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Northern Flicker Kingfishers and Woodpeckers Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus All Year Kingfishers and Woodpeckers Daniel Fitzgerald Daniel Fitzgerald You can find this species in woodlands. Brown back with black barring, white rump (easily visible in flight), spotted underparts, and red-colored underwings identify this species. Moustache on the side of male's face is red. Unlike other woodpeckers, often seen feeding on the ground. Nests in cavities in trees, wooden posts, or utility poles. Eats insects, especially ants and beetles; fruits and seeds.

Wildflower Mount Diablo Water Cress Scientific Name: Nasturtium officinale Family: Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Blooms: Jun Color: White Perennial herb (aquatic) Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Mike Woodring

Wildflower Mount Diablo Rosilla Scientific Name: Helenium puberulum Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower Family) Blooms: Jul - Nov Color: Yellow-Orange Perennial herb Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Kevin Hintsa

Seasonal Sightings Filter by Category Select Category Tarantulas fall Tarantulas like to wander in twilight hours. Look for them in early fall. Read More Woodpeckers fall Woodpeckers are not shy and are often busy in the fall. Read More Common Poorwills fall Poorwills can be seen in the evening hours. Read More Harvester Ants fall Busy, busy, busy! Read More Pepsis Tarantula Hawks fall You don't want to get stung by this one! Read More Sunsets fall Whether looking toward Mount Diablo or toward the western horizon, the sunsets in fall never disappoint. Read More Copper Hillsides fall (Chamise Seedheads) Read More Coyotes fall The coyote's high-pitched, yodel-like yapping can frequently be heard at night. Read More Acorns fall Acorns are a woodpecker favorite! Read More Poison Oak fall Leaves of 3, leave me be... Read More Snakes fall Snakes live here too! Read More Ticks spring Stay on the trail and check for ticks on your clothing! Read More Calliope Hummingbird spring This is the smallest hummingbird found in the U.S. and a special visitor to Mount Diablo. Read More Ash Throated Flycatcher spring Flycatchers are fun to watch so find a good spot and be patient... Read More Peregrine Falcons spring The best place to look for peregrines is Pine Canyon located at Castle Rock Recreational Park. Read More Quail spring Think of quail as California chickens. They can be seen in chaparral areas. Read More Migrating and Nesting Birds spring The Hermit Warbler is on a short list of our migrating birds. Read More Western Bluebird spring Western Bluebirds will always make you smile. Look for them in the woodlands. Read More Tarantula Hawk spring Fun to spot one until you see what they do :-( Read More Butterflies, Swallow Tails spring These large graceful butterflies can often be seen in Mitchell Canyon. Read More Digger Bees spring One of the Diggers with the largest, most active aggregations in Mount Diablo State Park is the Edwards Digger Bee. Read More Fairy Bees spring These tiny bees can be seen on mariposa lilies or poppies. Read More Animal prints in the mud spring You can learn a lot from footprints... Read More Wildflowers spring Check out our wildflower guide and see what's in bloom! Read More Water Falls spring Falls Trail is accessed from Mitchell Canyon. Read More Trail Through Time spring 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 spring Globe Lilies can be seen in Mitchell Canyon. Read More Chamise spring Chamise is one of the classic plants of our California chaparral. Read More Soap Plant spring Look for something wavy in Mitchell Canyon. Read More Bitter root spring Look for these near the summit. Read More Clarkia spring Red and pink Clarkias dot the grasslands in spring and summer. Read More Milkweed spring A butterfly favorite... Read More Poppies spring A golden bloom for the Golden State Read More Blainville's Horned Lizard spring Watch your step! Read More Snakes spring Like all snakes, rattlesnakes do not want to attack people. Read More Frogs summer Look for a frog chorus at Coulter Pond Read More Ticks summer Stay on the trail and check for ticks on your clothing! Read More Quail summer Think of quail as a California version of chickens. They can be seen in riparian and chaparral areas. Read More Hawks summer Shown in the photo is a Cooper's Hawk, but the Red-tailed Hawk is often seen and heard. Read More Common Poorwills summer Poorwills are best seen in the evening hours. Read More Migrating and Nesting Birds summer The Hermit Warbler is on a short list of our migrating birds. Read More Earwigs summer Ewwww..Earwigs are often more noticeable during spring and early summer, especially after wet winters. Read More Carpenter Ants summer Enjoy the photo and hope you don't see them around your house. Read More Dragonflies summer You can see dragonflies near the summit and along the creeks throughout the park. Read More Moths summer We think moths are misunderstood. What do you think? (we hope you see one!) Read More Butterflies summer Check out our Butterfly Guide! Read More Camping summer Reserve your spot! Read More Inversion Layer summer Our Bay Area fog provides relief from the valley heat. Take a drive to summit and be surprised. Read More Clarkias summer Red and pink Clarkias dot the grasslands in spring and summer. Read More Buckeyes summer Buckeyes are both beautiful and pathetic depending on when you see them. Read More Blooming Soap Root summer Soap root blooms in the evening and a special treat. Read More Tarweed summer Follow your eye and your nose... Read More Snakes summer Like all snakes, rattlesnakes do not want to attack people. Read More Mushrooms winter Remember to take only photos. Watch our webinar about mushrooms on the mountain. Read More Sara Orangetip Butterflies winter The orange tipped wings are fun to see! Read More Lady Bugs winter Lovely... Read More Mountain Digger Bees winter Look for these bees on manzanita. Read More Three-Striped Longorn Moth winter Read More View from Summit winter The best viewing is after a winter storm with strong north winds. Read More Water Falls winter The Falls trail is accessed at Mitchell Canyon Read More Cold Safety or Snow winter Research road and weather conditions prior to traveling. For updated road conditions visit road.dot.ca.gov OR call 1800-427-ROAD Read More Checker Lily winter Look for checker lilies at Mitchell Canyon Read More Manzanita winter Look for manzanita at Rock City located on South Gate Road Read More Coast Silk Tassel winter Silk Tassel blooms in late winter. Read More Berries winter Toyon and its berries are also known as Christmas Holly. Read More Warrior's Plume winter A striking bloom that offers an opening threshold to wildflower season Read More Chaparral Currant winter Look for currant berries in the spring (unless the birds get them first!) Read More

