Changing Seasons...

Most of the wildflowers in the Eastern Sierra have finished, but now the shrubs are having their turn to show off! The sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata, various subspecies) aren't too impressive, but the bright rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus and C. viscidiflorus, various subspecies) adds splashes of yellow across the landscape.

sagebrush trying its best

bumble-bee on rabbitbrush (that I failed to key, grr)

How cool is this spider web?! In the middle is a decorated funnel that appeared to open at the bottom. Any spider-pals have insights?

Now I'm just waiting for the aspens to start changing...

More Pygmy Rabbits

We went back to the pygmy rabbit site to set up the camera by some burrows that are dug beneath a large metal plate with a tire on top. Not your typical habitat! This time we got photos of cottontails as well as pygmy rabbits, a good comparison! I apologize for the low quality of the scans. The Trailmaster works really well, but it only connects to a film camera!

	a cottontail showing off its cottony tail
	a cottontail side view
	a pygmy rabbit, making sure the trigger goes off
	pygmy spaz!

Mapping Aspen Groves

Modern technology can let us do some pretty neat things. Previously, members of our office had hand mapped the locations of aspen groves in the Bodie Hills. Their outlines were then digitized, giving us a decent GIS layer. But with today's software, heads up digitizing can be both more accurate and more precise (remember the difference?). In addition, the availability of imagery gets better all the time. The National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) provides imagery for the entire continental US, and our area was updated in 2009.

I spent some time here and there over the last few weeks updating our layer in order to meet our goal of 1,000 acres of woodland inventory for the year. We can see how areas have declined or improved and identify potential restoration locations. Not field work, but still useful stuff.

From Your Local Wildlife, With Love

This month, my coworker Casey celebrated the one-year anniversary of his permanent job conversion. What better way to congratulate him than with a contribution from some of the species we manage?

Thank you to the pygmy rabbits, sage-grouse, and mule deer that contributed to our message! And also to Erin for her inspiration. :)

Quote of the Month - August

I'm in training in Sacramento all this week, so I won't have any fun field stories or pictures to share. But I will share a text that I received from my friend Gina today. Just another reason that I love being a biologist.

Was pulling forest carnie cams and found chicken full of maggots and somehow thought of you...

How sweet is that?!

Moth Mystery...Solved!

Today I came across an awesome moth on a basin big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata). I wish I knew more about moths...I seem to always think I'm seeing a tiger moth (family Arctiidae), but they never actually turn out to be one. I wasn't sure if the sagebrush was significant in this case, but it turns out that it was! As far as I can tell (thank you, internets), it's Hemileuca hera (family Saturniidae, wild silk moths), the Hera buckmoth or sagebrush sheep moth. They are indeed active during the day, and I may have disturbed her laying her eggs on the sagebrush. I'm sure she had no problem finding another shrub to lay her eggs on. They'll overwinter and hatch next April-June...and will look like a photo of a caterpillar I had in a previous post! I guess I've come full circle (or is it full life-cycle?) on Hemileuca hera!

	Hemileuca hera on Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata
	I love this orange, fuzzy face!
	I believe this caterpillar I previously observed is Hemileuca hera

California Greater Sage-grouse Hunt is On

According to Audubon California, the California Fish & Game Commission voted today to allow hunting for Greater Sage-grouse in the North Lassen, North Mono, and South Mono hunting zones. No permits will be given for Central Lassen County. The quota for the Mono zones is 1 per day; 1 per season.

Permit applications were already due to Fish & Game. The general hunting season is September 11 & 12, 2010. The falconry season is November 7, 2010 through January 5, 2011.