2018 - Robert's botantical adventures in Northern California

[Robert]

KANAKA VALLEY

El Dorado County, California

Thursday, 28 February 2018

Sacramento Weather
Weather: High Clouds
Temperature, High: 61 F, 16.1 C
                       Low: 38 F, 3.3 C
Precipitation: 0.00, to date: 8.49 inches (216 mm), average to date: 13.02 inches (331 mm).

Placerville Weather
Weather: High Clouds
Temperature, High: 56 F, 13.3 C
                       Low: 27 F, -2.8 C
Precipitation: 0.00, to date: 14.87 inches (378 mm), average to date: 24.71 inches (628 mm).


The weather during February was very unusual. The month started out extremely dry and warm. During the first two weeks of the month temperatures were well above average, with record to near record high temperatures. A few daily high temperature records were broken or tied. The second half of the month was extremely cold. Many daily low temperature records were broken. The month continued very dry with little or no precipitation until the very last days of the month.

It had been a month since I had been out in the field for the whole day. I was very curious to see what sort of impact the anomalous weather conditions might have on our local flora.



My first stop for the day was Peavine Ridge. I had set up the first of what will be several weather observation sites in the higher elevations of Eldorado National Forest. After taking measurements and adjusting some sensors, I was eager to move to lower terrain and see how spring was progressing.

I did take a few notes before I left Peavine Ridge. Back on 1 February many of the Arctostaphylos species were in full bloom. It was very clear the open flowers and flower buds had difficulty adjusting to the extreme change in temperatures.

I am very pleased that I can quantify, in more detail, my weather observations at this site. Early in the month daytime temperatures were often very warm. High temperatures in the low to mid 60’s F (15.5 to 18.3 C) were frequent readings. There were few nights with freezing temperatures, which is extremely unusual for this time of year at this elevation. There was little or no snow cover. The latter portion of the month was very cold for late February (not for December or January) with many below freezing nights. The weather continued to be dry. There was no snow cover for many of the newly emerging herbaceous perennial species, as well as the young annuals coming into growth due to the previous warm temperatures. Low temperatures dipped to 6 F (-14.4 C) or near this level for much of this period. Finally near the end of the month the precipitation returned in the form of snow. On this day, I measured 20 cm of snow on the ground. This is a historically low snow cover for this date, however the plants now had some protection from the cold. It is going to be extremely interesting to observe the impact, if any; the weather has on the flora as the season progresses.



After spending the early morning on Peavine Ridge, I traveled down the mountain to Kanaka Valley. My starting point was 1,056 feet (322 meters), well below Peavine Ridge at 5,146 feet (1,569 meters). It was 54 F (12.2 C) at 11:30 a.m., very different from the 32 F (0 C) on Peavine Ridge at 8:45 a.m.

My prime objective on this day was to see if I could find a route to Sweetwater Creek. I set off to explore a promising trail I had located on my previous outing to this area.



I had last visited Kanaka Valley on 1 February of this year. At that time Whiteleaf Manzanita, Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida, was just coming into its flowering cycle. With all of the warm weather earlier in the month I thought that they might have already finished blooming. This was not the case. Many plants were still blooming, however I also observed that the flowers were suffering a bit from the extreme cold weather.



As I traveled along the trail, I found large colonies of Primula (Dodecatheon) hendersonii in shaded sites under the native oaks.



A few had flowering stems that were beginning to extend and show some color. At this time, I did not see any in bloom.

[Robert]

There were definite signs of cold weather stress on many of the plant species. Normally the foliage of Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata is lush and bright green this time of year. The yellowish discolored foliage is indicative of cold weather stress.

The old dry inflorescences of Medusa head, Elymus caput-medusae, can also be seen in this photograph. It is just one of many invasive annual grasses that now occupy much of California (as well as many other locations in the western North America).



Mistletoes can be quite common on our native oaks. This Blue Oak, Quercus douglasii, is heavy infested with Phoradendron serotinum ssp. macrophyllum, a common mistletoe seen on oaks in California.



A number of Sanicula species are frequently seen at this elevation this time of year. Sanicual bipinnata is very interesting, as the foliage smells quite strongly with the fragrance of Cilantro.



Lichens are very abundant at this site. Various species can be found growing on soil, stems and twigs of plants, or rocks. Xanthoparmelia species are found growing on rocks and a number of different species can be seen in this area.



