Pollinator Posts by May Chen

I stop by a large shrub of Coffeeberry, Frangula californica that is in bloom.  A Honey Bee, Apis mellifera (family Apidae) is foraging on a cluster of Coffeeberry flowers.   A couple of fruits are

On this fine, sunny morning I go for my walk on the West Ridge Trail in the Redwood Regional Park starting from the Waterloo Staging Area. A small, dark butterfly lands on the tangle of

Armed with a fully charged cell phone camera, I return to Alameda.  First, a quick stop at the Crab Cove visitor center to check on the mating bumble bees.  They are no longer there –

I travel the short distance from Naomi’s native sidewalk garden on Lincoln Ave. to Crab Cove.  First I check the plantings at the end of McKay Ave. The Coyote Mint, Monardella villosa is fading but

I arrive at Naomi’s native plantings on the Lincoln Ave. sidewalk strip in Alameda a little before 9 am, thinking that I would find some male Summer Longhorn Bees still sleeping.   No such luck!

When I look up from photographing insects I was amazed to see large numbers of insects swarming over the lawn area near the children’s playground.  They don’t show up in this photo at all.  The

Seeking shade and coolness on a day forecast to be hot, I take my morning walk at the Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park in the Oakland hills today.   Most of the California Blackberry, Rubus ursinus

Very common on the Poison Hemlock flowers are these small, black, bristly flies.  They are Woodlouse Flies, Stevenia deceptoria (family Rhinophoridae). The Woodlouse Flies (family Rhinophoridae) are somewhat related to the Tachinidae.  The larvae are

As air quality is questionable in the lowlands today, I opt to take a late morning walk at Inspiration Point in the Berkeley hills. Near the gate to the Nimitz trail, a vibrant patch of

Afternoon walk at Crab Cove, Alameda. The blooming Pacific Aster, Symphyotrichum chilense  in front of the visitor center continues to attract many insects.  A Tripartite Sweat Bee, Halictus tripartitus (family Halictidae) is collecting pollen on

The Great Valley Gumweed, Grindelia camporum that Naomi has included in her native plantings at the sidewalk strip is in glorious bloom now. A member of the sunflower family Asteraceae, Grindelia camporum is native to California and

It’s a cool, cloudy morning – perfect time to see male bees that might still be sleeping on flowers!  I head for the small sidewalk strip in front of Naomi’s house in Alameda.  The narrow

Carol and I visit Mitchell Canyon at the base of Mt. Diablo this cool, sunny day. Most of the plants in the demonstration garden next to the visitor center have gone dormant.  I pause to

A large plum tree grows against the back fence of the backyard.  The lower foliage is wet, glistening with honeydew, and most leaves are speckled with white flecks.     Numerous Lady Beetle larvae are

I am thrilled to have been invited to visit a home garden in south Berkeley.  Donna and Ken’s native plantings are about 4 years old, making up the majority of the plants in their lovely

Further on along the curb, the California Goldenrod, Solidago velutina ssp. californica is starting to bloom.   A male Cellophane Bee, Colletes sp. (family Colletidae) is foraging on the small flowers of California Goldenrod.   The bee

After a cloudy morning, Fred and I go for an early afternoon walk at Crab Cove.  I decide to check out a small patch of sidewalk planting at the end of McKay Road, a stone’s

Breezy afternoon at Shoreline Park, Bay Farm Island.  High tide. I pause at this big shrub of Coffeeberry, Frangula californica in full bloom on the shoreline embankment above the lapping waves.  There is quite a bit

Afternoon at Crab Cove.  One of my favorite stops at Crab Cove is the small patch of native planting on the upper beach.  The blooming Seaside Woolly Sunflower, Eriophyllum staechadifolium attracts all kinds of insects –

A Sedgesitter, Platycheirus sp. (family Syrphidae) is perched at the entrance of a Bee Plant flower, Scrophularia californica, probing for nectar with its proboscis without having to enter the small flower.  Platycheirus is found in grass

I arrive at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden on this cool, overcast morning before 10 am.  The only active insects at this hour seem to be the bumble bees.  A few Yellow-faced Bumble Bees, subgenus

Many female Miner Bees, Andrena sp. (family Andrenidae) are out and about foraging on the California Buttercup flowers, Ranunculus californicus.  Their modus operandi is by now very familiar to me.  Pivoting in one direction atop

At Sibley today, I decide to explore a path less traveled that leads from the main trail.  A couple of years ago, I have tried this narrow path, and came upon a lone Native American