Wildflower Mount Diablo White Stem Filaree, Musky Storksbill Invasive Scientific Name: Erodium moschatum Family: Geraniaceae (Geranium Family) Blooms: Mar - Jun Color: Red-Pink Annual herb Introduced Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Mike Woodring

Tarantulas on Mount Diablo October 1, 1998 Mike Woodring Why are tarantulas out wandering about? Late summer and fall is tarantula time on Mount Diablo. The tarantula (Aphonopelma sp.), North America’s largest spider, is nocturnal and spends most of its life in and around its underground burrow. However, when a male tarantula reaches maturity at about four to seven years of age, he sheds his exoskeleton for the last time, develops little spurs or hooks on his front legs, and leaves his subterranean home for good to risk life and limb (all eight of them) in search of females of his species with which to mate. These males are the autumnal wanderers we see on the mountain. After a male locates a female by scent, he gently taps at the entrance to entice her out of her burrow to mate. He uses the small clasping hooks on his front legs to hold her fangs and bend her backward. Mating lasts from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes. After mating, the larger, longer lived female (she may live to the ripe old age of 20 years or more) returns to her burrow, ultimately to hatch a hundred or so baby spiders the following spring, of which perhaps one or two spiders will survive to adulthood. It’s not easy being a tarantula. Will a female tarantula eat the male? It’s a myth that female tarantulas always kill the males after mating. On rare occasions, a female that has already mated several times and is approached by an amorous male may attack and eat the male rather than mate again. A female may consume the male if she is famished and needs a meal to be able to lay eggs, but almost always she allows the male to retreat to continue searching for other females until he succumbs to the elements in a few weeks, due to the onset of cold weather, starvation, or the jaws of a predator. Note to parents: A wandering tarantula won’t live long enough to make a good pet. What do tarantulas eat? Typically, a hunting tarantula waits patiently in its burrow near the opening until an unsuspecting insect (usually a cricket) crawls by. The spider rushes out, bites the prey, and drags its victim back into the burrow. In the dark of night, this activity goes unnoticed (except by the cricket!). Why do some tarantulas have a bald spot? The tarantula’s main weapon against larger creatures is defensive. If a bobcat or fox is harassing it, the spider rises up on its front legs and with its back legs scrapes off a cloud of barbed, porcupine-like hairs from its abdomen into the nasal passages and mucous membranes of its tormentor. This tactic sometimes gives the tarantula time to escape and is why a tarantula may sport a bald spot on its abdomen. Who is its most feared predator? The large black and orange female tarantula hawk wasp (Pepsis sp.) seeks out and attacks the tarantula. After delivering a paralyzing sting under a leg, the wasp drags the tarantula to a hole and, before covering the tarantula, she lays a single egg on the helpless spider. When the egg hatches, the young wasp larva eats the tarantula alive. How bad is a tarantula’s bite? Despite its fearsome appearance and formidable reputation, the tarantula is really a rather innocuous creature–a terror to small insects and not much else! Tarantulas have very small venom glands, and its very mild venom is only strong enough to paralyze a cricket, with practically no effect on people. Mount Diablo’s tarantulas are really gentle souls that play an important part in the web of life on our island mountain. So the next time you encounter a tarantula on the trail, remember the old adage, “If you wish to live and thrive, let a spider run alive!” Download Tarantulas: Protect These Gentle Giants Brochure (pdf) BACK TO LIST

