Due to the current ‘shelter in place’ order from Santa Clara County, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, there will be NO work sessions at Ulistac until further notice.
As there are currently no volunteer groups allowed at Ulistac, things are pretty quiet out there. We have decided to reduce our email newsletter frequency to once a month while there is little to share with you. We hope that you continue to enjoy reading our newsletters and learning about Ulistac.
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Farewell to Karen, Congratulations Erica!
Ulistac Natural Area enters a new phase as our lead volunteer and as-needed City of Santa Clara Parks & Recreation employee Karen Campbell and her husband leave the San Francisco Bay Area. Ulistac visitors would see Karen most days of week over the past several years. We all wish Karen the best in her new adventure.
With the sad news of Karen leaving , we also have really good news and that is that Erica Fleniken, Ulistac's resident photographer, volunteer and UNAREP board Member will be taking over her job!!!! Congrats Erica!
Photo of Erica (L) and Karen (R) from 2019
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Farewell to Dennis
As many of you know, Dennis Dowling has moved out of state. He is still very much a presence with Ulistac Park by participating in UNAREP Board meetings / decisions and by email. We miss Dennis but hope to see his physical presence sometime in the not so distant future :)
Take care, Dennis, and enjoy your next adventure!
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Animal of the Month
Dark-eyed Junco
The Dark-Eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis, is a bird found almost anywhere in North America from Canada to Mexico. Most of them prefer the cold of winter, and consequently, journey to higher elevations in the summer or migrate north as far as the Arctic in some cases. Due to this, they are often referred to as "snowbirds." The huge regional disparities of the Dark-Eyed Junco resulted in five of these variations being considered as separate species until the 1980s. Although there are different color patterns for every variant, most can be classified into two distinct types of coloration: the grayish-white color of the eastern Juncos and a reddish-brown color of western Juncos. These birds tend to stay close to the ground, foraging for seeds and insects and even nest and breed near the ground. Dark-Eyed Juncos can most commonly be found in woodlands or in suburban areas, ranging from parks and fields to backyards.
Written by Nireesa Rajan
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Dark-eyed Junco adult. Photo - Erica Fleniken
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Dark-eyed Junco juvenile. Photo - Erica Fleniken
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Some Recent Photos taken at Ulistac.
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A female leafcutter bee browsing on a California Coneflower. Photo - John Kehoe
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California Fuchsia. Photo - Erica Fleniken
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A male Nuttall's Woodpecker examining an owl nest box . Photo - Erica Fleniken
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California Sunflower. Photo - Erica Fleniken
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A large green June Beetle. Photo - Karen Campbell
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Goldenrod, Solidago species, are flowering in assorted areas at Ulistac. Photo - John Kehoe
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Coast Live Oak acorns that are small and green now will swell, turn tan and then brown in fall as they mature. Each acorn can develop into a mature tree if not consumed by a bird or mammal.
Photo - John Kehoe
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