Scott Taggart Poppies and Lupins in the Amador County foothills.

Flowers by color:

Orange/Yellow:

• California Poppy- Scientific name, Eschscholtzia californica, from J.F. Eschscholtz, a Russian naturalist who collected the first herbarium specimens of this flower.

• Evening Primrose- Deer enjoy this flower which blooms in the early evening. One species in the foothills grows to eight feet tall.

• Paintbrush- Blooms from May to August. Some of these plants are parasitic on the roots of other plants.

• Pentstemon- Blooms from July to August and is found in rocky places.

• Monkey-flower-Blooms from May to August in dry, disturbed places. Species more common in higher elevations flourish along streams and moist places.

• Buttercup-Flowers first in moist meadows from February to May.

• Goldenrod- Blooms from May to September. Mountain Aster- This flower is 1-2 feet tall and blooms from July to September in moist places. Black-eyed Susan- This flower was introduced from eastern United States.

• Mule Ears- Leaves look like mules ears and have a velvety feel. They dry out in autumn and crackle in the wind.

• Tidy Tips-Blooms from May to June with distinct three-lobed petals.

White:

• Death Camas-Leaves of the young plants are poisonous to sheep.

• Corn Lily-Shoots are poisonous to livestock. Camas-Indians cooked and ate these bulbs. Camas can be differentiated from the Death Camas because Camas have fewer flowers on a stem and have the color blue in them.

• Soap Plant-Flowers open only in the afternoon.

• Mariposa Lily-Stems from a bulb.

• Pussy Paws- Petals open only in sunshine and blooms from May-August.

• Queen Anne’s Lace- Lacy appearing flowers bloom from June-August.
  

• Cow Parsnip- Blooms from April to July in moist or shady places.

• Pine-drops- This is a saprophyte and dies after flowering.

• Rose Everlasting-Blooms from June to August in wooded places.

• Yarrow Milfoil- Blooms from June to August in meadows.

• Ranger Buttons- Flowers are distinct white spheres on the end of stalks.

Red, Pink, or Rose:

• Swamp Onion-Has a strong garlic odor. Bulbs can be used to flavor soup.

• Lupine Clover- There are 60 to 80 species of this flowers in California.

• Snow Plant-This plant is a bright, red saprophyte which lives on decayed organic matter.

• Sierra Primrose- Blooms July to August under overhanging rocks and cliffs. Only hikers in the high sierra will see this deep-colored flower in late summer.

• Milkweed- This flower’s milky juice is often poisonous to livestock.

• Farewell-to-spring- Petals are long, purple or crimson, and have a large purple splotch in the center or at the tip and are yellow at the base. Blooms May to July in dry open places.

• Evening Primrose- A favorite food of the deer. Blooms in the early evening from June to September.

• Bleeding Heart- Blooms from March to July in shady places.

• Shooting-star- Petals are long, bent backwards, pink-crimson, yellow at base, and edged with purple. Blooms June to August in wet places.

• Paintbrush- Blooms from May to August in dry places. Some species are parasitic on roots of other plants.

• Columbine- Blooms from April to August in moist, shaded places.

• Monkey-flower-Blooms from May to August in dry, disturbed places. Some species such as the yellow Monkey-flower are common along streams and in moist places.

Blue to Purple:

• Wild Ginger- Flowers and leaves rise directly from fragrant roots. Blooms May to June in shaded places.

• Rock Cress- Blooms May to July in dry, stony places

• Fireweed- Blooms July to September on moist ground especially in fire-swept areas.

• Bleeding Heart- Blooms March to July in shady places.

• Shooting-star-Blooms June to August in wet places

• Sierra Primrose- Blooms July to August often under overhanging rocks and cliffs.

• Baby Blue Eyes- Blooms Feb-June on moist flats and slopes.

• Forget-me-not- Blooms June to August on dry wooded slopes. The flowers are small, 1/8 to 1/3" and are blue or pink.

• Mountain Bluebell- Blooms May to August in moist shady places. Name derived from bell shaped flowers.

References:

Storer, T and Usinger, R. 1963. Sierra Nevada Natural History. University of California Press. pp374.

