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Some galls on some eastside oaks <3

Huge range extension for the first image, Feron stellare! This gall from what I have researched has only been documented as far north as Grants Pass, but this one was found just south of Tygh Valley, neat! I would expect to find this species probably all the way up eastern Washington and within the Willamette Valley, but not many people are looking for galls on oaks so it may be a while to prove that true.

Other species are as follows: Feron parmula, Xanthoteras teres, Cynips mirabilis, and Feron bakkeri, also never documented in eastside oak populations.

I almost never find Feron species in the valley, so this was such a treat! I would love to know what drives species diversity in cynipid gall formers in different metapopulations of OWO's around the state. Maybe a master's is in my future... taken in Wasco County by @cliff.za

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a year ago

So many good plants today too. Early spring anywhere in Central Oregon fills the spirit. You cant make me anywhere close to unhappy when I take a look at these plants :) Thanks for going on a big long hike with me Bailey <3

Lomatiums get their own post deservedly so... so many textures in those guys taken in Lower Deschutes River by @cliff.za

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4 months ago

Helped put good fire on the ground last week. I hope to continue to help for the rest of my life. Good fire will change the world :) by @cliff.za

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9 months ago

Our coast holds an incredible amount of diversity owing to the fact that we have very much so active abiotic features (plate tectonics, volcanics, cold water upwellings, storms, etc) paired with a plant assemblage curated by these features, alongside generations upon generations of indigenous peoples moving and tending to plants, organisms, and ecosystems.
A couple of weekends ago me and Bailey did a gauntlet of several coastal ecosystems, from estuarine swamps to tidepools to montane bogs. Lots to love, lots to appreciate, lots to protect. Familiarize yourself with these places and help to protect them like your life depends on them, because it does <3 by @cliff.za

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3 days ago

Did you know Oregon has native orchids??

This is Epipactis gigantea, or Stream Orchid. You can find this beaut on rivers and streams in the coast range, siskiyous, and cascade range. I don't beleive this species has been seen in the willamette valley proper but I would not be surprised if it is hanging out on the marys river or a back slough/island of the mainstem willamette.

This is one of over 30 species of native orchids in Oregon, and this one happens to be my favorite! To me these flowers look like angry bats or vampires 🦇 by @cliff.za

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3 days ago

Did you know Oregon has invasive orchids??

Did you know Oregon has native orchids (not this one)??

This is Epipactis helleborine, or the broad leaved helleborine. Native to Eurasia, this plant made its way here by way of people, whether that be in the form of carrying seed in shoes, boats, grass seed, or the plant trade, broad leaved helleborine has established readily in parks, streambanks, natural areas, and yards across north america (especially the NE united states). by @cliff.za

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3 days ago

Very unfortunate that this species of owl is the one I've spent the most time with here in Oregon, but they are beautiful nonetheless.

Strix varia (Barred Owl)

This Owl was being hazed by jays crows, and a hummingbird, and as it panicked to get away from these birds, it grazed the top of my head with its wing. Smaller birds usually haze or mob larger, predatory birds in order to get them away from their territory, nest, or to reduce the risk of their own predation. It was cool to see multiple species mob this owl at once! taken in Tigard City Hall by @cliff.za

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5 days ago

Two great organisms on dairy creek today! First, We have Rana aurora, or the Northern Red-legged Frog. This frog is an Oregon conservation strategy species and is frequently a focal point of volunteer wildlife crossing programs during amphibian migration season!

Second is a treehopper in the family Membracidae! Originally I thought this was an oak treehopper but quickly realized there were no oaks around. Treehoppers outside of the oak treehopper are very poorly described in Oregon, as there is not a big push by many people to study Membracidae species or genera on the west coast. by @cliff.za

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9 days ago

TWO, yes TWO GALL RIDES happening in the next week. Join me THIS FRIDAY, 07/17 on a scouting ride to check out how Portland's oaks and oak associates are doing this summer. I'll leave from Alberta park around 7:00 pm, expect 15-20 miles. Bring cameras, lights, ID books and a gall-friendly attitude 😮

NEXT WEDNESDAY 7/22: GALL RIDE TWO
We will probably still meet at Alberta park, this time biking 10-15 miles to see some cool galls! This will be a great learning opportunity and a great way to get to know urban oak canopy ecology!

I don't expect many, or any people to come, so all are welcome to come and encouraged to bring a friend! I will be doing this both days regardless as gall season is upon us and I have my eyes set on finding some unreported species for the Portland metro area :) taken in Portland, Oregon by @cliff.za

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10 days ago

Pacific chorus frog and Quaking aspen on gales creek today! Love them both. Pacific Chorus frogs are incredibly common in the Pacific Northwest. Chances are if you're listening to a choir of frogs at night it is these guys. Quaking aspen on the other hand is a rare sight west of the cascades. Missoula flood waters brought them into the Willamette Valley and from there they spread. This, coupled with seed movement by indigenous peoples, large ungulates, birds, etc. probably create the distribution we see today in the PNW. I'm sure they were more common pre-colonization as well but the data isn't there to back that up. taken in Gales Creek, Oregon by @cliff.za

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18 days ago

Drosera rotundifolia (Round-leaved Sundew) & associates

Carnivorous plants in the Pacific Northwest exist in a very limited set of habitats and conditions; generally very wet bogs and fens, seeps, or coastal wetlands where nutrients are limited. This entire site was contained all within one old growth log floating in a coast range lake. Carnivory develops in plants as a mechanism of self-fertilization, especially when plants evolve to fit an environment where nutrients are either scarce or fiercely competed for. Take pitcher plants in the rainforest for example.

The way these carnivorous plants catch their meals is by attracting tiny insects into their sticky glands on their leaves, which then roll up over the insect, eventually digesting it for it's nutrients.

Habitats like this were once somewhat common across the PNW, but losses due to logging, draining for agriculture and development, and species invasion (poaching too...) have made these ecosystems incredibly rare. These places and micro sites are hard to find, especially now on the coast, but if you do some digging you'll be sure to find something neat like this.

Species list in the comments taken in Oregon Coast by @cliff.za

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19 days ago

Asclepias speciosa. Loving this plant this year! It's everywhere! Amazing for pollinators across north america. If you're concerned with losing our monarch butterflies, plant this. They love this.

On a very big side note, the new camera is amazing! This is the Olympus om-d em-1 mark i (long name lol) which was Olympus's flagship... in 2013. This camera and lens look so good for their age but I still need to figure out some little things before I'm as comfortable/proficient enough on it as the e-m5 📸 by @cliff.za

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22 days ago