PNWHerper
Posts: 667
Joined: July 8th, 2011, 2:04 pm
Location: King County, WA

Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by PNWHerper »

Jim,

Awesome year! Great photos and stories all. Thank you for sharing with all of us.

Hope I get to go out into the field with you again sometime soon.
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Speckled Rosy
Posts: 308
Joined: June 11th, 2010, 12:07 pm
Location: Canyon country, Ca

Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by Speckled Rosy »

Nice post! I really enjoyed the habbi photos.. :beer:

-Dan
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axeman2729
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Joined: November 5th, 2012, 2:10 pm
Location: Cranberry township, PA

Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by axeman2729 »

i just love red spotted garters they are so brightly colored a nice change for the uniform black with yellow stripes over in the east
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Mr.Talltree
Posts: 200
Joined: March 22nd, 2012, 10:15 pm
Location: San Francisco, Ca.

Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by Mr.Talltree »

Fantastic stuff and great narrative! From mushrooms to whales and everything in between--always a joy to read your posts.
Luke-
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El Garia
Posts: 722
Joined: October 20th, 2011, 4:39 pm
Location: Santa Clara Co. , CA

Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by El Garia »

Very entertaining post!! The non-herps are a much welcomed bonus. :thumb:

I had no idea that Monterey Co. lugubris had such large and colorful spotting. They are stunning!

Congratulations on a fantastic year, Jim! :beer:
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Owen
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by Owen »

Sweet ecletic mix... waiting for that upcoming tropical blend 8-) .
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by monklet »

Fantastic assemblage Jim :shock: :thumb: 8-) ...so much variety. Highly enviable :mrgreen:
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by Tamara D. McConnell »

WOW, this was so wonderful! I loved the inclusion of the birds and mammals. You make poetry with your camera.
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by walk-about »

JAMAUGHN,

Great trip! Been to the west coast one time - norCal back in 80's, but never saw anything like this. Great work. The adder's tongue, Tolmie star-tulip and white-tailed kite I will never likely see in my lifetime in the wild. My favorite pic here though is easily the Anna's hummer. Fantastic shot sir.

RocK ON!

Dave
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by dery »

axeman2729 wrote:i just love red spotted garters they are so brightly colored a nice change for the uniform black with yellow stripes over in the east
Go to the gulf states. Commons there are variable too.
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by Calfirecap »

Well done Jim, quite the year. I like the DIM voucher shot.

L
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axeman2729
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by axeman2729 »

ill put it on my bucket list dery
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by RobertH »

Beautiful post Jim :D :thumb: :D

Nick
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by mikemike »

Awesome stuff, Jim!
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by rpecora »

Great stuff.

Saw a bunch of the Ibis last weekend in Chino. Didn't know what they were til I read it here.
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by SurfinHerp »

What a terrific post James! Do we really have to wait nearly a full year before your next year-end post?

My favorites were the 4-foot gartersnake, the perfect tiny zonata, the blue whales, the sea otter, the white-tailed kite, the striped whipsnake, and the baby coast horned lizard, and uh, many others.

Your tule elk photos reminded me of a creature I've only seen as a preserved specimen a long time ago at the Pt. Reyes National Seashore Visitor's Center: the mountain beaver. Have you ever come across one of those things? Might be a fun thing to try to photograph. Would probably be a first on this forum.

Anyway, congrats on a great 2012, and I look forward to your next post!

Jeff
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by JAMAUGHN »

Thanks, everyone. I hope to get out in the field with all of you again soon. Sorry not to respond sooner, but I've been in Hawaii since the beginning of the year. I'll post a full report about that, you know, this time next year. ;) In the meantime, here's a smattering of 2013.
Image
Cane Toad, Rhinella marina by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
Metallic Skink, Lampropholis delicata by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
Green Anole, Anolis carolinensis by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
House Gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
Gold Dust Day Gecko, Phelsuma laticauda laticauda by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
Indo-pacific Gecko, Hemidactylus garnotii by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
Mourning Gecko, Lepidodactylus lugubris by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
Stump-toed Gecko, Gehyra mutilata by J. Maughn, on Flickr
Image
Green Sea Turtle, Chelonia mydas by J. Maughn, on Flickr

No Jackson's Chameleon, sadly. I must be the only herper to go there and not find one. It wasn't for lack of effort, either.
Oh well.

Thanks again,
JimM
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by Rags »

Wow, great post with a fine array of wildlife. Taken time to go through it a couple of times now and although the photos are excellent two stand out for me. The Hummingbird shot is beautifully focused, pin sharp. The silhouette of the vulture sitting in the tree is the shot that sticks in my mind. If I'd been clever enough to take that it would be framed and hanging above my fireplace!

Thanks for taking the time to put this together.
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by El Garia »

Really nice Hawai'i finds, Jim. Glad to see that Hawai'i's earliest arrivals are hangin' in there... lugubris, garnoti, mutilata, and the Lampropholis :thumb:

What's the story behind that garnoti trying to down the Black Witch? Was it successful?
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by JAMAUGHN »

Thanks! Yes, it took about twenty minutes, and it left some of each wing behind, but it eventually downed the thing. I wish I had gotten more shots of the process, but my flashlight batteries were failing, and the pictures didn't come out. Also, the groundskeeper's credulity was starting to show some serious strains when I was in the same place twenty minutes later, watching the same lizard. This was about 10:30pm.) He finally came up to me, and said, (I kid you not...) "Ya know, they're an invasive species, those geckos."

Actually, he was a sweet guy, and he gave me the idea to concentrate on tree roots instead of lit areas, which is how I found the mutilata.

Jim
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by JAMAUGHN »

Jeff: I'm heading to Point Reyes tomorrow for a week. I'll be keeping an eye out for the mountain beaver!

Everyone: Thank you!

JimM
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by SurfinHerp »

Pt. Reyes is a great park...
Go getcha some beaver!
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by moloch »

Wow, what a wonderful post! I loved the variety of habitats, plants and animals shots that you included. Very nice to see the jumping Risso's Dolphin. Years ago, I organized pelagic seabird trips out of Wollongong. We saw that species at times during the summer along with many other species of cetaceans.

That Red Cape Fungus was really strange. I don't recall ever seeing photos of it before. Do you see it often?

Your zonatas were beautiful with great colours. That Alligator lizard certainly looked strange. It made me think of the wall lizards in Europe.

Regards,
David
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Re: A Naturalist Year- CA, NV, OR and a little Chicago. DU

Post by Will Wells »

very nice series of photos, thanks for sharing
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