Copyright 1999 Daniel Zatz Bears in competition for fish

Many animals and birds originally flourished in the Tahoe Area. Mammals such as grizzly bears, wolverines, and many other species of animals were once abundant in the Sierra. Grizzlies disappeared from the area long ago, and the wolverine no longer reside in the basin because of the deterioration of their habitat.

There are still many different mammals living in the area including:

• Shrews
• Moles
• Bats
• Rabbits
• Marmots
• Squirrels
• Chipmunks
• Gophers
• Mice
• Rats
• Beaver
• Porcupines
• Coyotes
• Foxes
• Black bears
• Raccoons
• Weasels
• Badgers
• Skunks
• Mountain Lion
• Wildcat
• Mule Deer
• Mountain Sheep

References:

Berkeley Digital Library Ancient sequoia grove

• The Jeffrey Pine is a close relative of Western Yellow Pine, grows up to 180 ft. tall. Bark is usually dark reddish brown and broken into irregular scaly plates with deep furrows which, when warmed in the sun, emit a pineapple or vanilla like odor. Crowns are longer and more symmetical than Yellow Pine, and foliage is heavier and more dense.

  Cones: 2 to 5 inches long, quite symmetrical, open and light weight. Scales of mature cone are tipped with outturned pin-point prickles, which prick the skin when hands are cupped around the cone.

  Range: Widespread in the Sierra Nevada at elevations of 2000 to 8500 ft.

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• Sugar pines grow to 100-180 ft. Needles occur in 5's. Fire or axe wounds in the wood of a living tree result in a fluid that hardens into white nodules. Indians used to chew this gum which is sweet. Sugar pine, widespread prior to the advent of logging because it was heavily used for shingles, remains only in scattered clumps.

• Silver pine grows to heights of 50-125 ft., needles occur in 4s or 5s needles are bluish green with a whitish tinge.

• Lodgepole pine grows to a height of 50-80 feet, needles occur in 2's. Immature pole forests result from young trees shading each other.

• Gray Pine, also known as the Digger Pine. 50 to 70 ft. tall with gray-green needles, large cones and forked trunk.

  Cones: 6 to 10 inches long and often almost as broad. Light brown. Cone scales end in a sharp, almost hooklike spur. Cones may remain on the tree for several seasons after the seeds have been shed.

  Range: Dry foothills and lower mountain slopes bordering the Central Valley at elevations below 4500 ft.

• Pinon Pine is 8 to 25 feet in height and has singular needles. The young are covered by needles from base to tip.

• Western Yellow Pine, also known as the Ponderosa Pine, varies greatly in size and appearance depending on soil and climatic conditions. May attain heights of over 200 ft. and diameter of over 6 ft. Bark varies from large twny-yellow or russet-brown platelets to hard, dark, and deeply furrowed ridges.

  Cones: 2 to 5 inches long, quite symmetrical, open and light weight. Scales of mature cone are tipped with outturned pin-point prickles, which prick the skin when hands are cupped around the cone.

  Range: Widespread in the Sierra Nevada at elevations of 2000 to 8500 ft. Frequently is the predominant tree in area.

• The Douglas Fir is 70-110 ft and has characteristic cones with ‘mice tail’ looking things sticking between pine cone frond things.

• The White Fir is 60-200 ft tall and its lumber is used as a second rate lumber.

• The Red Fir is 60-175 ft tall and its cones feed many birds and cavities in damaged firs provide nest retreats for chickarees and chipmunks.

• Incense Cedar is 50-125 ft tall and contains fragrant wood. It is depicted by frond like foliage and tapered trunk.

• Sierra Juniper 10-25 ft. tall grows well on granitic soil.

• Big Tree is 15 to 331 ft tall ‘giant sequoia’ can be up to 2100 years old. Contains fire resistant bark and is a "living fossil" meaning it has been around for substantial geologic time.

• Aspen is 10 to 60 feet tall and deciduous. Its deciduous leaves are vertically flat and quake in breeze.

• Willow has slender pointed leaves and grows near water. Any section of branch when planted will grow roots and leaves.

References:

Strong, Douglas H. 1999. Tahoe. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London, 1999, pp131.

