mtillett's Identifications

Link to Spiny Leaf Gall Wasp (Diplolepis polita) observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/220825749

California Wild Rose growing in moist soil next to Mudhen Lake. Thick-at-the-base, recurved thorns on stem are distinctive.

COMPARISON of 3 Wild Roses (genus Rosa) found in Monterey County, CA: California Wild Rose (Rosa californica), Pine Rose (Rosa Pintorum), and Ground Rose (Rosa spithamea)
(There a 8 confirmed species of Rosa genus on INaturalist as of 5/13/24: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=118063&quality_grade=research&taxon_id=53438&view=species)

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California Wild Rose (Rosa californica) Native, perennial, thicket-forming shrub in the Rose (Rosaceae) family that grows 8--25 dm (up to 8 ft) tall in generally +- moist areas, especially along streambanks in many California plant communities. Stem: prickles are relatively sparse (few to many), paired or not, 3--15 mm long, thick-based and compressed, and generally (re)curved. Single, older thorns at nodes along stem have a thick base and are recurved (unlike local Rosa woodsii and Rosa pinetorum that have spines that are not recurved, but are dense, straight, thin, with no thickness at the base.) Leaflets are pinnate, 5-7, +- hairy, sometimes glandular, and finely toothed along the margins. Flowers are often in clusters, each flower with 20–40 pistils. Sepals are "persistent" meaning they remain on the rose hip (fruit) after the pale pink petals have fallen off. Peak bloom time: May-June.

"Rosa californica which grows on the Monterey Peninsula, is thicket-forming, reaches 8–25 dm, and has compressed, generally curved prickles with thick bases. It generally favors moist areas, and is often found along streams. Flowering Period: May-June"
Endangered Species Fact Sheets (85+ species in Monterey County) www.elkhornsloughctp.org/factsheet/factsheet.php?SPECIES_ID=97

Calflora (includes species distribution map in CA): https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=7179

Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=41631

Field Guide: Wildflowers of California, California Native Plant Society, 2024 (easy descriptions, exc. color photos, 600+ pages), p. 449.

Flora of North America http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Rosa_californica

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 286-287.

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, p. 191.

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, p. 138.

Monterey County Wildflowers, Trees & Ferns https://montereywildflowers.com/rosaceae-rose/

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COMPARED TO

Pine Rose (Rosa Pintorum) is an Endemic, rare, petite plant in the Rose (Rosaceae) family that grows less than 39 inches tall. It is endemic to the closed-cone pine forests of the Central Coast ranges around Monterey Bay. It is a non-thicket forming, dwarf shrub in the Rose (Rosaceae) family that grows less than 10dm (less than 39 inches) tall in shaded Monterey Pine woodland. Spines on stem are dense and many, both slender and +- thick-based, and straight (not recurved). Peak bloom time: May-June.
Conservation Status: 1B.2 in California, US (CNPS) (Rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere).

Illustration of the differences in Rosa foliage (including R. pinetorum) from Flora of North America (FNA): http://floranorthamerica.org/w/images/f/ff/FNA9_P12_Rosa_acicularis_subsp_sayi.jpeg

Endangered Species Fact Sheets: Global Distribution of Pine Rose (Rosa Pintorum) "Restricted to the central California coast. Known from coastal terraces on the Monterey Peninsula to Carmel Highlands (Monterey County), the mouth of Waddell Creek at Big Basin Redwoods State Park (Santa Cruz County), and possibly Cambria (San Luis Obispo County)"
Endangered Species Fact Sheets: http://www.elkhornsloughctp.org/factsheet/factsheet.php?SPECIES_ID=97

Native California Roses, by Barbara Ertter, 2001, Pine Rose (Rosa Pintorum): https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/ina/roses/rosa_pinetorum.html

There are 43 records of this species listed in Monterey County (as of 5/12/24) on CalFlora by local botany legends like Vern Yadon, Dean Taylor, and David Styer.
Calflora https://www.calflora.org/entry/observ.html?track=m#srch=t&lpcli=t&taxon=Rosa+pinetorum&chk=t&cch=t&cnabh=t&inat=r&cc=MNT

Jepson eFlora: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=41684
Pine Rose (Rosa Pintorum): Native, “dwarf shrub, openly rhizomed, generally < 10 dm. Stem: prickles many, not paired, 3--10 mm long, both slender and +- thick-based, and straight (not recurved). Leaf: axis glabrous or finely hairy, glandular; leaflets 5--7, glabrous to hairy; terminal leaflet 10--30 mm, generally +- elliptic, widest near middle, tip +- obtuse, margins +- single- or double-toothed, +- glandular. Inflorescence: generally 1--5-flowered; pedicels generally 10--30 mm, glabrous, glandular or not. Flower: hypanthium generally +- 4 mm wide at flower, glabrous, glandless, neck +- 3 mm wide; sepals generally +- glandular, entire, tip generally +- = body, entire or toothed; petals +- 15--20 mm, pink; pistils +- 10--20. Fruit: +- 12 mm wide, spheric; sepals +- erect, persistent; achenes 3--4 mm. Ecology: Pine woodland; Elevation: generally < 300 m. Flowering Time: May--June" https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=41684

Monterey County Wildflowers https://montereywildflowers.com/rosaceae-rose/
"This is a small, rare rose. Like Wood Rose (Rosa gymnocarpa), it has smaller flowers than California Rose (Rosa californica), and prickles that are straight and slender. The flowers are a little larger than Wood Rose (petals 15–20 mm long), usually pink to red, and with more numerous (10–20) pistils. The hypanthium is also broader, 4 mm wide at the base of the petals. Leaflets are generally no more than 7 in number. Its sepals are persistent, meaning they remain on the hip as it matures. "
Monterey County Wildflowers https://montereywildflowers.com/rosaceae-rose/

"Stems with straight, slender prickles, some thick-based. . . sepals persistent in fruit"
Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 286-287.

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 139.

Coastal California's Living Legacy: The Monterey Pine Forest, 2nd. ed, Nikki Nedeff, et. al. The Monterey Pine Forest Watch, 2018

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019
(species not listed--no pine forests)

Endangered Species Fact Sheets (85+ species in Monterey County) http://www.elkhornsloughctp.org/factsheet/

Link to confirmed California Wild Rose (Rosa Californica) for comparison: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/99542621

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Ground Rose (Rosa spithamea) A.k.a. Coast Ground Rose. Endemic in California. Peak bloom time: April-August.

Illustration of the differences in Rosa foliage (including R. spithamea) from Flora of North America (FNA): http://floranorthamerica.org/w/images/f/ff/FNA9_P12_Rosa_acicularis_subsp_sayi.jpeg

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell,2015, pp. 286-287.

Calflora (includes species distribution in CA): https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=7187

Jepson eFlora (with botanical illustration): https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=41696
Rosa spithamea: "Habit: Dwarf shrub, openly rhizomed, generally < 5 dm. Ecology: Open forest, chaparral, especially after fire. Stem: prickles few to many, generally not paired, 3--8(12) mm, generally slender (thick-based), +- straight. Leaf: axis generally glabrous (finely hairy), glandular; leaflets 5--7(9), 2--4 per side, (+-) glabrous; terminal leaflet +- 10--30 mm, +- widely elliptic (obovate), widest near middle, tip obtuse to truncate, margins +- double-toothed, glandular. Inflorescence: 1--10-flowered; pedicels generally 5--15 mm, glabrous, +- stalked-glandular. Flower: hypanthium generally 4--5 mm wide at flower, stalked-glandular, neck 3--4 mm wide; sepals generally glandular, entire, tip generally +- = body, entire; petals 10--15 mm, pink to red; pistils 10--20. Fruit: 7--12(15) mm wide, +- spheric; sepals +- erect, persistent; achenes 3.5--5 mm.
Synonyms: Rosa spithamea var. sonomensis "

Monterey County Wildflowers (photographic guide of wildflowers, shrubs and trees) https://montereywildflowers.com/index/ (species not listed)

many nests present at site of observation, with dozens (atleast) of males briefly visiting tunnel entrances. possibly males searching for mating candidates? this area was abundant with thistle and black mustard.

Solitary, duck-like bird was diving in and out of the surf.

Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) is a large sea duck in the Anatidae family.
"The male is completely velvety black except for white patches on the forehead and the nape. It has a swollen bill, appearing orange at a distance but patterned with white, red and yellow, and a black spot near the base. The female is browner than the male, with a fairly uniform plumage, slightly darker above than below. Indistinct paler patches are present on the cheeks below the eye and sometimes a whitish patch is on the nape, a unique trait among scoters. The bill is black with green or blue colorations The juvenile has a plumage similar to the female, but mainly paler and browner, and the breast and belly are whitish.
The surf scoter is easily distinguishable from other scoters by the white patch on the head of the adult male and its unique bill pattern. Females and immatures have a bulkier bill with a squarish base and a more flattened head profile than other scoters. The black and the white-winged scoters are physically very similar to the surf scoter but in flight, the surf scoter is the only one with completely dark wings.
Like all sea ducks, the surf scoter becomes flightless during the simultaneous molt of its flight feathers. This vulnerable period happens usually in late July through early August and lasts for about four weeks."

Ebird with species description, range map and sound recordings: https://ebird.org/species/sursco
"Large, dark sea duck. Breeding males have a colorful bill and white patches on the nape and forehead. Females and first-year males are dark brown with white patches on the cheek and face. Note large, thick-based bill to help separate from female White-winged Scoter. Breeds on lakes and ponds in northern Canada and Alaska; winters in flocks in harbors, bays, and other coastal waters, where dives for mussels and other aquatic invertebrates. Uncommon to rare inland, especially in migration. Frequently mixes with other sea duck species, especially eiders and scoters."

Xeno-canto Bird songs, sound recordings, and species range map: https://xeno-canto.org/species/Melanitta-perspicillata

Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/surf-scoter

The Cornell Lab (Birds in U.S. and Canada) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Surf_Scoter/
"In winter, look for these dark-bodied ducks (and the browner females) near to shore, defying ocean waves with a quick dive just before they break. They breed in far northern Canada and Alaska, where the boreal forest gives way to open tundra."

Monterey Birds, Don Roberson, 2nd ed. 2002, sponsored by Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society, p. 143.

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 7th ed., 2017

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 2008

Merlin Bird ID: How to use/get the portable App (Bird ID help for 8,500+ species) https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

Comprehensive Feather I.D. tools and more: https://foundfeathers.org/resources/

Found Feathers (Worldwide): https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/idtool.php