Snakefly

Snakefly found along the oak trail on April 13,2010. Photo by Alisa McMullen

Acmon Blue Hairstreak

We spotted this beauty, an Acmon Blue Hairstreak, along the oak trail while checking nest boxes, June 30, 2011. Photo by B.Gingg

 

Room #23′s Magnificent Monarch emerges ~ I’m flying now!

Who emerged from this gem-like chrysalis?

This magnificent monarch butterfly emerged on Sept. 8,2010 from gem-like chrysalis shared by Jane Thomas’s 5th/6th grade class at Santa Margarita School. Now, when I see a monarch fluttering around our neighborhood, I wonder if it is the same one. I’ve planted native milkweed in our home garden and hope to encourage more of these beautiful butterflies to spend part of their amazing life cycle in our garden. Thanks to Jane Thomas and her students for sharing and cheers for all the butterflies who color and beautify the world. Photos by B.J. Gingg.

Fall is time to store acorns!

Bev Gingg spotted this acorn woodpecker industriously gathering and storing acorns in its granary, a huge old valley oak near Santa Margarita School, on Oct. 2,2010. Photos by B.J. Gingg

Katydid in the sun

This katydid caught our eye as we* passed the woolly milkweed “grove” along the trail today, Sept. 2,2010.

* Learning Among the Oaks Team Members: Valerie Grant, Jena Tepe and Beverly Gingg,

Photo by B.J. Gingg

Ash-throated flycatchers welcomed at 10b!

We were glad to find a pair of ash-throated flycatchers busy with nesting activities at NB 10b on June 26,2010. We saw adults carrying insects into the nest on June 26 and heard nestlings during our June 30 monitoring visit.

Jane, Carol and I were disappointed to find a dead ash-throated flycatcher during our July 22,2010 check of 10B. Photo by C. Sinsheimer shows Bev removing the body.

This July 22,2010 photo by C. Sinsheimer shows the body we found in 10B today. We don't know the cause of death. Ash-throated flycatchers generally lay 4-5 eggs so we hope that the others were more successful.

Looking inside 10B after we removed the dead fledgling, July 22,2010. Photo by C. Sinsheimer.

Crane flies doing spring things

Photographer Alisa McMullen captured this image of crane flies mating along the “Learning Among the Oaks” Trail during an April 13,2010 training hike with Santa Margarita School student oak ambassadors.

“Hoot” grabs attention on the trail

Meet "Hoot," part of Pacific Wildlife Care's wildlife education program; Photo by B.J. Gingg.

Pacific Wildlife Care has been an important “Learning Among the Oaks” program partner and was invited to be part of our special 5th anniversary hike on April 15,2010. Jeri Roberts brought “Hoot,” a Great Horned Owl, and shared information about local owl ecology and biology at her trail station. “Hoot” is unable to hunt successfully in the wild but is very successful as a wildlife education ambassador. For more information about PWC, you’re encouraged to visit pacificwildlifecare.org

Young valley oak reaching for the sky

Young valley oak planted along the "Learning Among the Oaks" Trail in April 2007 is ready for release from tree shelter.

During the April 15, 2010 Learning Among the Oaks 5th Anniversary Program and hike, Cal Poly forestry graduate student and SMCF project assistant Kevin Osborne explained pros and cons of removing shelter after a young oak has grown beyond the top of the tube. With guidance from Kevin, we decided to remove the tube for this 4′ + tall young valley oak, planted as a <6″ tall seedling in April 2007. Seedlings were provided through the Native Tree Committee of San Luis Obispo County’s longtime partnership with local high school agriculture departments. The native oak seedlings are grown from locally collected acorns. Retired UCCE Farm Advisor Bill Weitkamp provided technical guidance and helped Santa Margarita School 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade classes plant their oaks in 2007. Also shown in photo is Rachel McDowell, Cal Poly Animal Science junior and trail intern.

It’s a blue metallic milkweed beetle convention…

Casey Dilg and Adam Duncan spotted these blue metallic milkweed beetles on woolly milkweed while monitoring nest boxes on May 21,2010.