Golden Hairstreak Habrodais grunus Lycaenidae Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks Flies Host Plant Nectar Plant Daniel Fitzgerald Underwing Paul G. Johnson

Wildflower Mount Diablo Fern-leaf Phacelia Scientific Name: Phacelia distans Family: Hydrophyllaceae (Waterleaf Family) Blooms: Apr - Jun Color: White Annual herb Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Mike Woodring

Wildflower Mount Diablo Purple Mouse Ears Scientific Name: Mimulus douglasii Family: Phrymaceae (Monkeyflower Family) Blooms: Feb - Mar Color: Blue-Purple Annual herb Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants iNaturalist observations

Wildflower Mount Diablo Sticky Cinquefoil Scientific Name: Drymocallis glandulosa var. wrangelliana Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family) Blooms: Apr - May Color: Yellow-Orange Perennial herb Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Kevin Hintsa

Wildflower Mount Diablo Telegraph Weed Scientific Name: Heterotheca grandiflora Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower Family) Blooms: August Color: Yellow-Orange Annual or perennial herb Native, endemic to California Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Daniel Fitzgerald Flower detail Daniel Fitzgerald Leaf detail

Close Call: The Near-Extinction of Peregrine Falcons by Anastasia Hobbet January 1, 2024 Dave Furseth Lea este artículo en español The fastest animal on earth is a neighbor of yours. It’s the peregrine falcon, clocked at well over 200 miles per hour during its precipitous dives while hunting. Address? Mount Diablo State Park and surroundings, where at least two pairs are now readying themselves to nest in the dramatic pinnacles of Pine Canyon and the remote Black Hills above Black Hawk, where they will spend the spring and summer brooding the eggs and nurturing the youngsters until the kids become independent. Sounds rosy, but there’s a big “if" needed at this point: if the birds can get enough privacy and seclusion. They need a lot of quiet space, and with well more than 100,000 visitors per year now visiting Pine Canyon, is privacy possible for any creature? The responsibility for ensuring some seclusion for the Pine Canyon birds falls to two parks: Castle Rock, which is an East Bay Regional Park; and Mount Diablo State Park. The main access to lower Pine Canyon is via the former, but Pine Canyon's sandstone cliffs lie just over the boundary inside the State Park, forming a section of its westernmost edge. Two annual nesting closure zones stretching from Februrary 1 through July 31 help these blistering-fast aerial hunters feel some confidence in their security. The staffs of the two adjacent parks cooperate in enforcing the closure, but it's tough for a park supervisor working with a tiny staff to dispatch anyone fast, which is key. Widespread use of DDT beginning in the late 1950's almost wiped out peregrines in the U.S. and across the western world. It interfered with calcium deposition, thinning the mother's eggshells so much that they cracked when she tried to sit on them. The embryos died, pitching the population into collapse. DDT was finally banned in the U.S. in 1972, and some years later, Save Mount Diablo inspired a massive, successful effort to return the birds to Castle Rock. Keeping the birds safe during their six-month breeding has proved dicey. The Covid era drove cabin-fevered people into the parks -- all parks everywhere -- and even the most secluded places on and around Mount Diablo, on legal trails and hacked trails, became patterned with boot prints, bike tires, and horse hooves. MDIA volunteers formed the Peregrine Team in 2015 to support the closure zone enforcements of the rangers and staff in the two parks. This (2024) is the team's 10th season. In addition to informing hikers about the closure, they spot hikers in the closure area, and, if possible, gently interact with them when they return to the legal trail -- or even better: before they leave it -- about the ethics and benefits of respecting closure zones. You can help too. Plan to hike Stage Road in Pine Canyon and the trails from Curry Point. You'll see closure signage. Visit with other hikers as you go. If you spot people who may be headed into the closure zones, draw their attention gently to the signs. If they choose to trespass, don't intervene. They'll remember your words. Crowd-sourcing works -- eventually. Back to the Peregrine Team Page Peregrine in Flight | Scott Hein Peregine Team in action. Peregrine Team members lead group hikes during the nesting season into Pine Canyon BACK TO LIST