Wildflower Mount Diablo Shepherd's Purse Invasive Scientific Name: Capsella bursa-pastoris Family: Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Blooms: Feb - Apr Color: White Annual herb Introduced Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Stephen Smith Mike Woodring

Megachile Leafcutter Bee Megachile Megachilidae Megachile Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Description Bees of Genus Megachile are small to large (mostly medium), usually black-bodied or gray, with whitish stripes on their abdomens. They are often hairy, with bumps or horns on their faces. Females have prominent scopae on the underside of the abdomen for carrying pollen. The rear of the male's abdomen is often blunt. Nectar/ Pollen Plants Megachile are usually nectar and pollen generalists. Habits Most Megachile nest in wood cavities or hollow stems, using cut leaves or resin to line the interior of wood tunnels into cells Season Summer

Valley Carpenter Bee Xylocopa sonorina Apidae Xylocopa Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Description Xylocopa sonorina is a very large bee (18-26 mm in length) – a distinguishing feature in itself - with an inflated-looking abdomen (broader than the thorax). The female bee is dark-bodied with a shiny, but not metallic, abdomen (see first 2 photos, top-left). Wings of the female are dark, with a purplish and coppery tinge. Their mandibles have two teeth. Male bees are distinctly different, as they are covered in blonde/tan hair (“flying teddy-bears”) and have green eyes (see photos, top-right). Nectar/ Pollen Plants This bee is a pollen generalist, often “stealing” nectar by biting into the corolla of narrow flowers in order to gain access They also go into larger flowers. Habits These bees nest in holes in untreated dead wood such as fence posts, building structures and telephone poles. Females chew out tunnels that are 15-25 cm deep. Each cell in the tunnel receives a pollen/nectar ball and at least one egg. Larvae pupate, emerge and hibernate in their nest cells during the winter. Season March – September (Uncommon on Mount Diablo)

Park Incidents List TEST Trail flood damage Closure Read More TEST - Road Closure Closure Read More Test Restrooms Closed Park Maintenance Read More TEST Pothole repair Closure Read More

American Crow Jays and Crows American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos All Year Jays and Crows Daniel Fitzgerald Found in open forests and woodlands, but also ranges into open or partly open country with scattered trees. Black overall, with smaller bill than the Common Raven ; also note rectangular-shaped tail (compared to raven's wedge-shaped tail). Deep steady wing beats; does not soar as frequently as does Common Raven. Uses branches and twigs to build its cup-shaped nest, which is usually placed in a tree. Like other members of its family, it has an omnivorous diet containing a wide variety of plant and animal matter.

Wildflower Mount Diablo Russian Thistle Invasive, naturalized Scientific Name: Salsola tragus Family: Amaranthaceae Blooms: October Color: White Annual herb Introduced Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Steven Beatty

Hylaeus Masked Bees Hylaeus Colletidae Hylaeus Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Description Hylaeus are tiny to small-medium (3-8 mm), slender bees with a black body and distinctive yellow (sometimes white) markings on the face and legs. Their bodies look wasp-like. They have very little hair and females have no scopae. Forewing has 2 submarginal cells. Males have more extensive yellow face markings (see photo top-right). Nectar/ Pollen Plants Hylaeus are mostly generalists, and eat pollen and nectar (rather than carry it on scopae), and regurgitate it in their nests. Habits Hylaeus nest in hollow twigs or existing holes in wood. Females line cell walls with gluey, silk-like secretions. May have two generations per year. Season April - September

Wildflower Mount Diablo Buck Lotus (Yellow) Scientific Name: Hosackia crassifolia Family: Fabaceae (Legume Family) Blooms: May-Jul Color: Yellow-Orange Perennial herb Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants

Dark-eyed Junco Towhees, Sparrows, Juncos, and Longspurs Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis All Year Towhees, Sparrows, Juncos, and Longspurs Daniel Fitzgerald Frequents open woodlands, grassy and brushy fields, forest edge habitats, and residential areas. Pink bill, white belly, and white outer tail feathers are the crucial field marks. Wings, back, tail, head, and upper breast coloration varies from gray, to slate-colored, to brown, depending on which subspecies an individual bird represents. Song is similar to Chipping Sparrow . Nests on the ground, where it builds a cup-shaped structure from grasses, mosses, and other plant material. Diet primarily consists of seeds and insects.

Orange-crowned Warbler Warblers Orange-crowned Warbler Leiothlypis celata Summer Warblers Daniel Fitzgerald Daniel Fitzgerald Found in open, brushy woodlands and second-growth habitats; also frequents dense chaparral and riparian tickets. A grayish-green or olive-green warbler with faint, dusky streaking on breast, dark eye line, no wing bars, and yellowish undertail coverts. Nests on the ground or sometimes in shrubs. Nest is a cup-shaped structure built from grasses, leaves, bark strips, and plant down. Feeds mostly on insects; however, berries and fruits may also be included in the diet.

What to Look for in Spring Filter by Category Select Category Ticks Stay on the trail and check for ticks on your clothing! Read More Calliope Hummingbird This is the smallest hummingbird found in the U.S. and a special visitor to Mount Diablo. Read More Ash Throated Flycatcher Flycatchers are fun to watch so find a good spot and be patient... Read More Peregrine Falcons The best place to look for peregrines is Pine Canyon located at Castle Rock Recreational Park. Read More Quail Think of quail as California chickens. They can be seen in chaparral areas. Read More Migrating and Nesting Birds The Hermit Warbler is on a short list of our migrating birds. Read More Western Bluebird Western Bluebirds will always make you smile. Look for them in the woodlands. Read More Tarantula Hawk Fun to spot one until you see what they do :-( Read More Butterflies, Swallow Tails These large graceful butterflies can often be seen in Mitchell Canyon. Read More Digger Bees One of the Diggers with the largest, most active aggregations in Mount Diablo State Park is the Edwards Digger Bee. Read More Fairy Bees These tiny bees can be seen on mariposa lilies or poppies. Read More Animal prints in the mud You can learn a lot from footprints... Read More Wildflowers Check out our wildflower guide and see what's in bloom! Read More Water Falls Falls Trail is accessed from Mitchell Canyon. Read More Trail Through Time Like chapters in a book, the rocks of Mount Diablo tell a story of previous landscapes, climates, and life forms as well as epic journeys of tectonic plates. Read More Mariposa Lilies, Globe Lilies Globe Lilies can be seen in Mitchell Canyon. Read More Chamise Chamise is one of the classic plants of our California chaparral. Read More Soap Plant Look for something wavy in Mitchell Canyon. Read More Bitter root Look for these near the summit. Read More Clarkia Red and pink Clarkias dot the grasslands in spring and summer. Read More Milkweed A butterfly favorite... Read More Poppies A golden bloom for the Golden State Read More Blainville's Horned Lizard Watch your step! Read More Snakes Like all snakes, rattlesnakes do not want to attack people. Read More

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon Papilionidae Swallowtails Flies February to November Host Plant Fennel, Lomatium, Tauschia, Native Carrot Family Nectar Plant Michael Marchiano Daniel Fitzgerald Underwing