'Waucoba Wews

Vol. VII
Spring 1983
4 issues per year

Waucoba News is dedicated to reporting the natural history and

research on the eastern slope of the Sierra.

Wind clouds over Owens Valley.

Photo: Zeiss Contiflex, by Enid Larson, Feb. 1983

JUNIPER VS CEDAR
Too often in California the juniper is mistakenly called "cedar". Cedar Flat on
Westgard Pass is an example. In botanical terms, there are only 3 species of cedar in
the world: one, the Deodar Cedar, Cedrus deodara, is a native of India and is often seen
as an ornamental planted tree in Owens Valley; one in Africa, Cedrus atlanticus, with
bluish silvery foliage (see east side of Courthouse in Independence); and the cedars of
Lebanon, so often mentioned in the Bible. These trees are being cut and the forests
there are now depleted of this cedar.
In California there are 3 species of juniper: the California Juniper in the Kern
Valley (also in the Great Basin), the Utah Juniper in the Great Basin, and the massive
Sierra Juniper mostly occurring on the west side of the Sierra, and reaching large size;
also reported from the Inyo Mountains.
Junipers are a long-living tree. They produce modified cones that resemble b1uish­
purple "berries" with seeds incased in a hard woody seed cover. This tree withstands
drier conditions than most other cone-bearers. A specimen near Fresno is listed as "older"
than the Bristlecone Pines in the White Mountains. The Utah Juniper is associated with
the pinyon pines but its members extend to lower limits than can the pinyon.
True cedars produce cones that stand upright on the branches. The male (staminate)
cones make the Deodar Cedar look like candles on a Christmas tree. The seed bearing cone
has scales that usually fall to pieces while still attached to the limb, hence mature
cedar cones are seldom noticed.
The Incense Cedar in the Western United States is cut as a timber tree. It grows
at mid-elevations on both east and west sides of the Sierra but this is not a true cedar
inspite of its name. Often planted as an ornamental. In Idaho, along the Lolo Trail,
I saw harvested Incense Cedars that were 11 feet in diameter.
Enid A. Larson
 SECOND ANNUAL LONE PINE
CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
Lone Pine Christmas Bird Count Dec. 18, 1982
(7:30am-4:30pm). Clear skies, 26 o F-53 0 F, no
wind. Coverage 3700'-8500'. 59 party hours
- 52 on foot, 97 by car. 128 party miles ­
31 on foot, 97 by car. 58 species seen,
1189 individual birds.
Throw 22 birders into a 15 mile circle near
Lone Pine for an all day census and what
do you get? Lots of fun, 58 species and
1189 individual birds! Beginners and ex­
perienced birders worked all available
habitat. Skiers and hikers covered pin­
yon/sage from 7000 up to 8500 feet.
Others covered streams,ponds, river bot­
toms, residence areas and sewage lagoons
down to 3700 feet.
Clear, cool weather made for maximum comfort
for people, but was too good for water­
fowl apparently. Going from 9 species of
duck last year to zero this year was our
biggest disappointment. However total
species counted exceeded last years (57)
by one.
Eagles to house sparrows, all were listed
to provide good winter base line popula­
tion data. Most bird census work is
done during spring, summer and fall so
Audubon Christmas counts provide much of
the winter population data for all N.Amer.
It's fasinating to think of the tremendous
numbers of birds that leave our area af­
ter spring and summer food surpluses are
gone. Not able to feed on insects, nec­
tar and ample seeds means entire famil­
ies of birds simply disappear from Owens
Valley. (No swallows, hummers, orioles,
vireos, nighthawks, swifts, warblers down
to one species: Yellow-rumped, and fly­
catchers down to one species:Says phoebe).
Which stay'? How do they survive? In gener­
al omnivorous, extremely well-rounded
survivors who will even change their
diet and habits remain year round. Seed
eaters (sparrows, juncos, bushtits, star­
lings, black birds) are well represented
and are flexible feeders. An aquatic
versatile feeder is the omnipresent coot!
So our winter bird species are equal~
admirable, not for their beautiful colors
or distant migration routes, but for
their unsurpassed survivor skills. And
getting together for an all day census
with friends that are looking in partic­
ular for winter birds is a birding high
point for all of us.
--__ Mike _Prater, Lone Pine
The SCARLET LOCO (Astragalus coccineus)
was in bloom along Westgard Road,
6500 feet, by March 15, 1983.
George Anderson, Santa Barbara, Ca.,
reports this LOCO in. bloom along the
Whitney Portal Road the second week
April, 1983.
-- Enid A. Larson
WEATHER IS INTERESTING
Mrs. Dorothy Johnson, Crocker Ave., Big
Pine, has kept a weather record of pre­
cipitation and daily temperatures at her
home for more than 20 years. "Average"
precipitation is never meaningful unless
the full range of highs and lows are
given. She summerized these records
from 1961 - 1982:
1 year less than 3 inches
2 years 3 - 4 inches
3 years 4 - 5 inches
5 years 5 - 6 inches
1 year 6 - 7 inches
1 year 7 - 8 inches
1 year 8 - 9 inches
7 years 10 or more inches
Seasonal precipitation for 1982 - 83 gives
promise of exceeding 13 inches as I pre­
pare this report in April, 1983.
't't't't't't't't't't'tU
FOXTAIL PINE
(Pinus Balforiana)
A remarkable article by Jacob Sigg on "Fox­
tail Pine of the Sierra" is offered as
the lead article in Fremontia (Journal
California Native Plant Society)Apr.1983.
This pine is unusual in its growth and hab­
itat requirements. Photos by Leonard
Bavins accompany the text, showing these
trees growing ,at elevations of 11,000
feet. The northern most limit of this
pine on the eastern side of the Sierra
appears to be Birch Mountain west of
Big Pine.
J. Sigg is in charge of the Native Plant
Garden, Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate
Park, San Francisco. Fremontia is avail­
able at the Inyo Co. Library, Bishop.
't't'tU't't't't't'tU
MIGRATION OF BUTTERFLIES
1983
Derham Giuliani reports that this spring
THE PAINTED LAVY BUTTERFLIES are migrat­
ing in large numbers for the first time
since 1973. He saw many in flight; they
were moving in a northwest direction near
the south end of Death Valley and as far
north as Ridgecrest. In late March he
saw small numbers of this species flying
in the Whipple Mts. This butterfly does
not overwinter in Owens Valley, but comes
up from the south. In traveling they fly
in relatively straight lines without
paUSing on flowers. Individua1:s- have-·
been seen in Big Pine since early April.
These large migrations are spectacular and
most interesting to observe. To make
accurate counts: set up a line of known
length perpendicular to the line of
flight, use a stopwatch or second hand,
and a compass for measuring direction of
travel. HOW MANY CROSS THE LINE IN A
GIVEN LENGTH OF TIME? HOW MANY PER HOUR?
MONARCH BUTTERFLIES are also in migration
in southern Inyo County. They winter
in Mexico, then come north.
U't't't't't't't't't't't