ipomopsis's Favourites

This was a project that trapped and released flying squirrels. Ordinarily, you wouldn't see them out flying around during the day.

This squirrel was released, climbed a tree and flew twice, landed on the ground, dug up a truffle and ate most of it, then climbed a tree again and ate the rest.

Quite a show!

Multiple small pines with needles in bundles of two. My main reason for posting this picture, though, is to show what I think is the same location--and same big, downed tree--as that seen in a photo of E. R. Hall and his survey team (Mammals of Nevada), taken in July 1941. I have included that picture, which matches up well with the site description in journal entries and in the landscape seen in the background.

The location "3 miles south of Mt. Rose, 8500 ft" is the generic location entry used by Hall's team in their field notes for their collections in this area. The specific locations of the actual collections of mammals must be inferred from the field notes, which often have limited information on precise locations. It was the standard practice of Hall and his co-workers to camp at one spot (usually a flat meadow near a road) and then emanate out in various directions to hunt and trap.

Watched this thing fly around in one spot then suddenly jumped into the plants and pulled out this cricket and flew right off!
See this observation for the prey.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/116212562

Going through the archives...

Initially I assumed this was a juvenile Red-breasted Sapsucker (and still lean toward that ID), but now I'm not so sure with that pronounced white eyebrow/supercilium.

Did I totally drop the ball on this (and it's a Red-naped Sapsucker), or is that just wishful thinking on my part?

Thanks for your help!

Trying to get familiar with the "serrated" leaves of P. monticola. I imagined it to be quite evident and very different from the spaced out very tiny spurs I find on these leaves.
Location verified on satellite view.