Spring is finally, really, underway. I took a walk along the Van Duzen River got nearly 100 photos of invertebrate wildlife. There were three different kinds of dragonfly: California darners, variegated meadowhawks and a single female red rock skimmer. This is the third year I’ve photoed the latter species here despite the fact that in […]
Beetles
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Day Fliers and Night Lighters
Between the raindrops Despite the dreary weather, life must go on. Eager to get along with their lives, our local insects show up even for the brief patches of sunshine that occasionally grace my backyard. Mostly disdained by the local honeybees, oxalis, dandelions and English daisies draw a crowd. Aside from the digger bees mentioned […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Bugs Between the Raindrops
Despite the dreary weather, life must go on. Eager to get along with their lives, our local insects show up even for the brief patches of sunshine that occasionally grace my back yard. Mostly disdained by the local honeybees, oxalis, dandelions and English daisies draw a crowd. Aside from the digger bees mentioned last week, there […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Spring Revival and Indoor Death
Spring at last After a few false starts it feels like spring is finally underway. Days ago, a walk in the woods with my dogs produced a tick. I’ve said before I do not like ticks but as a community service I try to give a heads up when I see them about. I also […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Spring May Have Finally Sprung
After a few false starts it feels like spring is finally underway. Days ago, a walk in the woods with my dogs produced a tick. I’ve said before I do not like ticks but as a community service I try to give a heads up when I see them about. I also kicked up what […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Blooming too Early or Bugs too Late?
Despite the weather lately, spring is happening, at least in the plant world. Last night on a walk, I saw fetid adder’s tongue (aka “brownies,” aka Scoliopus bigelovi), and Indian plum (Oemleria cerasiformis) and a patch of naturalized daffodils, all in bloom. Along with brilliant yellow acacia and the pink and white fruit trees along […]
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Throwback Crickets and Darkling Beetles
Bugs from long ago About 30 years ago, I was riding my mountain bike in the desert north of Reno when I saw a large, shiny insect climbing up one of the sage bushes. I stopped, emptied the little container I kept full of bike tools into my pockets and collected it. By that time, […]
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Small, Slow-moving Targets
Rainy day locals Head’s up: It’s tick season again. It seems they like damp weather. My archives show photos of them primarily in April to May and December to January. In the last week, I’ve pulled one off a dog and one off a friend who had one on her arm. Even if you haven’t […]
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HumBug: Macro Mania
From time to time, someone asks how I got this or that shot and what gear I used. Like most technical people, I suffer from gadgetitis, and have an array of cameras and accessories for various tasks. The more or less formal dividing line for “true macro” is a 1:1 magnification, meaning that a 1-centimeter […]
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HumBug: Spiders in the House
The month of October, ending in Halloween, is the perfect time to check out our local spider fauna. Many of the largest and showiest species are at their finest at this time of year. With that in mind, I’ve seen quite a few lately. At my house, at least, the common house spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum) […]
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HumBug: A Day for Beetles
Yesterday was a day for beetles. Moving some large pepperwood planks to my garage for curing, I noted several small beetles on the freshly sawn surfaces. One was actively chewing its way into the surface. There are quite a few species of small cylindrical wood boring beetles, many choose a single species of host tree. […]
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HumBug: Beetles and Weevils and Dragonflies
A recent walk along the Van Duzen River yielded a couple of interesting things. The only dragonfly I saw was a flame skimmer (Libellula saturata). This is the brightest orange dragonfly I know. I rarely see this species; I suspect they travel through my area just stopping to catch a quick bite. I felt something […]