May 20, 2022
09:00 to 11:30

In lieu of a final exam on the last day of the semester, I host a BioBlitz on campus for my Vertebrate Biology class. On this day, we spent 90 minutes on campus identifying as many species as possible, and then went back to the classroom to formalize our lists. The students are able to work in teams of up to 3 people, and all teams are competing not just against one another, but also against me, using a point system to determine the score. We can use any and all identification guides, and both visual and auditory identifications are acceptable.

One of the nine teams did identify more vertebrates species than I did, and another identified more organisms than I did across all groups, a result that I was pleased with. I think the top count of vertebrates was 32 species (identified in a period of 90 minutes). I found 31 in that time. 🙂

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Species List

Below is the list of species reported across all of the groups; the ones that I saw personally are bolded. Any species that is not bolded was not verified by me. Also, some of the plants listed below may be ornamental plantings done by the university, and are not growing wild.

Vertebrates

• American Robin (Turdus migratorius) Picked up by Merlin at 0906
• Oregon Junco (Junco hyemalis oreganus) Picked up by Merlin at 0907
• Western Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata)
• Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
• Canada Goose (Branta canadensis moffitti) Vertebrate Biology BioBlitz.
• Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos)
• Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura aura)
• Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura marginella)
• Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana occidentalis)
• American Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus minimus)
• California Quail (Callipepla californica) Seen during the Vertebrate Biology BioBlitz.
• Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus falcifer) Picked up by Merlin at 0918
• Nuttall’s Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii)
• Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii marinensis) Picked up by Merlin at 0922
• Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus mailliardorum)
• Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
• Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus inornatus) Picked up by Merlin at 0922
• American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos hesperis) Picked up by Merlin at 0922
• Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens rufescens) Picked up by Merlin at 0924
• Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis difficilis) Picked up by Merlin at 0926
• House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus frontalis) Picked up by Merlin at 0926
• Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) Picked up by Merlin at 0926
• Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) Picked up by Merlin at 0953.
• California Towhee (Melozone crissalis)
• Wilson’s Warbler (Cardellina pusilla chryseola)
• American Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
• Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria hesperophilus)
• California Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica caurina) Picked up by Merlin at 1010
• Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans semiater) Picked up by Merlin at 1011
• Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus californicus) Picked up by Merlin at 1017 during the BioBlitz.
• Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna)

Student Observations:

• Blue-grey Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)
• House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
• Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)
• Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina)
• Northern Raven (Corvus corax)
• Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
• Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)
• Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
• Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
• Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)
• Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
• Western Wood Pewee (Contopus sordidulus)
• Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)
• Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus)
• Western Grey Squirrel (Sciurus griseus)
• California Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps attenuatus)
• Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria multicarinata)
• Deermouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)
• Sierran Tree Frog (Pseudacris sierra)

Non-Vertebrates

• Common Cat’s Ear (Hypochaeris radicata)
• Lawn Daisy (Bellis perennis)
• Common Pill Woodlouse (Armadillidium vulgare)
• Boxelder (Acer negundo)
• Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum)
• California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
• Italian Thistle (Carduus pycnocephalus)
• Wild Radish (Raphanus sativus)
• Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
• Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)
• Greater Periwinkle (Vinca major)
• Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus)
• Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
• Common Greenshield Lichen (Flavoparmelia caperata)
• Northern California Black walnut (Juglans hindsii)
• Pink Honeysuckle (Lonicera hispidula)
• Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)
• Harding Grass (Phalaris aquatica)
• Graceful bedstraw (Galium porrigens)
• Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
• Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia)
• California Buckeye (Aesculus californica)
• Valley Oak (Quercus lobata)
• Spicebush (Calycanthus occidentalis)
• Tasmanian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus)
• California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica)
• California Wild Rose (Rosa californica)
• Big Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)
• Red-flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum)
• Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
• Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)
• Pacific Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum)
• Common Ivy (Hedera helix)
• Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium)
• Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
• Blue Elder (Sambucus cerulea)
• Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii)
• Arroyo willow (Salix lasiolepis)
• California Ash (Fraxinus dipetala)
• Yellow-faced Bumble Bee (Bombus vosnesenskii)
• California Juniper (Juniperus californica)
• California Blackberry (Rubus ursinus)
• Foothill Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex) Seen on a columbine flower.

Student Observations

• Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
• Cabbage White Butterfly (Pieris rapae)
• Boxelder Bug (Boisea trivittata)
• Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
• Bay Checkerspot Butterfly (Euphydryas editha bayensis)
• Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
• Bulb Millipede (Nopoiulus minutus)
• Three-banded Slug (Lehmannia marginata)
• Lorquin’s Admiral (Limenitis lorquini)
• Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
• Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
• Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
• Great Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
• California Wild Grape (Vitis californica)
• Sow Thistle (Sonchus oleraceus)
• Red Alder (Alnus rubra)
• Mock Strawberry (Duchesnea indica)
• Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)
• Red Willow (Salix laevigata)
• Great Brome (Bromus diandrus)
• Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens)
• Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana)
• Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)
• Black Oak (Quercus velutina)
• Twiggy Mullein (Verbascum virgatum)
• Hairy Hawkbit (Leontodon taraxacoides)
• Hollyleaf Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia)
• Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum)
• Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
• Blue Wild Rye (Elymus glaucus)
• California Fescue (Festuca californica)
• California Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana)
• Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina)
• Santa Barbara Sedge (Carex barbarae)
• White Clover (Trifolium repens)
• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
• Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

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