The trail alternated between open grassy areas and oak woodland/oak savannah.

[Robert]

I one area I found a large colony of Erythronium multiscapideum growing partly in an oak woodland and partly under the dense neighboring chaparral. I arrived a bit too early to see them in bloom. Many had flower buds, however I did not find any that had opened yet.



The trail I was hiking ended abruptly in a wall of dense chaparral. I followed the perimeter of the chaparral for some distance without finding a route through the tangled mass of branches.

At this point I decided to backtrack and explore another area. In a shaded woodland, I found a small stand of California Buckeye, Aesculus californica, with new growth. The growth had been heavily frosted and there were subtle signs that the new growth was stressed.



There were a few species in bloom. In grassy open areas, I occasionally encountered colonies of Calandrinia ciliata (pictured) in bloom. In more shaded locations, there were a few open flowers on Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis.



Lupinus albifrons var albifrons is found in dry open sunny areas. This specimen had unique narrow leaflets.



Other specimens were well into new growth with flower buds that would be opening shortly.

[Robert]

As I hiked up a grassy hillside, I continued to find evidence of cold weather stress on the flora. Hairy Vetch, Vicia villosa, is an invasive species and is also generally considered to be quite cold hardy. The warm weather earlier in the month had produced lush tender new growth on these Vetch plants. Now this new growth was bleached-out by the recent extreme cold weather.



Even more extreme was the blackened new growth on the Poison Oak, Toxicodendron diversilobum. The Poison Oak will easily recover and sprout new growth.



Buckbrush, Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus, is an early blooming species. I did see one plant in full bloom as I drove to the staging area. Most of the plants I saw on this outing had swollen flowers buds, but no open flowers.



For me, it is always enjoyable to see if I can identify a species in any stage of growth or non-growth. The dried flower heads of Navarretia pubescens was easy to spot as I walked in the open grassy areas.



Despite the cold weather there was fair amount of insect activity. I spotted this Bubble Bee, Bombus sp., flying among the dry grasses. Earlier in the day I spotted the first Dragonfly, Order Odonata, of the season. It may have been a Pacific Spiketail, Cordulegaster dorsalis, but it quickly flew away before I could get a good look at it.

[Robert]

The next storm was approaching and the wind was blowing fiercely at times. There were a few Primula (Dodecatheon) hendersonii blooming in a woodland near the crest of a hill. Sadly, the wind was gusting too strongly for me to get a decent photograph.



Umbilicaria phaea is a common lichen species seen on rocks in this area. The lichens are attractive and can be photographed when it is extremely windy.



Umbilicaria phaea is often seen growing in conjusction with Xanthoparmelia species.



Even the flower buds of Iris macrosiphon were affected by the cold weather. One can see the yellowish discoloration on this flower bud.



In more protected locations the flowers buds on Iris macrosiphon were completely unaffected by the cold.

[Robert]

Lomatium utriculatum is an early blooming species. I found this single specimen blooming in a grassy area as I explored the perimeter of another dense stand of chaparral.



As always the day was coming to a close. It was time to hike back to the Outback and return to my home in Sacramento. Although I was very busy with other things in February, I was pleased to be out again. The timing is perfect as the early blooming season is now just getting started.

Birds seen on this outing:
Hermit Thrush, Hylocichla guttata
Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura
Western Bluebird, Sialia mexicana – The Bluebirds were noticeably abundant and active (breeding season!).
American Robin, Turdus migratorius
Plain Titmouse, Parus inornatus
White-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis
Hutton’s Vireo, Vireo huttoni
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula

With winter conditions on Peavine Ridge, it was very quiet. There was not much in the way of bird activity. I did see the following birds:
Mountain Chickadee, Parus gambeli
Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis

Now to consider my next outing this coming week.

Until the next time……..

[Robert]

I had a very enjoyable and productive outing yesterday.

I spent the morning on Peavine Ridge checking on my instrumentation. Everything was working perfectly! It was also great to see a more "normal" snow pack on the ridge.



I spent the afternoon at Sweetwater Creek. It was a perfect early spring day with many species of plants coming into bloom. For the most part the photographs turned out well too. There is much to share, including some pleasant surprises.

