The hatch elicits quite a stir among trout , which gorge themselves on egg-laying caddis that alight on the rivers surface to deposit egg masses on floating vegetation. If you cant get to a river during the hatch, look for caddis larvae in the summer. November California's 18 oak species ripen their acorns in the fall. Rich in oils and carbohydrates, these heavy seeds fuel a feeding frenzy among dozens of animals, from weevils to bears. Oaks get little in return from most acorn eaters, but squirrels and jays carry acorns away from the tree and store many of them in the ground, providing an indispensable seed-dispersal service.
Squirrels are uncanny acorn connoisseurs.
Eastern gray squirrels are known to cache healthy acorns and acorns high in tannins and fats, while often eating straightaway those infested with weevils or with lower tannin and fat content. Acorns of some oak species germinate in the fall, shifting about half their calories into tiny seedlings, which most animals find unpalatable. Squirrels will also take more care with big acorns, carrying them further from the tree and burying them more deeply than smaller acorns. When wasp larvae hatch in spring, they secrete a substance that causes their oak hosts to grow succulent green or red galls that reach the size of tennis balls in just two months. Bitter tannic acids in the lumpy spheres repel hungry predators, protecting larvae until they mature into adults and emerge after one or more years.