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#wildcalifornia — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #wildcalifornia, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos spp.) flower and fruit when water is plentiful. To gauge upcoming conditions, they form flowering shoots at the tips of spring growth that stay dormant until the next season—like a tiny “big toe” testing for moisture.

    #Manzanita #CaliforniaPlants #MediterraneanClimate #DroughtAdaptation #NativePlants #PlantStrategy #WildCalifornia #BotanyFacts #Nature #Wildlife

  2. In late summer, young Elegant Terns (Thalasseus elegans) trail their parents on fishing trips, quietly following until a fish is caught—then breaking into loud begging calls. They often drop to the water’s surface to receive their meal before taking off again. Along the California coast, this parent-chick routine can continue well into November.

    allaboutbirds.org/guide/Elegan

    #Terns #CaliforniaBirds #Seabird #BirdBehavior #CoastalBirds #WildCalifornia #NatureFacts #Nature #Wildlife

  3. Fifth-instar Monarch caterpillars (Danaus plexippus) stop feeding and often wander away from milkweed in search of a safe pupation site—sometimes traveling up to 10 meters before forming their chrysalis.

    #MonarchButterfly #MonarchCaterpillar #Pollinators #ButterflyLifeCycle #Milkweed #NatureFacts #WildCalifornia #Nature #Wildlife