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.
Great Horned Owl Perch Walk – Gottlieb Native Garden
We noticed one day that a low hanging laurel sumac was playing host to a day roosting great horned owl. I noticed pellets under an adjacent sumac, but their number and quality lead me to believe the spot was a one-time stop. We inspected the […]
Cooper’s Hawk Loves our Bath
This Cooper’s Hawk has bathed here twice in the past week. He is not shy about it at all!
Wilson’s Warbler Spotted
GNG cameras capture up to 400 images a week and during the fall months the bird diversity dwindles. So, it was very exciting to see a flash of golden plumage pop up on the screen while looking through recent cam photos. The Wilson’s Warbler (Wilsonia […]
Fox Squirrel Surprise
Fox Squirrels (Sciurus niger) are a sore subject for GNG for they are not native and pushed out populations of native western gray squirrel. Yet, they have been living in California for over 100 years. History states the first population arrived in Los Angeles by […]
Cooper’s Hawk at Lower Tub
Cooper’s Hawks are extremely fond of GNG and the variety of birds it attracts. Cooper’s Hawks main diet almost exclusively consist of birds smaller than itself. This may frighten some native gardeners, but one must always rely on the balance already provided by nature. Cooper’s […]
Black-throated Gray Warbler Spotted
It amazes us how GNG is still attracting new species of birds we have never caught before on our cameras. At a quick glance one could over look this black-throated gray warbler (Dendroica nigrescens) as a sparrow or perhaps a Bewick’s wren. In chatting with […]
Nuttall’s Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are many people’s favorite bird, but among gardeners sometimes they receive a bad rap. Yet, woodpeckers perform many duties for the native garden including tree parasite removal, nest excavating and store caches of food other species utilize. Though some eat more insects than others, […]
Water PLEASE
This summer has been very hot for an extended period of time, so we decided to see who comes to our lower basin for a drink. As you will see…lots of animals do.
Great Horned Owl Fledlings Playing
Need we say more…..
A Single Wood Rat Tunnel
We directed the attention of our video camera on a single auxiliary tunnel of a dusky foot wood rat (Neotoma fuscipes) to see who came and went. The towhee was a given, but the show put on by the squirrel was unexpected. How could you […]