Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Diciembre 27, 2023 a las 11:50 MAÑANA -03

Lugar

Casa (Google, OSM)

Descripción

Please help me with this. Maybe it's not mature enough and it'll change colors or shape soon.

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Agosto 26, 2023 a las 02:36 TARDE -03

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Casa (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Tortuga Pinta (Trachemys scripta ssp. elegans)

Fecha

Julio 28, 2023 a las 11:06 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Cutest turtle I’ve caught

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Enero 18, 2023 a las 12:04 MAÑANA -03

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Casa (Google, OSM)

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Qué

Mosca Flotadora de Cuatro Manchas (Dioprosopa clavata)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Enero 22, 2023 a las 10:50 TARDE -03

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Casa (Google, OSM)

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Qué

Escarabajo Leopardo (Calligrapha polyspila)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Octubre 16, 2022 a las 03:58 TARDE -03

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Casa (Google, OSM)

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Qué

Araña Tejedora Roja (Alpaida gallardoi)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Septiembre 18, 2022 a las 03:21 TARDE -03

Lugar

Casa (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Septiembre 17, 2022 a las 02:04 TARDE -03

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Casa (Google, OSM)

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Qué

Pirincho (Guira guira)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Septiembre 12, 2022 a las 10:49 MAÑANA -03

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Julio 22, 2022 a las 03:02 TARDE -03

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Zorro Gris de Las Pampas (Lycalopex gymnocerca)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Julio 22, 2022 a las 03:32 TARDE -03

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Anfisbenas (Género Amphisbaena)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Diciembre 16, 2020 a las 11:47 MAÑANA -03

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Ranita del Zarzal (Boana pulchella)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Abril 27, 2022 a las 09:56 MAÑANA -03

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Taladro de Las Flores (Megacyllene acuta)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Febrero 7, 2021 a las 04:06 TARDE -03

Lugar

Casa (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Polilla Medidora (Rachiplusia nu)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Abril 3, 2022 a las 01:39 TARDE -03

Lugar

Casa (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Suirirí Amarillo (Satrapa icterophrys)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Marzo 4, 2022 a las 01:52 TARDE -03

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Cola de Alacrán Amarilla (Amsinckia tessellata)

Observ.

gabeaceae

Fecha

Marzo 3, 2022 a las 02:57 TARDE HST

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Enero 15, 2022 a las 05:47 TARDE -03

Lugar

Casa (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Diciembre 14, 2021 a las 07:26 TARDE -03

Lugar

Casa (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Diciembre 9, 2021 a las 01:05 MAÑANA -03

Lugar

Casa (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Noviembre 21, 2021 a las 04:13 TARDE -03

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Casa (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

gabeaceae

Fecha

Mayo 20, 2021 a las 02:38 TARDE HST

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Torito (Diloboderus abderus)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Mayo 8, 2021 a las 02:08 TARDE -03

Lugar

Casa (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Marzo 20, 2021 a las 12:39 TARDE -03

Lugar

Casa (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Diciembre 25, 2020 a las 04:56 TARDE -03

Lugar

Casa (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

danielbranch94

Fecha

Septiembre 10, 2020 a las 07:00 TARDE BST

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

danielbranch94

Fecha

Septiembre 10, 2020 a las 02:46 TARDE BST

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

danielbranch94

Fecha

Septiembre 10, 2020 a las 01:39 TARDE BST

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

danielbranch94

Fecha

Septiembre 3, 2020 a las 11:16 MAÑANA BST

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Abril 20, 2020 a las 12:45 TARDE -03

Lugar

Casa (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Abril 19, 2020 a las 02:16 TARDE -03

Lugar

Casa (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Mariposa Mercedes (Tatochila mercedis)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Abril 7, 2020 a las 01:44 TARDE -03

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Aguililla Rojinegra (Parabuteo unicinctus)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Marzo 8, 2020 a las 10:02 MAÑANA -03

Lugar

Casa (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Polillas Búho (Familia Noctuidae)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Marzo 12, 2020 a las 09:46 TARDE -03

Lugar

Casa (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Febrero 27, 2020 a las 06:36 TARDE -03

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Marmosa Pálida (Thylamys pallidior)

Observ.

michaelweymann

Fecha

Julio 2015

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Febrero 16, 2020 a las 05:44 TARDE -03

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Araña Escupidora (Scytodes globula)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Febrero 8, 2020 a las 12:16 TARDE -03

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Casa (Google, OSM)

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Qué

Murciélagos Orejas de Ratón (Género Myotis)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Enero 20, 2020 a las 01:56 TARDE -03

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Pulga de Gato, Pulga de Perro (Género Ctenocephalides)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Enero 14, 2020 a las 06:48 TARDE -03

Lugar

Casa (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Carancho (Caracara plancus)

Observ.

pablobaldu

Fecha

Junio 19, 2018 a las 09:55 MAÑANA -03

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Pato Picazo (Netta peposaca)

Observ.

michaelweymann

Fecha

Septiembre 8, 2019 a las 12:38 TARDE -03

Lugar

Tricao (Google, OSM)

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

gabeaceae

Fecha

Abril 18, 2019 a las 11:40 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Just emerged! Wings hardening

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Ratón Casero Eurasiático (Mus musculus)

Observ.

leptonia

Fecha

Marzo 28, 2019 a las 03:55 TARDE CET

Descripción

More imminently moribund than usual

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Liquidámbar (Liquidambar styraciflua)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Diciembre 2, 2017 a las 10:01 MAÑANA PST

Descripción

Shot 1:

A couple of leaves on a very stately American Sweetgum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) that I discovered at Pioneer Memorial Park in downtown Mountain Veiw, CA. This particular tree comes from an interesting cultivar, in which the mature, palmate leaves have a very long and exaggerated, lowermost lobe. In most of Amercan Sweetgum's other cultivars, the lobes on each leaf are closer to being equal in length.

This shot also shows the progression of decay, as cooler nights and shorter days have affecte this American Sweetgum's leaves. The leaf towards the left and front of this picture is further along in the process of decay; it has lost most of its chlorophyll, so that there is very little green coloring left to it, and in some places, the internal cell structure has collapsed, leaving behind blotches of plain color with little to no color in it. The leaf to the right and rear has turned color, but still retains enough chlorophyll that one can still see a tinge of green, especially along the midrib and some of the major veins. The cell structure of this leaf is also still intact, so the network of veins in the leaf is still clear, especially when the leaf is backlit as it is here.

Shot 2:

More leaves from the same tree. Backlighting shows these leaves to be in varying states of decay, as well. Once again, look for varying degrees of chlorophyll loss in the leaves, along with evidence of collapsed cell structure within the leaf.

Shot 3:

This shot shows the range of colors that these leaves can attain during the autumn months - from bright yelows to deep reds to even deeper bronzes and purples. It also shows the atlernate arrangement of these leaves along one of this tree's branches; if one walks up the branch visually, one will see that one leaf will be on one side of the branch, while the next leaf will be on the opposite side, and so on, all the way up to the top.

Shot 4:

This shot provides a moderately close-up view of this tree's silvery-gray trunk. Note the relatively shallow furrows of the trunk's bark, giving the trunk a relatively smooth appearance.

Shot 5:

This shows how stately and impressive this tree is, growing to a heaight of about 50 feet, with long, graceful boughs that extend its canopy out in all directions. This is how I remember this tree from its native East Coast, where it receives ample rainfall and can get even taller than this individual. Out here on the West Coast, where this tree remains a popular landscaping feature, it usually attains a more modest stature, as it does not receive as much rainfall here.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Garza Morena (Ardea herodias)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Octubre 28, 2017 a las 11:05 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), photographed as it was hunting for prey in a side channel near Coyote Creek Lagoon. Coyote Creek Lagoon is part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Fremont, CA.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Adelfa Blanca Y Rosa (Nerium oleander)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Octubre 28, 2017 a las 10:43 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Oleander (Nerium oleander), photographed at Coyote Creek Lagoon in Fremont, CA. Flowers were photographed on a rather drizzly morning. This cultivar has double flowers.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Encino del Valle (Quercus lobata)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Octubre 22, 2017 a las 08:56 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

These are the deeply lobed, sinously edged, tomentose leaves of a Valley Oak (Quercus lobata) that I discovered at Los Gatos Creek County Park in Campbell, CA. The red galls growing on the underside of the middle leaf belong to some Convoluted Gall Wasps (Andricus confertus).

