Hermit Thrush Thrushes and Thrashers Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus Winter Thrushes and Thrashers Daniel Fitzgerald It is not uncommon to see this bird on the side of a woodland trail during migration and winter; but it may also frequent chaparral, scrubby areas, or other habitats with dense undergrowth. Olive-brown or grayish-brown back and head typically contrast with rufous tail; also, tail is occasionally quickly raised and slowly lowered. Compare with Swainson’s Thrush . Diet includes insects, small amphibians or reptiles, and fruits.

Tarantulas: The Gentle Giants of Mount Diablo by Michael Marchiano October 1, 1998 Michael Marchiano Each year in late summer, male tarantulas born between four and seven years ago find a secluded place and lay down a sheet of silk webbing. Resting on top of the silk, they split their outer skin covering the thorax and, over several hours, slowly extract their legs and slough off their old skin. This is their final molting. This new adult male tarantula is an exact replica of the prior one except he now possesses “nuptial” hooks on his fore legs to use in mating over the next couple of months. From mid August to late October, the East Bay area male tarantulas (Aphonopelma iodius ) will be on the prowl. Their counterparts, the females, will be staying at home in burrows where they have lived for as long as twenty-five years. The females also reach maturity after between four and seven years, and it is unknown whether they mate every year. In fall, those that wish to mate will clean out the entrances to their burrows and cover them with a thin silk cover. The amorous males, who may wander as much as a mile while searching for a female's burrow, are probably attracted by some form of pheromone. When located, the males tap out a message on the silk explaining their mating intentions, assuring the female they are not a threat nor should she consider them a meal. As the female comes out of the burrow, the male will back up and allow her to approach, touching legs. The male then cautiously bends the female backwards using the hooks on his front legs to hold onto her fangs while mating. Mating may last from thirty seconds to three minutes and before the male releases the female, wandering off while she returns to her burrow. For the next two months, the male will continue looking for other females to mate with, growing weaker and finally dying as winter approaches. The female will overwinter in her burrow, occasionally coming out at night to capture a meal. In late winter to early spring, the female will weave a silk pillowcase in which she will lay 100 to 150 tiny eggs. She will care for the eggs for approximately 30 days, at which time she tears a small slit in the egg case and the tiny white pinhead-sized spiderlings hatch out. Within a few days, the spiderlings will molt, shedding their exoskeleton for the first time. They disperse immediately since they are susceptible to many predators, including each other. Over the next four to seven years, the survivors living in their separate burrows will molt and grow, feeding at night and hiding during the day. North American tarantulas have a very mild venom that can easily paralyze a small arthropod but it is totally harmless to humans. They do possess tiny barbed hairs on their abdomen that can be sluffed off into an attacker’s face, causing itching and watery eyes. Hollywood and the media have made tarantulas seem monstrous, so to many people these slow-moving spiders appear ominous and threatening. Nothing is farther from the truth; they are truly one of the gentle giants of the animal world. BACK TO LIST

Downy Woodpecker Kingfishers and Woodpeckers Downy Woodpecker Dryobates pubescens All Year Kingfishers and Woodpeckers Daniel Fitzgerald Daniel Fitzgerald This is like a smaller version of the Hairy Woodpecker with a similarly white back but small bill and spotted outer tail feathers.

Rural Skipper Ochlodes agricola Hesperiidae Skippers Flies March to August Host Plant Grass Nectar Plant California buckeye, Coyote mint Daniel Fitzgerald Male Kevin Hinsta Male Underwing

Wildflower Mount Diablo Johnny Jump-Up Scientific Name: Viola pedunculata Family: Violaceae (Violet Family) Blooms: Feb - Apr Color: Yellow-Orange Perennial herb Native Per Ertter & Bowerman, found on "gentle grassy slopes or flats which are not too parched; sometimes where lightly wooded, but usually in the open" Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Mike Woodring

Wildflower Mount Diablo Cow Parsnip, Giant Hogweed Scientific Name: Heracleum maximum Family: Apiaceae (Parsley-Carrot Family) Blooms: Apr - Jun Color: White Perennial herb Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Donna Pomeroy, iNaturalist

Wildflower Mount Diablo Flax-leaved Horseweed Scientific Name: Erigeron bonariensis Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower Family) Blooms: Jun-Aug Color: White Annual herb Introduced Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Daniel Fitzgerald Daniel Fitzgerald

Wildflower Mount Diablo Hollyleaf Redberry Scientific Name: Rhamnus ilicifolia Family: Rhamnaceae (Buckhorn Family) Blooms: May - Jun Color: Green Shrub Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Barry Breckling Daniel Fitzgerald

Wildflower Mount Diablo California Everlasting Scientific Name: Pseudognaphalium californicum Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower Family) Blooms: Jun - Jul Color: White Annual or perennial herb Native Also called cudweed. During the dry summer months this everlasting smells like sweet maple syrup. Everlastings can be found throughout the mountain, especially along the road to the summit. Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Hank Fabian, iNaturalist

Wildflower Mount Diablo Field Madder Scientific Name: Sherardia arvensis Family: Rubioideae Blooms: March Color: Blue-Purple Annual herb Introduced Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Daniel Fitzgerald Daniel Fitzgerald

Wildflower Mount Diablo Horehound Invasive Scientific Name: Marrubium vulgare Family: Lamiaceae (Mint Family) Blooms: April Color: White Perennial herb Introduced Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Steven Beatty

Wildflower Mount Diablo Mount Diablo Sunflower Scientific Name: Helianthella castanea Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower Family) Blooms: Apr - Jun Color: Yellow-Orange Perennial herb Native, endemic to California California Rare Plant Rank: 1B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere ). This plant is rare in Mount Diablo State Park. See full list Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Kevin Hintsa