hkibak's Favourites

Looks like it was time for the aphids to emerge from their galls, first time I've seen the actual aphids (assuming that the insects are actually Manzanita Leafgall Aphids, please correct me if wrong).

Many winged ones crawling and sometimes flitting around the Manzanita leaves, even more shed exoskeletons attached to leaves. They're tiny, and constantly moving, hard to photograph clearly with or without a macro lens.

This particular poor Manzanita is loaded with galls, to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if they're actually problematic.

There's a related observation for the live aphids, which may or may not be Tamalia galucensis: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/181501422

Hundreds of tiny, less than 1 inch long toads, hopping along the receding, vernal pool shoreline.

Western Toad (Anaxyrus boreas) is a large native toad species, between 5.6 and 13 cm (2.2 and 5.1 in) long, native to western North America. It is frequently encountered during the wet season on roads, or near water at other times. It can jump a considerable distance for a toad. Breeding occurs between March and July in mountainous areas, and as early as January in lower-elevation regions. The female lays up to 17,000 eggs stuck together in strings that adhere to vegetation and other objects along water edges.
Adults have a white or cream dorsal stripe. It is dusky gray or greenish dorsally with skin glands concentrated within the dark blotches. Its parotoid glands are oval, widely separated, and larger than the upper eyelids. This species is non-venomous, but skin secretions are mildly poisonous.
Immature toads are called tadpoles. As the tadpole matures, hind legs start to sprout followed by front legs, as the tail is absorbed. Soon this aquatic juvenile can be seen hopping near bodies of water by the hundreds.

https://herpatlas.sdnhm.org/species/overview/western-toad/2/

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/64970-Anaxyrus-boreas

David Styer stopped the car between Pilarcitas Canyon Rd and Skyline Rd to show us the Osoberry shrub and the 3-4 California Horkelia plants that were growing next to it. Link to Osoberry observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/156966486

California Horkelia (Horkelia californica) Native/CA edemic, perennial, long-hairy, uncommon on Fort Ord (compared to the prolific Horkelia cuneata). Bractlets are generally toothed, bractlets exceed the sepals and have red- tinged margins. 5 white petals are more rounded and shorter with a wide base (unlike H. cuneata where base of petal is narrower than terminal end). Peak bloom time: April-June. There are two subspecies: var. californica and var. frondosa.

Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=28403

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 284-285.

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, p. 188.

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 264-265.

From Jepson eFlora Key to Horkelia:

1. "Leaflets generally few-lobed ± 1/2 to base, 10–40 mm; sepal red-mottled inside; hypanthium bractlets generally toothed; hypanthium inner wall ± hairy; filament generally 1.5–3 mm; style generally 3–4 mm; NCo, CCo ..... var. californica"
   https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_keys.php?key=11238

Follow-up observation from 6d previous:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/150430936

UC ANR list of pathogens "Oak leaf blister":

https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/DISEASES/taphlfcrl.html

Adult emerged from apparent l-tridentata-fringed-cup-galls from this observation. First five photos through glass. Fifth photo includes exuviae. Last four are from December 17 - looks to be on its last legs.

From the Santa Cruz County coastal population. Bark is redder and less shredded than is usual for this species (here's another example of this: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/69074628) and it lacks the long twig hairs that are common at the southern end of the range.