Natural History Journal

Ah, mistletoe, that oft-sought-after Yuletide greenery, that oft-maligned plague of landscape trees.  What is a naturalist to do with a plant that has been so misunderstood?  As always, a lesson in ecology is in order!  California is home to several native species of mistletoe ( Phoradendron spp . and Arceuthobium spp .), which are not to be confused with the few unfortunate occurrences of the non-native European mistletoe ( Viscum album ) found in Sonoma county.  European mistletoe was introduced to Sonoma county around 1900, ironically by the great horticulturist, Luther Burbank.  It is not terribly host-specific, meaning it will grow happily on a wide variety of plants, but it seems to be relatively contained to one small area north of the San Francisco Bay.  The vast majority of the mistletoe across California is exactly where it is supposed to be, contrary to what most of us have heard. Wi...

Mountain Bluebirds ( Sialia currucoides ) are one of the West's dazzling surprises; no bright Painted Buntings or Northern Cardinals* for us Californians, but we do have our own little collection of brilliantly-colored birds, which happily includes two bluebird species (Western Bluebirds ( Sialia Mexicana ) being the second).  Female Mountain Bluebirds, pictured below, are doe-eyed beauties in their own right, modestly showing only hints of bright blue along their wings and tails.  Female Mountain Bluebird at Tuolumne Meadows Male Mountain Bluebirds are the real lookers: they are as vividly blue as the clear sunny heavens above the alpine firmament they call home.  To see one of these gems flutter from above to perch on a branch, you may even believe a little piece of the sky has just fallen before you.  They are absolutely breathtaking. The unfortunate and less poetic truth of the matter is that as of yet, no male Mountain Blue...

It's December, and as the leaves fall from the trees to reveal bare branches and migratory birds arrive, birding really begins to get interesting!  One striking bird you may encounter this winter in backyards and wild lands across the Great Central Valley is the American Goldfinch ( Spinus tristis ).   Male American Goldfinch, showing some typical patchiness (the gray feathers) due to seasonal molt.  These finches molt twice a year - once in late winter and again in late summer. Winter goldfinches are not as brightly colored as they are in the spring and summer and their coloring can be highly variable.  But they are still recognizable by their conical bills and wingbars.  Goldfinches readily visit bird feeders, especially during the winter, and are particularly fond of sunflower and nyjer (thistle) seeds.  In wilderness areas, look for goldfinches in open, weedy fields with thistles, sunflowers and ast...