Pollinator Posts by May Chen
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
Whoa! I didn’t see this large, pale Crab Spider, Misumena vatia (family Thomisidae) for a long time while photographing the insects on the umbel of Cow Parsnip flowers. The spider’s camouflage is uncanny. Her upraised front legs
Heading back to the Steam Train entrance, I pass some Italian Thistles in bloom. I bend down to look for aphids along the stems. No aphids, but I spot this Weevil on a leaf.
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.
I apologize for a mistake in part 1 of today’s post. Swallowtails belong to the family Papilionidae, not Nymphalidae, the brush-footed butterflies. So they probably do not taste with their feet. But all butterflies do
As I approach Skyline Gardens from the Steam Train parking lot this morning, I decide to make a quick stop to check on the California Buttercups, Ranunculus californicus in the picnic area across the street.
3 pm on Dunn Trail. Some of the Acacia trees near the trail head at Skyline Blvd. have been cut down. The debris has been piled along the trail. Interestingly, this section of the trail
Although it is cold and cloudy, I am grateful that the rain has stopped, and I can go for a walk in the afternoon. But where? Since there won’t be much insect activity anywhere in
A large Crane Fly (family Tipulidae) lands clumsily on the low grasses. Why do insects evolve such unwieldy, cumbersome long limbs? Crane flies resemble oversized mosquitos. They typically have a slender body and long, stilt-like
There are small, uniform holes on the side of the trail. They appear to be recently excavated, considering the darker soil that has been brought up. I place a penny down for scale. Here’s
Back to the more familiar ground of Skyline Gardens. While I’m not likely to encounter new critters after two years of observation, it is comforting to greet the old friends. Walking south along Skyline Trail