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Gorrión Corona Amarilla (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Octubre 14, 2017 a las 06:21 TARDE PDT

Descripción

Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla), photographed along the trail to the Sailing Station that runs past the old Restored Marsh at Palo Alto Baylands in Palo Alto, CA. I think this one is a first winter bird, as a pinkish flush has only just barely begun to appear on its lower mandible, and because there appears to be a pronounced grayish flush on its breast that contrast with a lighter gray color on its belly.

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Octubre 22, 2017 a las 08:57 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Galls of some Convoluted Gall Wasps (Andricus confertus) on the leaf of a Valley Oak (Quercus lobata) at Los Gatos Creek County Park in Campbell, CA. Identification tentative, based on these galls being clustered together to create a single mass of irregularly shaped, reddish compartments, each covered with tiny hairs. Seems to compare well with photographs of the galls of A. confertus online. (See references below.)

References:
1) Joyce Oates, 'California Oak Galls," http://joycegross.com/galls_ca_oak.php - link to photographs of A. confertus galls: http://joycegross.com/images.php?search=2&taxon=Andricus+confertus&ordr=
2) California Oaks, 'Wasp Galls on California Oaks," http://californiaoaks.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/WaspGalls_RonRussoPoster.pdf
3) Bug Guide: https://www.bugguide.net; link to images of A. confertus galls here: https://bugguide.net/node/view/145060/bgpage

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Chipe Rabadilla Amarilla (Setophaga coronata)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Octubre 22, 2017 a las 08:32 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata), photographed near the Oka Lane entrance to Los Gatos Creek County Park in Campbell, CA. The yellow throat patch indicates that this bird belongs to the Audubon's race of Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Trepadorcito Americano (Certhia americana)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Octubre 21, 2017 a las 09:50 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Brown Creeper (Certhia americana), photographed on the trunk of a pine tree at Cuesta Park in Mountain View, CA. This little bird was actively feeding there - sometimes extracting insects from the bark of this pine tree, and sometimes sallying from the tree to snap up a few termites on the wing. The air was positively thick with termites that morning, as hundreds of them had emerged after the first rains of the autumn, which had fallen across the area the previous day.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Junco Ojos Negros (Junco hyemalis)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Octubre 21, 2017 a las 09:58 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis), photographed on the bough of a pine tree at Cuesta Park in Mountain View, CA. It appears tp be munching on a seed, which one can stil see clenched in its bill.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Chipe Rabadilla Amarilla (Setophaga coronata)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Octubre 14, 2017 a las 05:37 TARDE PDT

Descripción

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata), photographed near the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive center at Palo Alto Baylands, Palo Alto, CA. The bird is in basic plumage, with the yellow on its throat indicating that it belongs to the Audubon''s race of this bird. One can see it poised to spring into flight at a moment's notice, which is precisely what it did, once I had taken this one photograph of it.

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Octubre 8, 2017 a las 11:46 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Farinose Cartilage Lichen, also wDotted Ramaline (Ramalina farinacea), photogaphed at Junipero Serra County Park in San Bruno, CA, along the Quail Loop Trail. Identification is tentative. Lichen was found growing on the bark of a Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia).

The flat branches of this lichen's thallus indicate that this lichen is one of the strap lichens in the genus Ramalina. Where the branches are shaded, one can see their flat profile and light, grayish-green color. Look more closely, and one can see that the presence of round to elongated soralia on these branches, particularly along the branches' edges. These soralia are structures used in the asexual reproduction of this lichen.

This lichen less commonly produced larger, more disk-like apothecia for sexual reproduction. However, this particular example of it does not appear to be bearing any.

References:
1) Richard Sharnof, A Field Guide to California Lichens, pp. 189-194. The family description on p. 189 and the species description on pp. 190-191 are especially useful.
2) The Lichen Portal, http://lichenportal.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=55426, 'Ramalina farinacea'
3) Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramalina_farinacea

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Octubre 8, 2017 a las 11:14 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Hairy Honeysuckle berries (Lonicera hispidula), with the trunk of an Oak (Quercus sp.) in the background. Photographed at Junipero Serra County Park in San Bruno, CA, along the Live Oak Nature Loop Trail. Note: L. hispidula is also known as Pink Honeysuckle, which is apparently the preferred common names these days.

In the fall, Hairy Honeysuckle can be identified from its long, twining and climbing habit; its opposite pairs of broadly ovate leaves, the uppermost or most distal ones fused at the base around a central stem; and its tight clusters of bright, red, currant-like berries. The berries are evidence of the long spikes of pinkish flowers that this native honeysuckle bore in the springtime, at the end of its long, axillary peduncles.

The oak in the background is probably a young Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) with an unusually pale, almost whitish trunk. (I found this color form on young trees only, so I suspect it is a trait that disappears with age.) As there was no way for me to get the trunk out of the picture, I decided to use it as my background.

Some dimensions: (1) The leaves are roughly 4 cm long X 3 cm wide. (2) The berries are roughly 8mm in diameter.

References:
1) Jepson's eFlora: http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=31505
2) Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonicera_hispidula

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Encino del Valle (Quercus lobata)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Septiembre 29, 2017 a las 08:51 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Valley Oak (Quercus lobata), photographed at Murphy Park in Sunnyvale, CA. This lead shot (Shot 1) shows the leaves of this tree, along with an acorn and a couple of acorn caps. The leaves have the classic, deeply lobed shape that is distinctive for this species - so distinctive that it gave rise to its present-day scientific species name (lobata). As Valley Oak is deciduous, its leaves have begun to exhibit patches of brown and golden, as they respond to the shorter days and cooler nights.

The single acorn shown in this picture is very large, over an inch long and around 3/4 of an inch in diameter at its widest point. It is stoutly conical in shape and deeply chestnut brown in color, with a large, warty, light brown cap. The acorns' large, bulky size are their most distinctive features.

Shot 2 provides a closeup iew of the tree's pewter gray bark. The bark has a deeply corrugated, blocky texture to it, reminding me of the skin of a giant alligator. Although other oak species have bark with a rough and rugged texture to it, none of them have bark that look quite like this.

Shot 3 provides a view of the tree's stout trunk, which is around three feet in diameter. That is relatively modest for Valley Oaks, which can reach up to 9 feet in diameter with age. (This is probably still a relatively young tree.)

Finally, Shot 4 provides a view at the tree's canopy, as seen when one looks up into the canopy along the tree's trunk. Note how the main branches of the tree twist and curl as they rise up into its canopy. This is fairly typical of the species. Valley Oaks are also known to develop a profusion of secondary branches and other growth that dangles down from the canopy, at time almost touching the ground; this is why an old name for it is "weeping oak." WIth this particular tree being planted in a city park, that kind of dangling growth is likely discouraged through the judicious use of pruning, for both safety and aesthetic reasons.

References:
1) Bruce M. Pavlik, et.al. Oaks of California, Cachuma Press, Santa Barbara, pp. 10-12.
2) http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora, search for 'Quercus lobata.'

