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Wilson's Warbler Warblers Wilson's Warbler Cardellina pusilla Summer Warblers Daniel Fitzgerald Breeds in moist undergrowth and dense second-growth habitats, especially in or near riparian thickets. Olive-green back, wings and tail; yellow below; males have a black crown. Females have black, beady eye, and lack wing bars and tail spots (compare with Yellow Warbler ). May breed in loose colonies. Nests on the ground, where it builds a bulky, cup-shaped structure. Invertebrates and occasionally berries constitute its diet.

Cedar Waxwing Waxwings, Phainopepla, and Starlings Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum Winter Waxwings, Phainopepla, and Starlings Daniel Fitzgerald Found along forest edge or in open woodland habitats; in migration and winter, frequently found near concentrations of fruit-bearing trees or shrubs. The beauty of the Cedar Waxwing is unmistakable; note the yellowish belly, white undertail coverts, and conspicuous crest. Eats fruits and berries, but also insects taken in flight or gleaned from vegetation.

Sara Orangetip Anthocharis sara Pieridae Whites, Sulfurs Flies January to July Host Plant Mustard Family Nectar Plant Winter cress Daniel Fitzgerald Daniel Fitzgerald Underwing Daniel Fitzgerald

Wildflower Mount Diablo California Western Flax Scientific Name: Hesperolinon californicum Family: Linaceae (Flax Family) Blooms: May Color: White Annual herb Native, endemic to California Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Jenn Roe

Hedgerow Hairstreak Satyrium saepium Lycaenidae Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks Flies May to August Host Plant California Lilac Nectar Plant Daniel Fitzgerald Underwing

Wildflower Mount Diablo Coast Range Stonecrop Scientific Name: Sedum radiatum Family: Crassulaceae (Stonecrop Family) Blooms: Color: Yellow-Orange Annual herb Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Steve Beatty

Tripartite Sweat Bee Halictus tripartitus Halictidae Halictus Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Description Halictus tripartitus has a dull green, metallic thorax, an abdomen with apical hair bands on top, and an arched basal vein in the forewing. For H. tripartitus , note head shape larger/broader than in most Dialictus , but lacking large genal projection (on the cheek) or tooth seen in large-headed Halictus ligatus . These are small bees (~5-6 mm in length). As with many female bees in Halictidae, there is a pseudopygidial groove at the abdomen tip (see red arrow above) - a good feature to narrow to family. Nectar/ Pollen Plants Like most Halictus , a generalist. Habits At least a partially-eusocial ground nester, with worker bees. Mated queens overwinter and begin new nests in Spring. Nests may have more than one entrance. Known to harmlessly lap sweat from human skin. Season March - November

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.

Riparian Woodlands Excerpted from MDIA's book Plants of the East Bay Parks, by Glenn Keator, Ph. D. Plant Communities of Mount Diablo State Park January 1, 1999 Madrone Canyon | Mike Woodring Riparian woodland is found only along permanent streams and rivers, where the water table remains at or just below the surface all year. Our area has no true rivers, but there are several perennial streams -- some with fairly broad floodplains -- that support riparian woodland. Because riparian woodlands have a guaranteed water supply, their component trees are very different from trees in most other environmental situations. These trees are not limited by the hot, dry days of summer; rather they can afford to grow fast and profligately right through the longest days of the year. Consequently, the derivation of riparian woodlands is entirely different from that of the rest of our flora. The closest relatives to riparian species come from summer-wet climates such as those across the Midwest and eastern parts of the United states. Wander in these forests if you are homesick for the look and feel of eastern hardwood forests. Riparian trees -- because of their ancestry from eastern United States climates -- behave as though they still were adapted to cold winters. Nearly all are deciduous in winter, for they can afford to make whole new sets of leaves the following year, come what may. Leaves are also designed in ways that suggest water wastefulness: they're broad, thin, often lobed or compound, and held horizontally -- fully exposed to the summer sun. They are also borne in thick tiers from top to bottom. Riparian trees reach maturity quickly because they're able to grow over such long periods each year. Quick growth may cause weak wood, however, and many riparian trees are liabilities because of brittle limbs. They also have relatively short life spans. BACK TO LIST

Wildflower Mount Diablo Glittering Vervain Scientific Name: Verbena gemmea Family: Verbenaceae Blooms: Color: Blue-Purple Perennial herb Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants

Wildflower Mount Diablo Bellardia, Mediterranean Linseed Invasive Scientific Name: Bellardia trixago Family: Orobanchaceae (Broomrape Family) Blooms: Apr - Jun Color: White Annual herb Introduced Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Mike Woodring

Hairy Woodpecker Kingfishers and Woodpeckers Hairy Woodpecker Dryobates villosus All Year Kingfishers and Woodpeckers Daniel Fitzgerald Found in deciduous and coniferous forests; compared to Downy Woodpecker , often frequents habitats with larger trees. White vertical stripe down the middle of back, white underparts. Outer tail feathers are completely white. Bill is about equal to the length of the head. Loud, rattling call does not descend as in Downy Woodpecker. Nests in tree cavities, usually high above the ground. Feeds on insects, spiders, and other arthropods; also fruits and seeds.