There are 40 fish species native to the Sierra Nevada; six are threatened or endangered while 12 others are candidates. In addition, half of the 29 native amphibian species are at risk of extinction.

Native fisheries largely disappeared, eliminated by overfishing, dams, human interference with spawning grounds, pollution of streams with sawdust, and the competition of exotic fish species. Efforts have been made to reintroduce the native Lahontan cutthroat trout, once the principal species in Lake Tahoe. Some of the fish present in the Sierra include:

• Mountain Whitefish is related to the Trout and spawns in October ascending through the tributaries of Lake Tahoe. They will eat the eggs of other fishes while they are spawning.

• There are six species of Trout in the Sierra: Brown Trout, which spawns in autumn, was first planted in Sierran waters in 1895. Cutthroat Trout spawn in April. Overfishing and water diversions for irrigation have reduced the population drastically. Golden Trout is a relative of the rainbow. Rainbow Trout has been transplanted all over the world. They spawn during the spring and some species survive in salt water. Eastern Brook Trout does best in high lakes and spawn in the spring. Lake or Mackinaw Trout were introduced in 1895 and become very large.

• Chinook Salmon ascended the major west slope streams to spawn in tributaries well above the Foothills. Dams made many streams impassible. The Coho Salmon was planted in Truckee River before 1937 and the Kokanee was introduced during the 1940’s into Tahoe, Donner, and other lakes.

• Western Suckers are scavengers and graze on the stream bottoms

References:

• Mallard ducks may appear at times on almost any lake or smooth stream. This bird is a surface feeder and does not dive for food.

• Canada Goose commonly nests on many east side lakes from Tahoe northward. By the end of summer adults and immatures band together and fly in V-shaped flocks.

• Goshawk is a rare resident of the Tahoe area. It is known as the "bullet" hawk. Females are larger than males and they prey on grouse, other birds, squirrels, and chipmunks.

• Red-tailed Hawk circles and glides high in open air as it watches for squirrels or rabbits on the ground.

• Swainson Hawk lives in foothills and on plains east of the Sierra. This is a migrant soaring hawk which has declined in numbers. Grasshoppers and small rodents are this bird’s chief food.

• Golden Eagle is the largest Sierran bird. It has a 7-foot wing spread and likes to prey on ground squirrels and rabbits.

• Bald Eagle is the endangered emblem of the United States. This bird is a good fisher.

• Osprey is the ‘fish hawk’ and lives near water

• Sparrow Hawk is the smallest hawk. Small rodents and grasshoppers are the principal food.

• Dusky or Blue Grouse lives all year in the conifer forests where it feeds on the needle tips of pines and firs. Chief enemies of this bird are Goshawks and Martens.

• Mountain Quail forages in sheltered places and when disturbed are apt to run and hide rather than fly. Seeds of grasses, herbs, and berries of various shrubs are this bird’s staple foods.

• Great Horned Owl hoots from dusk until dawn. This territorial bird hunts rabbits, wood rats, lesser rodents, and a few birds at dusk.

• Spotted Owl has a barking hoot which can be heard at dusk. This bird eats wood rats, white-footed mice, and grasshoppers.

• Belted Kingfisher hunts for aquatic insects and small fishes over the water.

• Red-shafted Flicker is a woodpecker that digs for insect larvae within trees. This bird also forages on the ground for ants, grasshoppers, and berries.

• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a quiet woodpecker that feeds on tree sap and soft wood.

• Western Kingbird feeds on insects. This territorial bird arrives in April or May.

• Steller Jay is mostly solitary but gathers in numbers if a predator intrudes. This bird eats eggs of small birds, seeds, nuts, acorns, insects and is everywhere in the basin.

• Mountain Chickadee is the most common bird in the basin and is very active. Looks for insects in the outer foliage and twigs of oaks and conifers. Pairs nest in April or may.

• White-breasted Nuthatch probes for insects on rough barked trees with sturdy bill and also catches insects in flight.

• Yellow Warbler is a summer visitant to the sierra. This birds sharp calls are heard from late April to early July in waterside willows, cottonwoods, and alders.

• Brewer Blackbird is the most common and wide-ranging of the blackbirds. Both parents feed the young.

References: