As the Gottlieb Native Garden’s naturalist, Scott Logan documents the ever-changing array of wildlife species as they vary with the garden’s blooms, seasons and migratory patterns. While bringing these observations to life for all to experience, he also coordinates scientific research projects, and monitors the overall health and biodiversity of the garden. The Naturalist’s Journal also highlights the work the Gottliebs and Scott are doing to educate and inspire people to start gardening for wildlife with native plants.
Pacific Coast Tick
This Pacific Coast Tick is a three host tick which commonly feeds on rodents, especially squirrels as subadults, and on horses, deer, and humans as adults. This is one of the most widely distributed ticks in California and is found throughout most of the state. […]
U.C. Davis Hummingbird Study
The U.C. Davis Hummingbird Crew (Lisa Tell and her team!) were in the yard once again, collecting data for an on-going study of California hummingbirds. The GNG hummingbirds seemed to hold-up very nicely as they offered-up important information such as weight, measurements of beak, wings […]
Empidonax, or Empid Flycatchers – Sometimes a Real ID Challenge
When it comes to the Empidonax group of flycatchers found in Southern California, the Pacific-slope Flycatcher is the easiest to identify. Empids can be a real challenge because, for the most part, they are all small yellowish birds with with buffy wingbars. The main feature […]
Juvenile Red-tailed Hawks
A couple of months ago, biologist Dan Cooper brought to our attention that a pair of Red-tailed Hawks had nested in the canyon below the GNG. Well, they successfully fledged two chicks and now the two siblings are spending a lot of time in the […]
July Nocturnal Species Review
Summer is a great time to explore the garden at night, and as usual, our latest nocturnal species review didn’t disappoint! Standouts were the abundant spiders and moths. Eight species of spiders were observed as they busily worked their night shift. We are still working […]
Non-native Glass Snail
This small introduced snail from Europe can be found in urban gardens and nurseries throughout Southern California. This individual was found in the GNG under a rotting log. It is an omnivore and feeds on a verity of things, including living plants, dead plants, fungi, […]
Cooling-off on a Hot, Humid Day
These goldfinches know that there is no better way to beat the Summer heat than to hang out in some cool running water! Lesser Goldfinches – Spinus psaltria
Already 80° at 7:00am
Allan’s Hummingbirds and Western Columbine on a soon-to-be 105° day.
Green Lynx Spider
This impressive spike-covered male Green Lynx Spider was very busy searching for a mate in the flowers by the hummingbird bath. We never saw if he was successful, but we’re now looking for a female lynx spider in the GNG too :-). Green Lynx Spider […]
Botta’s Pocket Gopher
How do pocket gophers end-up as meals for predators such as owls, hawks, coyotes and bobcats when they spend 90% of their life in the safety of their burrows? This slow motion video of a GNG pocket gopher captures what they do the other 10% […]