[Robert]

SWEETWATER CREEK

El Dorado County, California

Thursday, 8 March 2018

Sacramento Weather
Weather: Broken Clouds
Temperature, High: 69 F, 20.6 C
                       Low: 50 F, 10.0 C
Precipitation: 0.04 inches (1.0 mm), To date: 10.45 inches (265 mm)

Placerville Weather
Weather: Broken Clouds
Temperature, High: 72 F, 22.2 C
                       Low: 45 F, 7.2 C
Precipitation: Trace, To date: 16.52 inches (420 mm), Average to date: 26.90 inches (683 mm)




Thursday morning was overcast and mild in Sacramento. A few light rain showers were moving through the area, as moist subtropical air moved into the region. This was an abrupt change from the cold arctic air and record breaking cold temperatures we were experiencing only a few days earlier.

My first stop for the morning was Peavine Ridge. All of the instruments at the Peavine Ridge weather observation site were now in place and functioning properly. My goal is to do regular manual observations of the weather conditions and also record how the native plants and ecosystems respond to the changing conditions.

The stormy weather during the previous few days had been very cold with low snow levels. My first stop on Peavine Ridge was at a regular low elevation weather observation site, 3,625 feet (1,105 meters). It was 37 F (2.8 C) at 8:00 a.m. The cold air from the previous few days had not been scoured out of the low mountain valleys by the new warm air mass. A few light rain showers moved through the area as I measured the snow depth and water content. There was 25 cm of snow on the ground with a moisture content equivalent of 2.77 inches (70 mm), not bad for this time of year.

Next I moved on, to the “Summit’ site on Peavine Ridge, 5,146 feet (1,569 meters). Here the warm moist air mass had changed conditions. It was 41 F (5 C) at 9:00 a.m. Generally it is warmer at the first site than on the crest of Peavine Ridge. I was very pleased to measure 58.5 cm of snow on the crest of Peavine Ridge. This was a more typical measurement for this site, compared to the, more or less, snowless conditions during much of the winter. The water content equivalent of the snow was 4.36 inches (111 mm). This is an example of how much water can be stored in the Sierra Nevada snow pack. This water content is extremely important to the ecology of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and human water supplies in California during the summer and early autumn.



After completing my work on Peavine Ridge, I moved down the mountain to Sweetwater Creek. Much of the Sweetwater Creek drainage is held in private ownership. There is public access to the last portion of Sweetwater Creek before it enters the South Fork of the American River. This is within Folsom Lake State Park.

I reached the staging area, 490 feet (149 meters), at 12:30 p.m. Much of the thick cloudiness had dispersed and the temperature was on the rise. It was 69 F (20.6) and a bit humid with a relative humidity of 59%.

I first starting coming to this site during the early 1970’s. Botanically, it is a very interesting area. The gabbro rock formations have a considerable influence on the flora of this region. Many rare and endemic species are located in this area, making it an excellent site to explore. I almost always find something new or see things from a different perspective after visiting this area.



I set off down one of the trails through the chaparral. There is some oak woodland and oak savannah habitats in this area, however much of the region is covered with thick chaparral, dominated by Chamise, Adenostoma fasciculatum.



This site is one of the few places where Garrya congdonii grows abundantly in our part of California. Spring is arriving and the hanging racemes of this species were well on their way to having mature fruit.



The warm weather and longer days had many plants advancing into active growth, such as this Garrya congdonii.

[Robert]

The highly aromatic, Salvia sonomensis grows abundantly under and around the chaparral shrubbery. It will not be long and they will be blooming.



Penstemon heterophyllus var. purdyi is a fairly common species frequently seen in the lower elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Sweetwater Creek is near the low elevation limit for this species in this part of California.



Muhlenbergia rigens, Deer Grass, is one of our native perennial bunchgrasses. Much of our California bunchgrass habitat has been lost. It is great to see their habitat, more or less, protected by the State Park. Here their numbers can thrive and multiply.



In places huge clumps of Iris macrosiphon lined the trail. The clumps must be very old.



This area is a great place to poke around and look for interesting lichen species. This fallen branch was well colonized by Flavopuctelia flaventior (cream-green), Evernia prunastris (lacey, branch fork lower left), Xanthomedoza hasseana (bright orange) and Candelaria sp. (yellowish-orange – most likely C. pacifica). In an area of rocky chaparral I found Aspicilia confusa, Chaparral sunken disk lichen (too small to photograph).

[Robert]

The Asteraceae, Grindelia camporum, is a common species in the chaparral plant community. The gum found in the heads of the yellow flowers is said to be a good remedy for Poison Oak induced dermatitis.



