Pollinator Posts by May Chen

Fred and I come to Bay Farm for our usual walk.  The level paths are non-taxing, and we enjoy the wide open sky, but I wish there were more native vegetation to look at.  The

The Giant Trillium, Trillium chloropetalum are in bloom.  I gently part the sturdy petals of some flowers, hoping to see insects inside.  Nada.  The pollination of these dramatic flowers remains a mystery to me.  

It’s a bright sunny morning – time to visit the Regional Parks Botanic Garden again! Female catkins hang gracefully from a Coast Silk Tassel, Garrya elliptica.  While the bunches of brown fruits from last year

I am excited to visit Mendocino Park this afternoon.  It is a 0.4 acre suburban park in the hills of Richmond, consisting of a children’s playground and picnic area bordered by wide strips of plantings.

I walk along the spit near the boat ramp at Crab Cove, enjoying the afternoon sun, and watching the antics of California Ground Squirrels on the rocks.     More Ground Squirrels are on the

At Sequoia Arena, I venture onto the shady Sequoia Bayview Trail, hoping not to be run over by mountain bikers who enjoy the bumpy ride down this badly eroded, narrow trail.     I have

Strolling along a path through Sequoia Arena, I come across an old decayed log.  Spots of white bumps on the bark stop me on my tracks.  Slime mold? Closer inspection reveals mature sporangia of a

Our weather seems to have taken a giant leap from winter to summer in a single day.  After a series of cold rain, we are now experiencing temperatures in the mid 70s F.  I opt

Taking advantage of the break in the rains, Fred and I head for Bay Farm Island for our walk.  It is cloudy and I wonder if I would see any insect at all.   It’s

Since my last post, I have had some time to mull over and research the pollination of Bitterroot, Lewisia sp. (family Montiaceae).  I am sharing the new findings here as an addendum to the previous post. 

It’s always a treat to explore Jenny and Craig’s home garden in Alameda.  As I enter the backyard, I see that there have been many changes since my last visit.  The pond has been significantly

Encouraged by a pause in the rain and much improved air quality, I go for a walk at Bay Farm Island.  A moody shoreline greets me with an ominous view of San Francisco across the

Bush Monkey Flower, Diplacus aurantiacus has sprouted bright green leaves at every branch tip and stem node to replace the dark, spent leaves from last year.  Life is ready for renewal! Bush Monkey Flower Cascading

Another fresh new day at an East Bay Regional Park in the Oakland hills.  I enter through the Waterloo staging area on Skyline Blvd. Neon green grasses lit up the sides of West Ridge Trail.

Near the front gate of the garden, the pale-flowered Otay Mountain Ceanothus, Ceanothus otayensis is getting some bee action.  The tightly clustered, open-faced flowers are a rich source of easily accessible nectar and pollen.  Note that

As is my habit, I check on the Catalina Currant, Ribes viburnifolium on the side of the visitor center when I enter the Regional Parks Botanic Garden this morning.  The plant has been blooming for a

Interesting patches of a fungus has plastered a log appearing like abstract art.  iNaturalist has helped identify it as Wet Rot, Coniophora puteana (division Basidiomycota). There are two major categories of wood decay fungi – white rot

The brief shower last night has cleared the air nicely, even for lowland Oakland.  I head for a walk in Dimond Park, entering through the gate at the end of Wellington Street. Crossing the bridge,

Among the leaf litter under the trees, I spot reddish bumps on a dried Poison Oak twig.  Slime mold sporangia? I am stumped by what appears under the macro lens.  iNaturalist has helped identify these

I visit Skyline Gardens in the Berkeley hills this morning.  Entering through the Steam Train entrance, I realize how much I have missed this place.    Plants have greened up beautifully.  I breathe with ease

It is wildly windy at Joaquin Miller Park, I am surprised to find when I arrive this sunny morning.  I can barely keep my hat on my head.  There won’t be any insects in flight

I have delightful company today at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden in the Berkeley hills!  Spencer and Ryan, entomology undergraduate students from Cornell University are visiting family in the Bay Area over the winter holidays.

It is unusual to see a Yellowjacket wasp that is not busy doing something.  Why is this Yellowjacket resting stock-still among the Manzanita foliage?  It’s also unusual to see a Yellowjacket so early in the

When I arrive this morning, the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden appears to have been drenched by a rain shower.  I am on the lookout for any plant in bloom. The Santa Catalina Island