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Encinos o Robles (Género Quercus)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Septiembre 23, 2017 a las 10:38 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Coast Live Oak X Interior Live Oak hybrid (Quercus agrifolia X wislizenii), photographed at Overfelt Gardens Park in San Jose, CA. There are six photos in this series:

Shot 1 (this shot) provides a view of the tree's trunk, main branches, and general form. Note how some of the main branches of this tree rise vertically from the trunk, while others veer off at odd angles. A couple of the main branches are actually at almost 90 degree angles with the trunk. Having branches that jut out at all angles is fairly typical of both Coast and Interior Live Oaks (Quercus agrifolia and Quercus wislizenii).

Shot 2 provides a view of the tree's canopy. It again shows the different branches twisting and turning at various angles, some of them odd, others not-so-odd. It also provides some good views of the tree's bark. When young, the bark of both Ccoast and Interior Live Oaks is smooth and gray, but as the trees mature, shallow, vertical "furrows" begin to appear in their bark, as shown in Shot 2. These furrows give their bark a noticeably rougher texture (although its texture never gets as rough as it does for Valley Oak [Quercus lobar]).

Shot 3 provides an external view of the tree, showing it in situ amongst a small grove of other live oaks at Overfelt Gardens Park. The tree is actually at the center of this shot, with a live oak to either side of it. Its canopy has a rounded shape, which is again typical of both live oak species. Because both live oaks are not deciduous, the canopy of this tree still retains its full mantle of green, despite the fact that autumn has just arrived.

Shot 4 provides a close-up of some of this tree's leaves. Here, the leaves are round to elliptical in shape, usually convex, and sparsely toothed; the teeth on each leaf are usually armed with a small bristle. The upper surface of each leaf is smooth and shiny, while the lower surface has a generally smooth, matte finish to it, except for patches of beige/light brown hairs in the axils of its leaf veins, which is a diagnostic field mark for Coast Live Oak. Interior Live Oak lacks these axillary patches of light brown hairs.

After searching through a number of leaves, it became apparent to me that only about 25% to 30% of the leaves on this tree exhibited these tufts of hairs in the vein axils. The fact that there is a mix of leaves on this tree, some having this trait and some not, suggests a mixed parentage. Because the leaves are not significantly different from either Coast Live Oak or Interior Live Oak, this tree is likely to be a hybrid of both. Note: The two star-like, whit patches are the pupae of some white fles, Aleuroplatus coronata.

Shot 5 provides a close-up view of the tree's acorns. The acorn on the left is thin and relatively narrow, with parallel sides running most of the length of the acorn, from the bottom of its cap to just before the tip. The cap itself is scaly and fairly shallow. This acorn has a form that is typical of the acorns of an Interior Live Oak.

On the other hand, the acorn to the right is more conical in shape, with a broader base and a somewhat deeper, scaly cap. This acorn is fairly close in form to the acorn of a Coast Live Oak.

The fact that this tree exhibits acorns typical in form to both live oaks, even in the same cluster of acorns, again suggests that this tree is really a hybrid of the two. For another indicator, consider the slightly out-of-focus leaf in the background of this shot, with its underside facing the camera. If you study this leaf carefully, you can see that it has the convex, round, slightly toothed shape of a Coast Live Oak's leaves, but without the diagnostic, axillary hair tufts.

Shot 6 provides a view of another acorn and set of leaves. The acorn has the conical look of a Coast Live Oak acorn, but the shallow cap of an Interior Live Oak acorn. The leaves, however, are all flat and more or less round, with irregular margins that have no teeth and no bristles. These leaves are not consistent with the leaves of a Coast Live Oak; however, they are definitely consistent with the range of leaf shapes that is possible for an Interior Live Oak.

Conlcusion: This tree has adopted too many traits of both Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) and Interior Live Oak (Quercus wislizenii) for it to be purely one or the other It is a hybrid (Quercus agrifolia X wislizenii) that is known to occur with some regularity in the wild. Being in the Santa Clara Valley close to the base of the Interior Coast Range, Oerfelt Gardens is in that geographical zone where the ranges of Coast Live Oak and Interior Live Oak overlap, so it would not be surprising to find a hybrid here.

References:
(1) Jepson's eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora
(2) The Oaks of California, Bruce M. Pavlik et al., Cachuma Press, pp. 25-30

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Palma Blanca (Washingtonia robusta)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Septiembre 23, 2017

Descripción

Mexican Fan Palms (Washingtonia robusta), photographed at Overfelt Gardens Park in San Jose, CA. In cultivated settings, these palm trees are manicured to remove all of the previous year's fronds, in the process revealing most of their long, narrow trunks. Here, they have escaped the arborist's attention, retaining a petticoat of dead fronds, much as they would in the wild. This may make them look like a totally unfamiliar, exotic species, but they are the same Mexican Fan Palms that one sees in landscaping and other settings, all over the state of California.

Several characteristics make these trees Mexican Fan Palms: (1) The narrow trunk, often tapering from a swollen base (see the base of the left-most tree for an example of this). These trunks are often festooned with the bases of previous years' palm fronds, long after those alm fronds have dropped away. (2) Palmate leaves (fronds) that are bright green in color and round in outline, spreading stiffly to form a comparativel small, compact crown. All of these traits and characteristics are visible in this picture for these palm trees, even without any closeup or supplemental shots.

Note: The swath of green in front of these Mexican Fan Palms are the duckweed-infested waters of the largest pond on te park..

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Aliso (Platanus racemosa)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Septiembre 23, 2017 a las 10:24 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

A Western Sycamore (Platanus racemosa), photographed at Overfelt Gardens Park in San Jose, CA. This is a unique and distinctive native tree; no other species of tree in California has its stately, silvery-grey trunk, with its blotchy, patchwork bark, or its broadly palmate leaves, with their almost cloth-like texture.

Shot 1 provides a grand view of the tree's silvery-gray trunk and branches, along with what was left of its canopy. With it being the start of autumn, many of its leaves had already begun to turn brown and fall to the ground, leaving its canopy a bit threadbare. This did have its advantages, though, as it allowed one to admire the muscular character of its trunk and branches.

Shot 2 shows the tree from the opposite side, and also from a further distance away, so one can see it in situ. From that distance, once can more easily see the general shape and habit of this tree. The tree was probably 35 to 40 feet tallk, with a trunk that was about two or three feet in diameter near the base.

Shot 3 provides a closeup of the tree's trunk and bark. The tree sheds its bark in irregular, blotch-shaped patches that remind me a bit of jigsaw puzzle pieaces. In Shot 3, it has shed some patches of olf bark recently, revealing the new bark underneat. This shedding of the old bark is so recent that the new bark underneath still retains a bit of its fresh, yellow-green color. With time, the new bark will dry out a bit and turn silvery gray, just like the bark on the rest of the tree.

Finally, Shot 4 provides a moderate closeup of a cluser of the tree's leaves. They are palmate in shape, similar to the leaves of maples or sweetgum trees; however, they are much larger - on the order of 5 to 6 inches wide and 4.5 to 5 inches long. Although each leaf is deeply lobed, the lobes themselves bear few (if any) teeth. The leaf is also relatively thick, and has an almost felty, cloth-like texture.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Cresta de Gallo (Persicaria maculosa)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Septiembre 23, 2017 a las 10:16 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Spotted Lady's Thumb (Persicaria maculosa), photographed at Overfelt Gardens Park in San Jose, CA, along the shoreline of the park's largest pond. There are four shots in this series. Shot 1 shows the entire plant in situ. Shot 2 provides a closeup of the plant's inflorescence. Shot 3 proides a cloeup of the plant's leaves. And Shot 4 shows how the plant's leaves are arranged along its stems.

Shot 1 and especially shot 4 show the swollen nodes that appear along the plant's stem, covered with a thin, papery sheathing known as an ocrea. These are good clues that we are dealing with a plant in the Knotweed or Buckwheat family, Polygonaceae. Although not every genus in Polygonaceae has these traits, it is distinctive for some of its genera, such as Rumex, Persicaria, and Polygonum. Moreover, the ocrea being opaque rather than translucent is interesting, as it is a key field mark for all of the species belonging to the genus Persicaria.

