Pollinator Posts by May Chen
After the rain two days ago, I am ready to explore Skyline Gardens again. The air is cool and fresh, and everything seems to sparkle. The road up to the Radio Tower from Siesta Gate
Her tongue extended, a Honey Bee, Apis mellifera (family Apidae) is taking nectar from a flower of Wood Mint, Stachys ajugoides. Four stamens stand upright in front of the upper lip of the fresh Stachys flower.
Accompanied by a friend, I am heading to the newly restored site at the Swale this morning. A Graphic Owlet Moth, Drasteria edwardsii (family Erebidae, subfamily Erebinae) is taking nectar from Fringed Phacelia flowers, Phacelia
A Sweat Bee, Halictus sp. (family Halictidae) descends the corolla of a Globemallow, Sphaeralcea sp. in search of nectar at the base of the petals. As the bee climbs back up, her body is smeared
I am very fortunate to have been invited to a private preview of several native gardens to be featured in this year’s Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour. Today, we visit the gardens in San
A male Golden-haired Miner Bee, Andrena auricoma (family Andrenidae) is reaching into a Bee Plant flower to take nectar. The species is found in the Western U.S., and is relatively rare outside California. It is
I am back at Skyline Gardens this morning, hoping to spend more time observing the nesting Mining Bees at Siesta Nose. Passing the shrinking patch of California Buttercups, Ranunculus californicus near the Steam Train
It’s almost noon when I get to Siesta Nose. Small insects are flying low to the ground, occasionally landing on the trail. These are little bees (about 5 mm long) carrying bright yellow pollen
A tiny iridescent green wasp lands on a pea pod of Silverleaf Lupine, Lupinus albifrons. For a wasp that size, I suspect a parasitoid right away. The wasp has been identified by iNaturalist as
It’s not until I get close to the Water Tank in late morning that I find insects visiting the California Phacelia. A White-bowed Smoothwing, Scaeva affinis (family Syrphidae) is perched on a cluster of immature
This promises to be a spectacular bloom year for the California Phacelia, Phacelia californica. Whole sections of the easements along the paved road from Siesta Gate is dominated by the plant. It seems the fire
I am not able to get out until 3 pm today. Since it is somewhat windy, I don’t expect to take any pictures. But as soon as I turn a corner at the Sequoia Arena
Wow, that’s the biggest Black-tailed Bumble Bee I have ever seen, the size of my thumb! But I haven’t seen a queen of that species for a while. Let me take a closer look.
Hoping to check on the blooming Blue-eyed Grass for pollinators, I get to Siesta Gate by 10 am this cool, cloudy morning, only to find that the flowers are still closed. Duh! The Spittle Bugs
The Silverleaf Lupine, Lupinus albifrons is blooming well at Diablo Bend and a bit further south to Yampah Bowl. I am happy to see some small worker Yellow-faced Bumble Bees, Bombus vosnesenskii (family Apidae) out
The cool and cloudy conditions continues today, with temperatures not exceeding the low 60s F. I decide to explore the section of Skyline Trail south of Siesta Gate. The low-growing Blue-eyed Grass along
On a short morning walk up the hill from Siesta Gate, I spot something dark on a grass seed dangling from an arching stalk. A spider has caught a Dance Fly! The green swellings
Feeling lethargic from the heat this afternoon, I return to my green sanctuary in the Tilden Regional Park. Soldier Beetles are everywhere among the grasses. The Soldier Beetles, family Cantharidae are relatively soft-bodied, straight-sided
Seeking shade on a hot afternoon, I opt for the short path between the Padre and the Laurel picnic areas in Tilden Regional Park. Arriving at the Padre parking lot, I am taken aback to
Back at the Padre picnic area, I see many insects visiting the English Daisies on the lawn around the picnic table. Here’s an elusive little bee that looks like a wasp. A Cuckoo Bee in
At the top of the hill, Mt. Diablo Helianthella, Helianthella castanea is in glorious bloom. This is the crown jewel of the Skyline Gardens, a restoration success story a few years in the making.
A small bee is foraging on a flowerhead of Tidy Tips, Layia platyglossa. She has already gathered a lot of pollen and stored it away in the scopae of her hindlegs, as well as
What difference a day makes! I arrive at Siesta Gate a little before 10 am to find the place still shrouded in fog. Temperatures are back in the 50s F again! Before I even enter
It’s time to check on the California Pipevine, Aristolochia californica at the Tilden Regional Parks Botanic Garden. I never tire of observing the insect drama that plays out on the plant predictably every year.