This gallery contains 2 photos.
Which of these Oregon white oaks (Quercus garryana) from the Cove Fire site do you think will survive? The Cove Fire consumed nearly 31,000 acres of the Modoc National Forest in July and August of 2017. Approximately six months after … Continue reading
This gallery contains 6 photos.
During a recent visit to Burney Falls State Park (Shasta County CA) the oaks in their fall colors appeared particularly brilliant this year. There are two native deciduous oaks in our area – the California black oak (Quercus kelloggii) and … Continue reading
This gallery contains 2 photos.
It is interesting how one thing can lead to another. While reading about acorns in conjunction with my previous post (“Selective Food Storage” 11-28-16), I learned additional new facts about acorns. Tannins are plant polyphenols that bind and precipitate proteins … Continue reading
This gallery contains 3 photos.
Oak club galls form on several oak species when oak club wasps (Andricus coortus) lay their eggs at the tip of new stems in the spring. The oak club is a cynipid wasp. Adult club gall wasps emerge the following … Continue reading
This gallery contains 6 photos.
Another cynipid wasp that induces a fascinating gall on blue oaks and Oregon white oaks (Quercus garryana) is the sunburst gall wasp (Andricus stellaris). As with the ball-tipped gall wasp, another cynipid wasp featured in my last post (see “Ball-tipped … Continue reading
This gallery contains 4 photos.
Most wildflowers have long faded and due to the continuing drought in our area (Northern California) fungi are scarce while the birds are unpredictable and scattered. Thus while wandering about I find myself focusing on usually overlooked subjects. Oaks support … Continue reading
This gallery contains 6 photos.
The Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) and California black oak (Quercus kelloggii) are two of the more common oaks in Northeastern California. Although there are differences in the leaves, bark and acorns, these two oaks often are easy to confuse, … Continue reading