Further examination of the plant indicates that it does indeed belong to the genus Persicaria. According to Jepson's e-Flora, species belonging to this genus are characterized by the following:

1) Cauline leaves that are arranged in alternate fashion along each stem of the plant. (Obvious in Shot 4.)
2) Terminal or axillary inflorescences that are generally spike-like in appearance (Obvious in Shots 1, 2 and 4.)
3) Individual flowers whose perianths consist of four petals, fused part of the way down to form a shallow, urn-like tube. (Verified in the field. It turns out that mosf of the flowers on this plant had already been pollinated and were now going to seed. In the process of going to seed, the perianth seals itself off as the seed matures, so one cannot really see the individual petals any more. Once the seed begins to swell up inside, it actually splits the perianth from the rear, allowing the perianth tp drop off. If you look carefully, you can see this happening to some of the individual flowers in Shot 2. It is easier to see the flower structure in a relatively fresh, open flower, which took me a while to find on this plant. When I did, I verified that its perianth did, in fact, consist of four partially fused petals.)
4) An outer perianth that is neither winged nor keeled. (Somewhat obvious in Shot 2, but I also verified this in the field, for reasons elaborated on in [2].)

Further identification to Persicaria maculosa is based on some additional traits (again, according to Jepson's eFlora):

1) Petioles that are not winged. (Most obvious in Shot 4. The leaves are tapered, but their petioldes are not truly winged.
2) Perianth bell- or urn-shaped, parts fused at 1/3 or greater. (Verified in the field for reasons given above.)
3) Perianth not gland-dotted. (Obvious from Shot 2.)
4) Plant annual, lacking rhizomes or stolons. (More or less obvious from Shot 1.)
5) Ocreae papery throughout, does not turn leaf-like distally. (Obvious from Shot 4.)
6) Plant lacking oil glands on the peduncle. (Obvious from Shot 2.)

Spotted Lady's Thumb is known to occur in aquatic or semi-aquatic situations, which holds true for this plant, as it was found along the edge of a pond. Its long, lanceolate leaves are also known to have blotching near the center, which can be seen on a few of the leaves in Shot 4. The flowers are known to be a deep pink to rose color; however, it appears that once they are pollinated, they turn the creamy shade of white show in these pictures.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Pasto Pampa (Cortaderia selloana)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Septiembre 23, 2017 a las 10:12 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana), photographed at Overfelt Gardens Park in San Jose, CA. This non-native from South America can be distinguished from its non-native cousin, Jubata Grass (Cortaderia jubata), by the silvery to creamy white color of its plumes, the grayish-green color of its strap-like leaves, and the comparatively short, three-to-five-foot long peduncle bearing its plumes above the underlying mass of leaves. Jubata Grass has plumes that are pink to violet in their youth, turning a creamy white to golden color at maturity. Its leaves are a darker shade of green than those of Pampas Grass, and its plumes tower above the underlying mass of leaves, on peduncles that can be up to twenty feet in length. In California, Jubata Grass is restricted to coastal areas, whereas Pampas Grass can be found at inland locations, such as Overfelt Gardens Park.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Ganso Canadiense Mayor (Branta canadensis)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Septiembre 23, 2017

Descripción

Two of the over one hundred Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) that were present at Overfelt Gardens Park in San Jose, CA.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Abeja Melífera Europea (Apis mellifera)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Septiembre 2, 2017 a las 10:58 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

A single European Honeybee (Apis mellifera) lifts off after pollinating the flowers of some Coast Buckwheat (Eriogonum latifolium) at Pescadero State Beach in coast San Mateo County.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Mariposa Sedosa Gris (Strymon melinus)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Septiembre 2, 2017 a las 10:42 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Gray Hairstreak (Styrmon melinus), also known as the Common Hairstreak, discovered nectaring on the flowers of some Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) at Pescadero State Beach in coastal San Mateo County, CA. Even without a shot of the dorsal view of the wings, one can tell that this is a Hairstreak from the following traits:

(1) The pearly gray underwings with the exceedingly long "tails," which are most visible in Shot 4 of this series.
(2) The dark postmedial line stretch across both the forewings and the hindwings, edged on one side by white and on the other side by bright orange.
(3) The large, black eyespots at the anal angle for the hindwings, with the large orange markings enveloping them.

No other butterfly in the San Francisco Bay Area has this combination of traits. These traits distinguish the Gray Hairstreak from all other butterflies, inclduing all of the other hairstreaks and both the Eastern and Western Tailed Blues.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Hierba Mora (Solanum douglasii)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Septiembre 2, 2017 a las 10:38 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Greenpsot Nightshade (Solanum douglasii), photographed on the bluffs at Pescadero State Beach in coastal San Mateo County, CA. Identification is somewhat tentative due to the lack of any fruit on this plant at the time this photograph was taken. The color of the fruit and (to a lesser extent) the size of the calyx in the fruit are key distinguishing traits for the Solanaceae in general, and the genus Solanum in particular. The lead shot focuses on the plant's flowers/inflorescence, while the subsequent shot focuses on the plant's leaves.

The lead shot shows that the individual flowers are fairly showy for the genus Solanum, with their long, white corolla lobes and their relatively large, bright orange anthers arranged in a ring around each flower's stigama. The markings in the throat of the corolla are often greenish, giving this plant its common name; however, these markings are variable, and can be yellowish (as they are in this photo), greenish with yellow at the center, greenish with dark purplish outlines, or some other permutation of green, yellow, and/or purple.

From the lead shot, it is clear that the inflorescence is a simple umbel, with all six flowers (the four open flowers, plus two more towards the rear that have not opened yet) emanating from the same point. (Unfortunately, the peduncle for this main inflorescence is not visible in this shot, as it has been obscured by its flowers.) Note that because the flowers emanate from the same point, there is no forking of the inflorescence axis, with each axis bearing its own set of flowers, the way there is with S. furcatum (one of the more common nightshade species in the San Francisco Bay Area, depicted in the photo at the following link: http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=ucjeps&enlarge=0000+0000+0613+0431).

The second shot shows the plant's leaves, which are broadly ovate in shape, with shallow lobing on the margins and a tapered petiole. The largest leaf in the shot is approximately 6.5 cm long and about 3.5 cm wide at its broadest point. If you look very carefully, you can also see the hairs on some of the leaves rather clearly. These hairs are all simple - no branching, and no radiating from the same point on the leaf (which would make them stellate).

The arrangement of the leaves on the stem is a bit hard to discern from this shot, as the leaves are tightly packed together, and moreover, this plant loves to branch. However, if you trace either of the stems shown in the second photo, you'll see that the leaves are more or less alternate - the leaves appear in a staggered fashion along the length of each stem, rather than appearing in true, opposite pairs.

Finally, the second shot also shows a few immature inflorescences. The peduncles for each of these inflorescences is much more visible in this shot. Note, however, that the peduncle in all cases never branches off to form two main axes, each with its own set of flowers. Instead, the flowers all emerge from the same point at the end of the peduncle. This is consistent with what was determined in the lead shot for this plant's inflorescences.

Below is a summary of key field marks for this plant, according to Jepson's eFlora:

1) Fruit is a berry. (Assumed - unfortunately, mature fruit were not available on this plant when it was photographed.)
2) Corolla more or less rotate, with reflexed lobes. (Obvious from the lead shot.)
3) Anthers opening by way of slits from top to base. (Obvious from the lead shot.)
4) Anthers > filaments. (Obvious from the lead shot.)
5a) Anthers free, not tube-like around the style. (Verified in the field, but not really possible to verify this from the photo.)
5b) Leaves entire to deeply pinnately lobed. (more obviously the case, as seen from the lead photo; note that this gets me to the genus Solanum).
6) Hairs not stellate. Hairs may or may not be branched. however. (This is obvious in the second shot, which shows this plant's leaves. From that shot, the hairs all appear to e simple.)
7) Leaves entire to shallowly lobed. (This is obvious from the second shot, which show's this plant's leaves.)
8) Corolla lobes >= tube + throat. (Obvious from the lead shot. I estimated the corolla lobes to be about 10 mm long in the field, whereas the corolla tube + throat was probably no more than 5mm long. You can get a sense of how long the corolla tube + throat is by looking at the emergent flowers in the background of this shot, or by looking at the immature iflowers in the next shot of this set.)
9) Inflorescence umbel-like or raceme-like, but axis of inflorescence is not forked. (See discussion above.)
10) Calyx not enlarged, not enclosing the base of the fruit; fruit black or green. (The calyx does not appear to be enlarging in the flower in the background. Unfortunately, mature fruit were not available for examination when this photo was taken.)

11) Anthers generally 2.5 mm to 4 mm long. (Estimated that they were about 3 mm long in the field.) (This gets me to Solanum douglasii.)

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Rosas (Género Rosa)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 4, 2017 a las 10:10 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

White Floribunda Rose (Rosa sp.), photographed at the Sunnyvale Community Center in Sunnyvale, CA.

Fungi

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Hongos (Reino Fungi)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Agosto 19, 2017

Descripción

This is another assortment of lichens on another large rock (probably serpentinite) at Tulare Hill. A reddish variety predominates, but grey, white, and yellow lichens are also present. Not being a lichen expert by any stretch of the imagination, I have no idea what these lichens are; however, I am hoping that someone on iNaturalist knows.

The lead shot provides a broad view of these lichens; the remaining shot in the set is a closeup of the red and gray lichens.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Amapola de California (Eschscholzia californica)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Agosto 21, 2017

Descripción

California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica), found in a bed of pine needles on a sunny day. They were photographed in Sunnyvale, CA, using a basic phone camera.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Araña Lince Verde (Peucetia viridans)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Agosto 19, 2017

Descripción

Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans), hiding amongst the leaves of a Valley Oak (Quercus lobata) at Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve (near San Jose, CA). This spider is well camouflaged; if you weren't looking for her, you would have easily missed her as she clung, silent and motionless, amongst the Valley Oak leaves near the center of this shot. Her green color blends in almost perfectly with the green fo the leaves, and the pattern of chevrons and stripes on her abdomen bears some resemblance the venation of the oaks' leaves.

She's a beautiful example of P. viridans, and one of the largest that I've ever seen, with a body that is just under an inch in length, and an abdomen that is maybe two thirds of an inch at its widest point. Her size is how one can tell that she is female - the males are much dinkier in size, so they are usually dwarfed by the females.

Thanks to the volunteer Paul for pointing out this spider for me, and for holding the branch that this spider was on, to keep it from blowing about in the wind while I took the picture. The picture turned out nicely enough!

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Agosto 19, 2017

Descripción

Red Cone Gall Wasp (Andricus kingi) on the leaf of a Valley Oak (Quercus lobata). Photographed along the Arrowhead Trail at Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve, near San Jose, CA. This photograph shows the characteristic gall that this species of cypinid wasp makes; it is a dainty little thing, reddish and shaped like a miniature Hershey's kiss. This particular Valley Oak had hundreds of these galls on its leaves, but they were generally hard to photograph because the wind was blowing them around a bit. This is one of the few pictures of these galls that didn't turn out blurry.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Liquen Parietino (Xanthoria parietina)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Agosto 19, 2017

Descripción

Maritime Sunburst Lichen (Xanthoria parietina), also known as Common Orange Lichen or Yellow Scale. Photographed on some wooden fenceboards at Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve, near San Jose, CA.

The bright orange foliose lichens with the cuplike features are Xanthoria parietina. The more yellow-greenish lichens are the same species of lichen with a less familiar coloration; however, the crust-like white lichens near the top and center of the picture are a different species that I am unfamiliar with.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Piracanto Taiwanés (Pyracantha koidzumii)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Septiembre 12, 2016 a las 11:16 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Taiwanese Firethorn (Pyracantha koidzumii), photographed at Somerset Park in Cupertino, CA. According to Jepson's e-Flora, the entire margins of the leaves eliminate Chinese Firethorn (P. fortuneana), Scarlet Firethorn (P. coccinea), and Himalayan Firethorn (P. crenulata). The oblanceolate shape of the leaves, often with a notch at the tip, eliminates Narrowleaf Firethorn (P. angustifolia), while the leaves being widest above the middle eliminates Sichuan Firethorn (P. atalantoides). This leaves just one species of Pyracantha available - P. koidzumii.

The lead shot provides a relatively close-up view of both the leaves and the berries that make P. koidzumii (and the other firethorns in the genus Pyracantha) popular landscaping plants. The berries are at different stages of maturity, so some of them are bright orange-red, while others are stil a bit on the greenish side.

The remaining shot focuses on the thorns for which the genus Pyracantha was named. These thorns are almost an inch long and very sharp - not anything to be trifled with! You can see the thorns if you search along the stems that are visible in this picture; some of the thorns are more obvious than others.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Lirios de Día (Género Hemerocallis)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Agosto 3, 2017 a las 04:49 TARDE PDT

Descripción

Daylily (Hemerocallis sp.), photographed in the landscaping of a business park in Sunnyvale, CA, using a basic camera phone. The lead shot is a closeup of the flowers 6 tepals (3 petal-like sepals + 3 petals forming the main red-and-gold corolla tube), 6 stamens, and one pendant pistil.

The remaining shot shows the plant overall - its shaggy hummock of strap-like leaves, from which emerge its magnficent inflorescences. In this case, the inflorescences have retained the classic trumpet form of the daylily, but with a spectacular combination of red and gold colors.

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Agosto 2017

Lugar

Privado

Descripción

Pug Moth (Eupithecia scabrogata), identification highly tentative. The genus Eupithecia contains at least 1400 species of moths globally, making it the largest genus of moths in the world. Known as Pug Moths, members of this genus are relatively small moths with long, narrow forewings and diminutive hindwings that are almost covered up by the forewings. Adults at rest often hold their forewings at right angles to their bodies, with their hindwings underneath, giving the creature a "soaring hawk" appearance. There are about 160 species of these moths in North America, north of Mexico.

Getting to species with Eupithecid moths is a tricky business, as they're not well studied, and new species of these moths are being discovered all the time. I'm basing my identification of the moth in my picture on photos at the North American Moth Photographer's Gallery:

http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=7583

The individual that I've photographed has the long forewings and small hindwings of all pug moths; however, the tips of its forewings have rounded point to them. The wings are generally a cryptic, dull, dark brown, with just a few darker blotches near the leading edge of the forewing and tinier, white speckles elsewhere on the wings. There is little in the way of a pattern on its wings. The NAMP pictures for E. scabrogata show that they have wings that are similar in shape and color, though they may be a little lighter or a litter darker than the moth in my photo. They also have dark blotches near the leading edge of the forewings, white speckles elsewhere on the wings, and little in the way of a pattern.

Other features that I compared were the antennae (partially shown in my picture) and the overall body shape. The antennae appear to be simple, narrow, and whip like, with none of the frilly appendages or other structures that one sometimes sees in moth antennae. Again, this is consistent with the NAMP phtos for E. scabrogata.

The body shape is narrow overall, with a relatively small head, a bulge in the middle for the thorax, a pinch in the body just below the thorax, and an abdomen that bulges slightly at the top and then tapers to a point. This is mostly consistent with the NAMP photos, with the only difference being the lack of the "pinching" of the body just below the thorax in some of the NAMP pictures of E. scabrogata. One of the pictures does show this feature, however, so I suspect that there may be some sexual dimorphism going on.

Finally, the range map accompanying the NAMP photos indicates that this moth has been found frequently in northern California, which is consistent with what other sources indicate is the range for this moth (British Colmbia to California and Arizona).

There were a few other species depicted in the NAMP gallery that came close in appearance to the species depicted here. E. plumasata, in particular, comes very close. It just seems to a stronger pattern of vertical lines running acrosss its forewings than the moth in my picture. E. indistincta also comes close, but seems to be too pale in overall wing color.

This is my best, educated guess as to what this moth is. However, given how cryptic Eupithecid moths are, and given the shnumber of species in the genus Eupithecia, it is entirely possible that this identification could be wrong.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Catarina Californiana (Coccinella californica)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Junio 24, 2017 a las 09:48 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

California Ladybird Beetle (Coccinella californica), photographed as it was crawling on some Prickly Lettuce (Lactuca serriola) in Fremont, CA. Identified as a California Ladybird Beetle from its solid red, spotless abdomen; its black pronotum with two large, white spots on the outside and two small, white spots near the center; and its relatively small size (about 0.4 inches long and about 0.3 inches wide).

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Pato Norteño (Anas platyrhynchos)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 4, 2017 a las 10:05 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Female Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), photographed in the Lower Pond at the Sunnyvale Community Center in Sunnyvale, CA.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Ganso Canadiense Mayor (Branta canadensis)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Junio 3, 2017 a las 09:46 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

A rather handsome Canada Goose (Branta canadensis), posing for me at the Palo Alto Baylands Duck Pond in Palo Alto, CA.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Lengua de Vaca Eurasiática (Rumex crispus)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Junio 3, 2017 a las 09:52 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Curly Dock (Rumex crispus), photographed near the Ranger Station at Palo Alto Baylands in Palo Alto, CA. This common non-native plant hails from Europe and western Asia, but has become more or less naturalized throughout North America. It is fairly recognizable from its robust stems, erect habit, curly-edged leaves, and reddish coloring that its seeds take on as they mature. The seeds for this plant are close to maturity, so they have lost most (but not all) of their greenish hue.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Percebes (Género Balanus)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 1, 2017

Descripción

Acorn Barnacle (Balanus glandula), photographed among the tidepools at the south end of Greyhound Rock Beach, in coastal Santa Cruz County, CA. Identified as Balanus glandula from its ribbed exterior shell (scutum) and its unevenly shaped aperture. Normally white, the exterior shell has been discolored or stained by some sort of algal film. Here and there, one can still see the underlying white color of the shell.

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Octubre 10, 2016 a las 10:13 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Brown-lined Looper Moth (Neoalcis californiaria), photographed in Sunnyvale, CA. After some research, it seems to match photos of known Brown-lined Looper Moths that were available online; see, for example, the photos at the following link:

http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=6435

Of course, it's entirely possible for this identification to be wrong. However, I'll run with it for now.

If memory serves me well, the moth's wingspan was about 1.25 inches (~ 4 cms) from the tip of one forewing to the tip of the other. The body was about 0.75 inches long (~1.75 cms). Each forewing measured about 0.5 inches (~1.25 cms) at its widest point, while each hindwing measured about 0.65 inches (~1.35 cms) at its widest point. The wavy edges to both the forewings and hindwings were interesting, as was the pattern of shading and lines on the wings themselves.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Araña Australiana Gris de Casa (Badumna longinqua)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Agosto 2, 2017 a las 05:25 TARDE PDT

Descripción

Grey House Spider (Badumna longinqua), photographed in Sunnyvale, CA. using a basic phone camera. This identification is very tentative. I really don't know all that much about spiders, so this is my best educated guess as to what this one is.

The banded legs and black head and face seem to be a consistent trait for Grey House Spiders; the abdominal pattern and the coloring of the carapace on the mesothorax seem to vary from one of these spiders to the next.

The web spun by the female spider appears to very characteristic of this species. According to one source, "These spiders build a stiff, lacy web of either sail-like panels or a sheet leading to one or more funnel-like entrance holes. The form of the web varies according to its position, but it is always built against some sort of backing such as a tree trunk, window pane or wall." [1] Also: "The female spider never leaves her web unless forced to, but keeps on repairing it - old webs look untidy , grey and woolly from constant additions of silk." [2] These statements appear to describe the web depicted here.

If this is B. longinqua, then it originally hails from Australia and New Zealand.

References:

[1] http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:23a2a930-1bca-42fb-b872-e6e3ac6dc73c
[2] http://www.terrain.net.nz/friends-of-te-henui-group/spiders/grey-house-spide.html

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Caracol Europeo de Jardín (Cornu aspersum)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Agosto 1, 2017 a las 06:39 TARDE PDT

Descripción

Common Garden Snail, photographed at the edge of a parking lot near Fair Oaks Park in Sunnyvale, CA. This is the familiar pest of backyard gardens everywhere (or everywhere in the area, at least), with a fairly typical pattern on the exterior of its shell, the relatively high spire and the inflated whorls. This one chose to stop at the edge of the parking lot when day broke and seal itself inside its shell until the sun set again. With all the foot traffic here, it's a small miracle that it has somehow managed to stay intact.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Verdolaga (Portulaca oleracea)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 29, 2017 a las 09:54 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), photographed at Seven Seas Park in Sunnyvale, CA.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Cicuta (Conium maculatum)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Junio 18, 2017

Descripción

A large stand of Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum), photographed at Mussel Rock Open Space Preserve, near Daly City, CA. Poison Hemlock forms huge stands that cover a lot of territory at this preserve. Here, it is in peak bloom, attracting quite a few bees and other pollinators.

Poison Hemlock is non-native, originally coming to these shores from Europe. In fact, much of the vegetation at this preserve is non-native. This may be a legacy of its former life as a local dump. Also of interest: this preserve includes the point where the San Andreas Fault dives under the ocean, re-emerging in Bolinas along the Point Reyes Peninsula, which is visible in the distance.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Trébol Blanco (Trifolium repens)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 29, 2017 a las 09:52 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

White Clover (Trifolium repens), photographed at Seven Seas Park in Sunnyvale, CA. This is the familiar clover that forms dense, turf-like mats of vegetation in our lawns. There's nothing like getting down low to obtain a bee's-eye view of this clover on a sunny summer morning!

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Mariposa Blanca de la Col (Pieris rapae)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 30, 2017 a las 12:43 TARDE PDT

Descripción

Cabbage White (Pieris rapae), photographed near Salt Pond A1 at Shoreline Park in Mountain View, CA. The lead shot provides a view of the butterfly from the side, showing the dark tips of its forewings, the dark spot below each of the dark tips, and some of its wing venation. The butterfly is nectaring on the flower of a Bristly Ox-tongue (Helminthotheca echioides). Its wings are a bit tattered - possibly the result of some interactions with a would-be predator or two.

The remaining shot shows shows the butterfly from above, with its wings (unfortunately) folded vertically. One can still see some of the markings on its body in this shot, as well as the dark spots on its forewings.

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 1, 2017

Descripción

Woody Chiton (Mopalia lignosa), photographed among the tidepools north of Greyhound Rock in coastal Santa Cruz County, CA. Identified as a Woody Chiton based on the following: (1) the tan to dull brown color of its fairly narrow girdle; (2) the relatively short "bristles" (tubercles?) that appear on the girdle; (3) the ridge that appears on the exposed end of the valves. Unfortunately, the valves are so heavily eroded and faded that its pattern is no longer visible; however, the heavy greenish tint on them suggests that the pattern had quite a bit of green in it, which would be consistent with Woody Chiton.

Other organisms in the shot (refer to the marked-up version of the shot):

(1) There are a couple of Limpets (Lottia sp.) immediately above and to the right of the chiton. They're a bit too far away in this shot to identify properly, although the one closest to the chiton has an exterior pattern typical of Lottia paradigitalis.

