Created 3-Oct-18
Jasper Ridge settles in for the long dry summer. I call this autumn: many leaves turn brown and red and fall to the ground: no benefit to trying to photosynthesize. Lots of sunlight, but a severe shortage of water. Best to turn down, go into stasis, wait it out.
The deciduous oaks, valley and blue, retain their leaves and keep on working. I suppose their deep roots provide enough sustenance. The buckeyes have given up for the summer; flowers pollinated, the buckeye seeds are forming to decorate the bare hemispherical trees for the rest of autumn. On some toyons, leaves have turned red and begun to drop; other toyons keep on producing.
Birds, lizards, and insects continue to be active. But I saw very few harvester ants, Veromessor andrei. Perhaps the lizards have had their way??
A separate folder shows a kite, devouring a vole. Actually, THREE voles!?? This is a mystery: my first guess was, there were two kites, each with a vole, who managed to swap places while I was momentarily distracted, walking closer. But on closer inspection, there are three voles consumed -- and by the same kite, with little time in between for it to go, catch another vole, and return. It is hard to believe that one kite would carry two or three voles to the perch, to devour each in turn. But I have no better explanation. Please leave a comment with your analysis!
The deciduous oaks, valley and blue, retain their leaves and keep on working. I suppose their deep roots provide enough sustenance. The buckeyes have given up for the summer; flowers pollinated, the buckeye seeds are forming to decorate the bare hemispherical trees for the rest of autumn. On some toyons, leaves have turned red and begun to drop; other toyons keep on producing.
Birds, lizards, and insects continue to be active. But I saw very few harvester ants, Veromessor andrei. Perhaps the lizards have had their way??
A separate folder shows a kite, devouring a vole. Actually, THREE voles!?? This is a mystery: my first guess was, there were two kites, each with a vole, who managed to swap places while I was momentarily distracted, walking closer. But on closer inspection, there are three voles consumed -- and by the same kite, with little time in between for it to go, catch another vole, and return. It is hard to believe that one kite would carry two or three voles to the perch, to devour each in turn. But I have no better explanation. Please leave a comment with your analysis!
9/13/2018 Autumn Tour from Escobar Gate
Visitors 55
31 photos
Created 22-Dec-23
Modified 22-Dec-23
Kite Devours Multiple Voles in One Sitting (??)
Visitors 40
63 photos
Created 22-Dec-23
Modified 22-Dec-23
Kite Devours Vole (Selection)
Visitors 20
16 photos
Created 22-Dec-23
Modified 22-Dec-23
Dan Quinn