In one of the wooded areas, near a seasonal creek, there were many colonies of Artemisia douglasiana. This perennial will grow to 1 to 1.3 meters in height and, as might be expected, has aromatic foliage.



Sweetwater Creek is one of the few areas where Ceanothus palmeri grows abundantly in our part of California. This species may not be listed as rare, however I am happy to see this uncommon species (uncommon in our area – it can be quite common in other areas) protected by the State Park.



It will not be long until the shrubby Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons starts blooming. The flowers are very showy, and the silvery foliage is dramatic during all the seasons.



The annual Asteraceae, Lasthenia californica ssp. californica, can be extremely showy. The flowers are quite small, however the species can grow in huge dense colonies covering many acres of land. This is an amazing springtime sight in California.

[Robert]

In places the Goldfields, Lasthenia californica, were mixed with the equally small red-violet flowers of Calandrinia ciliata.



In other dry habitats, Eriophyllum lanatum was seen. The plants in this area were most likely variety grandiflorum. This species, too, can sometimes be seen growing in mass. At times whole mountainsides can be carpeted with this species. When seen in bloom this is a spectacular sight.



Buckbrush, Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus was starting to bloom.



In many ways, Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus can be quite spectacular when in full bloom. The thickly pollen scented flowers are pleasant to encounter on a warm day. In addition, blooming plants are magnets for insect life. Hoards of Hymenoptera can be found hovering around a blooming plant, with an occasional Lepidoptera arriving for a sip of nectar.



Goldback Fern, Pentagramma triangularis, can be found growing abundantly in many Sierra Nevada foothill locations. This was one of a number of fern species I encountered on this outing.

[Hoy]

Nice to see the progress of your spring, Robert.

We are back in the grip of cold weather and it is very few signs of spring yet. Some of the very early crocuses and snowdrops have been damaged as they started out before the very cold type of weather hit us.

[Robert]

The blooming season of Whiteleaf Manzanita, Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida, had not ended and there were still a number of plants in bloom along my route. At one site, I was privileged to see an amazing sight. The first flight of Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies, Battus philenor, fluttered around a large blooming Manzanita plant. Occasionally the colorful Sara’s Orangetip, Anthocharis sara, arrived to sip at the nectar. This was a rare encounter, but unfortunately impossible to capture with my camera.



Everywhere plants were in growth, many budded and ready to bloom, like this chaparral Clematis, Clematis lasinatha.



At one location I found a large colony of the late blooming Wyethia angustifolia. This is one of three species of Wyethia that can be found growing in this area, and generally the last to bloom.



Coyote Mint, Monardella villosa, was seen occasionally along my route. This species has showy lavender-purple flowers and minty aromatic foliage.



Lichens can be found grow on twigs, branches, bark, soil, and rocks. This Lecanora species is generally found growing on tree bark. It was definitely of the Lecanora chlarotera group.

[Robert]

At one point in my journey I hiked through an area of dense chaparral. Here I found Lepechinia calycina. Like many chaparral species the foliage of Lepechinia is very aromatic.



Chaparral Honeysuckle, Lonicera interrrupta, could be seen scrambling through the branches and foliage of the taller chaparral shrubs.



The showy Bush Monkeyflower, Mimulus aurantiacus var. aurantiacus, is at home in this chaparral environment. Its bright yellowish-orange flowers can be seen for many weeks during the spring.



Hiding in the shade of some of the taller chaparral shrubs were specimens of Scrophularia californica. The flowers of this species are interesting but not especially showy.



As I moved into a Blue Oak Woodland, Quercus douglasii, I found a large colony of Sanicula crassicaulis. I almost always find this species growing singly or in scattered small groupings. For me at least, it was unusual to find so many growing together in one location.

[Robert]

The shaded oak woodland was perfect habitat for Primula (Dodecatheon) hendersonii. Many plants were in their prime and looked great with their colorful nodding flowers.



The first flowers of Nemophylla heterophylla were starting to open. The flowers are quite small, however they can look fantastic when seen blooming in mass.



On a shaded, north facing, rocky slope the Apiaceae, Tauschia hartwegii, was in bloom with it unassuming yellowish-green flowers.



This was also the perfect habitat for the Maidenhair Fern, Adiantum jordanii. This attractive fern has black stipes that contrast dramatically with the delicate green leaflets.



Polypodium calirhiza was another fern species that grew in this rocky, shaded habitat.