(2) There are many Buckshot Barnacles (Chthamalus sp.) in the shot, as well. There are a few with very narrow slits as openings which are a form of Chthamalus fissus. Formerly, these had been considered a separate species, C. microterus.

3) There is some large red seaweed draping the rocks here, whose blades appear to be covered with many papillae. The blades are much too big to be Turkish Washcloth (Mastocarpus papillatus); moreover, the blades do not branch at the tips, the way the blades of Turkish Washcloth do. Instead, the large, almost sheet-like blades of this red seaweed, with its dense, papillate surface, indicate that it is Turkish Towel (Chondracanthus exasperatus). Huge volumes of this alga wash up on Greyhound Rock Beach all the time, so it is no surprise to find some among the tidepools here.

4) There are a couple of other red alga that have attached themselves to the valves of the Woody Chiton. The nondescript red alga on the right with the entire, more or less lanceolate blades is maybe Red Ribbon (Palmaria mollis), but that is only a guess. The dark red alga on the left has a more unique shape, with flat, linear to narrrowly lanceolate blades that have many flattened, lateral branchlets. The surface of its larger blades are papillate, with tiny bumps that are just barely visible in this shot. This red alga appears to be Mazzaella leptorhynchos.

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 23, 2017 a las 11:07 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Northern California Black Walnut (Juglans hindsii), photographed along the John Christian Greenbelt near Orchard Gardens Park in Sunnyvale, CA. Although this tree is quite rare any more in the wild, it is fairly popular in landscaping, and one can find it often enough in gardens and public spaces like this. This example appears to be pure J. hindsii, although I can't completely rule out some cross-breeding with English Walnut (J. regia), which has also been fairly popular in cultivation.

The LEAD SHOT shows the trunk of this tree, with its heavily corrugated bark. The trunk can apparently reach a height of 70 feet, but most of the time, I see it in the 30 to 40 foot range. The wood of the trunk is quite popular in woodworking, explaining its present-day scarcity in the wild.

SHOT 2 a closeup of one of the tree's pinnate leaves, focusing in particular on the size, lanceolate shape, tapered (acuminate) tip, and shallowly crenate margin of its leaflets. The leaves distinguish this species from both the English Walnut (which is also frequently planted in our area for its nut crop, often with J. hindsii as a rootstock) and the Southern California Black Walnut (whose native range gets no forther north than the Santa Lucia Mountains in San Luis Obispo County.)

With English Walnut (Juglans regia), the overall leaf length is shorter, and while its leaves are also pinnate, its leafets are elliptical to oblong-ovate, never lanceolate. The leaflet margins are also entire, never serrate or crenate.

With Southern California Black Walnut (Juglans californica), the leaflets are narrowly elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, with tips that are rounded to acute. However, like J. hindsii, its leaflets' margins are serrate to crenate.

This particular set of leaves exhibits a few popcorn-like pouch galls that are caused by microscopic Eriophyid mites (specifically, Eriophyes bracjytarsus). This is a common affliction with both the Northern and Southern California Black Walnut species, but one that normally is not fatal to the tree.

SHOT 3 shows some more leaves and a few immature nuts that are dangling from the tree's branches. Note that these nuts are spherical, rather than somewhat ellipsoid as is the case with the English Walnut. They are also lighter and more uniform in color than the immature nuts of the English Walnut. For both species, the outer membrane peels away eventually, revealing the hard-shelled seed inside; however, for J. hindsii, the seed has a very thick shell and little actual meat, so it is not used much for cooking. WIth its thinner shell and meatier seeds, J. regia is - of course - a cash crop.

SHOT 4 provides a wider view of the leaves, so one can ascertain how extraordinarily long they are, as well as the number of leaflets per leaf. These leaves are easiy one to two feet long, with the largest leaflets being on the order of over an inch wide (near the base) and four or five inches long. The species is known to have anywhere between 13 and 21 leaflets per leaf; in this shot, I've found most of the leaves have between 13 and 16 leaflets. 

English Walnut (Juglans regia) has leaves that are shorter than this, with generally fewer leaflets (typically between 5 and 11). Southern California Black Walnut (Juglans californica) has leaves that are very similar to its J. hindsii, although the leaflet are somewhat different in shape and can be slightly fewer in number. The 1993 edition of Jepson's previously categorized J. hindsi and being a subspecies of J. californica, and a few botanists still consider this to be correct. The latest version of Jepsons (see, for example, Jepson's eFlora online) has split the Northern and Southern California Black Walnuts into two distinct species - an assessment that most botanists agree with.

SHOT 5 shows another set of leaves from the same tree, this time from a different angle. Once again, note the length of the pinnate leaves and the number of leaflets that each leaf has. The longest leaf appears to have 19 leaflets associated with it, and must therefore be approaching two feet in length.

Fotos / Sonidos

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Ganso Cisne Doméstico (Anser cygnoides var. domesticus)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Febrero 11, 2017 a las 12:08 TARDE PST

Descripción

White Chinese Goose (Anser cygnoides domesticus), photographed at Central Park in Fremont, CA, near Lake Elizabeth. This is a domesticated breed of goose that originated from the wild Swan Geese (Anser cygnoides) of northern China and Mongolia. It is readily identifiable from the bright, orange knob on its forehead, its bright orange bill and feet, and its white body. This individual is probably a feral escape, or the descendant of a feral escape, which has taken residence in the area.

Fotos / Sonidos

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Percebe Bellota del Pacífico (Balanus glandula)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 1, 2017

Descripción

Acorn Barnacle (Balanus glandulus), photographed among the tidepools just north of Greyhound Rock in coastal Santa Cruz County, CA. Identified as an Acorn Barnacle from the overall white to grayish color of its exterior shell plates (both the rigid mural or "wall" plates and the moveable opercular plates covering its opening), the vertically ribbed but otherwise simple exterior surface of its mural plates, and its irregular opening. Also, when the opercular plates are closed together as they are in this picture, the edge where they touch is sinuous, not straight.

The collection of smaller, darker, grayish or brownish barnacles at the base of the Acorn Barnacle are Buckshot Barnacles (Chthalamus sp.). California has two native species of Chthalamnus barnacles that can only really be told apart by dissecting the animal.

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 1, 2017

Descripción

Various seaweeds, photographed among the tidepools north of Greyhound Rock in coastal Santa Cruz County, CA. Four different species are present (see marked up version of the lead shot):

1) Rockweed (Fucus distichus) - This is the dominant seaweed here, particularly in the right half of the picture. It forms clumps of purplish-to-yellow-green, flat-fingered blades that are papillate at the tips. The tips contain air bubbles to help the blades float in water (while still attached to the rock by means of a holdfast). The air bubbles become apparent when you examine some of the blades closely. (Note: Fucus gardneri is a synonym.)

2) Golden Rockweed (Silvetia compressa) - This seaweed is similar to the "regular" Rockweed, except that its blades have more yellowish tones and are much reduced. The tips of its blades have features that superficially resemble stunted papillae, but are really reproductive structures knows as conceptacles.

3) Turkish Washcloth (Mastocarpus papillatus) - This is the red seaweed draping the top of this mass of seaweed near the upper left-hand corner of the picture, as well as a few blades along the left border of the picture. Turkish Washcloth is characterized by blades that branch at the tips and have numerous papillae (bumps and protrusions) on the underside.

4) Narrow Turkish Washcloth (Mastocarpus jardinii) - This is (I think) the clumps of very narrow strands of red seaweed located immediately under the main clump of Golden Rockweed. Its blades branch at the tips and appear to have a shiny and almost rubbery look to them. This is a very tentative identification - the most tentative identification of the four.

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 1, 2017

Descripción

Various seaweeds, photographed among the tidepools north of Greyhound Rock in coastal Santa Cruz County, CA. Four different species are present:

1) Rockweed (Fucus distichus) - This is the dominant seaweed here, particularly in the right half of the picture. It forms clumps of purplish-to-yellow-green, flat-fingered blades that are papillate at the tips. The tips contain air bubbles to help the blades float in water (while still attached to the rock by means of a holdfast). The air bubbles become apparent when you examine some of the blades closely. (Note: Fucus gardneri is a synonym.)

2) Golden Rockweed (Silvetia compressa) - This seaweed is similar to the "regular" Rockweed, except that its blades have more yellowish tones and are much reduced. The tips of its blades have features that superficially resemble stunted papillae, but are really reproductive structures knows as conceptacles.

3) Turkish Washcloth (Mastocarpus papillatus) - This is the red seaweed draping the top of this mass of seaweed near the upper left-hand corner of the picture, as well as a few blades along the left border of the picture. Turkish Washcloth is characterized by blades that branch at the tips and have numerous papillae (bumps and protrusions) on the underside.

4) Narrow Turkish Washcloth (Mastocarpus jardinii) - This is (I think) the clumps of very narrow strands of red seaweed located immediately under the main clump of Golden Rockweed. Its blades branch at the tips and appear to have a shiny and almost rubbery look to them. This is a very tentative identification - the most tentative identification of the four.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Pato Norteño (Anas platyrhynchos)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 4, 2017 a las 09:55 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Female Mallard (Ans platyrhynchos), photographed at the Lower Pond, Sunnyvale Community Center, Sunnyvale, CA.

Fotos / Sonidos

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Hierba Cana (Senecio vulgaris)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Mayo 13, 2017

Descripción

Common Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris), photographed at Washington Park in Sunnyvale, CA. The lead shot shows the plant in situ, along the base of the fencing of a baseball diamond at Washington Park. This non-native annual hails oroiginally from Europe, but has more or less become naturalized in the area.

The remaining shot is a relative close-up of the plant, showing its most salient features: (1) the discoid flower head, lacking ligules or any pistillate flowers; (2) the highly uneven phyllaries, arranged in 3 series, with the outermost series tipped in black; (3) the highly variable leaves, mostly oblanceolate in shape here, with lobed to dentate margins; (4) the plant's erect habit and obvious status as an annual herb. The black tips on the outermost phyllaries are fairly unique; it does not seem to occur on all individuals of this species, but it does occur often enough to have been mentioned in older versions of Jepson's as a field mark. (The latest version online, Jepson's eFlora, does not mention them, probably because it is not completely reliable as a field mark.)

Fotos / Sonidos

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Ganso Canadiense Mayor (Branta canadensis)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 4, 2017 a las 09:51 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

A very cooperative Canada Goose (Branta canadensis), photographed at the Sunnyvale Community Center in Sunnyvale, CA.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Rábano de Mar (Cakile maritima)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 1, 2017

Descripción

European Sea-rocket (Cakile maritima), photographed near the south end of Greyhound Rock Beach in coastal Santa Cruz County, CA. The lead shot provides a close-up of the flowers. It's clear from this shot that the flowers consist of four petals, four sepals, six stamens (count the stamens in the left-most flower), and no style. The petals are elliptical in shape, with entire margins and a delicate, pale lavendar color. They are arranged so that they have the radial symmetry that is so typical of the flowers for most members of the Mustard Family (Brassicaceae), to which European Sea-rocket belongs.

The second shot provides a close-up of the inflorescence and the leaves. The inflorescence emerges from the upper right of the picture, terminating in a whorl of buds with flowers open on the outside of the whorl. As the inflorescence grows, it elongates, so the flowers that are open now will be left further down on the branch. There, they will set seed if they have been pollinated successfully. Newer flowers will open up, but always on the outside of that terminal whorl of flower buds.

The leaves are arrranged in opposite fashion along each brach. They are odd-pinnate (meaning that there is a terminal leaflet at the tip of each leaf), with oblong lobes having entire margins. The odd-pinnate shape of the leaves distinguishes European Sea-rocket from American Sea-rocket (Cakile edentula), which has ovate to spoon-shaped leaves with crenate margins.

Finally, the third and last shot shows the entire plant in situ. The plant tends to grow low to the ground, with a spreading decumbent habit that probably helps keep it from dessicating in this location's salt air and constant wind. Its somewhat fleshy stems and leaves also help in this regard. The fleshiness of its leaves are more apparent in Shot 2 than it is in this one.

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 1, 2017

Descripción

Shell of an Apple Seed Erato (Hespererato vitellina), photographed on the beach north of Greyhound Rock in coastal Santa Cruz County, CA. The lead shot shows the abapertural view of the shell, which bears a vague resemblance to an apple seed. (It actually reminds me more of a Greek amphora, but that doesn't sound quite as cute.) The reddish-brownish color of this shell is fairly typical.

The remaining shot of this shows the apertural view of the shell, which exhibits the damage that it has suffered since the animal inside died. The sheer force of the waves has cross-sectioned the shell, revealing the columella inside. It has also forced a lot of debris into the aperture, including what appears to be the protoconch of another marine snail.

Fortunately, the waves have left the aperture somewhat intact, so that you can still see the teeth on either side of the aperture. These teeth give the Apple See Erato a passing resemblance to Cowries (Cypraeidae), to which it is somewhat related.

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 1, 2017

Descripción

Pyropia perforata, photographed among the tidepools to the north of Greyhound Rock Beach in coastal Santa Cruz County, CA. This is a tentative identification of this seaweed, based on its very thin, almost cellophane-like form and structure, its greenish-gray to purplish-brown color, the holes apparent in many of its fronds, and its location in the upper reaches of the high tide zone.

The first shot shows this seaweed in situ, draped on the rocks here, where it is abundant. Although this is in the high tide zone, it is nevertheless accompanied by numerous sea anemones [probably the Aggregating Sea Anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima)], as well as more familiar denizens of the high tide zone, such as a few Black Tegulas (Tegula fuebralis) and some Rockweed (Fucus gardner).

The second shot is a close-up of some of this seaweed, which is also visible in the broader view of the previous photo. Note the many small holes that riddle the thin, cellophane-like sheets that this seaweed has formed along the bottom of this small tidal channel. These tiny holes gave rise to its scientific name, as perforata derives from the Latin word for a percing or a perforation.

Fotos / Sonidos

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Verdolaga (Portulaca oleracea)

Observ.

arnel

Fecha

Julio 9, 2017 a las 09:08 MAÑANA PDT

Descripción

Common Purslane (Portulaca oleraceae), photographed along the edge of some landscaping along El Camino Real in Sunnyvale, CA. The lead shot shows the plant in situ, highlighting its prostrate and spreading (some would say sprawling) habit. The plant's stems and leaves are thick, fleshy, and succulent-like, while its bright, yellow flowers appear singly, in various leaf axils. There really aren't too any plants in the area that Common Purslane could be confused with.

The remaining shot provides a closeup of the plant's leaves, stems, and flowers:

Stems: Typically greenish-yellow, thick, fleshy, round, and glabrous, with some ridging that runs along the lengths of the stem in this particular individual.

Leaves: Obovate to spoon-shaped, thick, fleshy, and glabrous, with a reddish tinge along the edges. The leaves have an opposite arrangement along the stems, but then become whorled at the tips.

Flowers: There are two sepals with the same fleshy, glabrous, succulent-like appearance as the leaves. (The number of sepals can best be seen in the unopened or just opening flowers on the lower branches). Each flower also has five emarginate, bright yellow petals that are only slightly bigger than the sepals. (Sepals are about three mm in length, while the petals are 5 mm in length.) It's hard to determine the number of anthers and stigmas present inside the flowers; however, in the previous shot, one can just barely make out five yellowish stamens arranged around a single style.

Fruit: There are no fruit visible in either fo these pictures, though in the closeup shot, one can see the remains of the seed capsules in some of the leaf axils, where half of the now-empty capsule remains attached to the plant.