Nymphs on patrol I have seen alarmingly few dragonflies along my stretch of the Van Duzen River this year. Where I’m used to seeing dozens in a day, I’m seeing one or none. About the only species I’ve seen recently hereabouts is the large black and yellow western river cruiser (Macromia magnifica) patrolling along gravel […]
dragonflies
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: New Dragon, Bold Patterns and Teeny Bees
A walk along the Van Duzen River on a warm, sunny day can produce some surprises. Today I spotted a dragonfly which is new to my “life list” (a term I’ve adopted from my birding friends). Libellula pulchella, the 12 spotted skimmer. Named for the total number of black spots on their wings, they are […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Nymphs Patrolling
I have seen alarmingly few dragonflies along my stretch of the Van Duzen River this year. Where I’m used to seeing dozens in a day, I’m seeing one or none. About the only species I’ve seen recently hereabouts is the large black and yellow western river cruiser (Macromia magnifica) patrolling along gravel roads parallel to […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Dragonflies, Daubers and Friendly Moths
Dragonflies remembered Sometimes it takes a little excursion to get back home. A fond memory from childhood was watching eight spotted skimmer dragonflies (Libellula forensis) over the little creek at my great aunt’s and imagining them as World War I fighter planes in dogfights high overhead. I didn’t know their names or what their aerobatics […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Dragonflies Remembered
Sometimes it takes a little excursion to get back home. A fond memory from childhood was watching eight spotted skimmer dragonflies (Libellula forensis) over the little creek at my great aunt’s and imagining them as World War I fighter planes in dogfights high overhead. I didn’t know their names or what their aerobatics were about, […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Bugs While You Wait
When the lady at the tire store said it would be 45 minutes before my car was ready, I said, “Thank-you,” and headed for the door. On the way into the parking lot, I ‘d spied a drainage ditch that meanders through Fortuna. It was choked with willows, Himalaya berry vines, Queen Anne’s lace, and […]
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Who’s Hungry?
Deadly Darlingtonias About two hours north of Eureka on State Route 199, a few miles past Gasquet, a small sign announces, “Botanical Trail.” It’s a very short drive on a good gravel road to the parking area. A little walk on the well-marked trail puts you in the middle of a Darlingtonia Bog. Here, where […]
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HumBug: Dining Out in June
The fifth of June invited me to take my favorite stroll along the Van Duzen River. Things are at last heating up in the insect world. While I was checking out some daisies, a shadow flitted past me. It was member of the well-known migratory dragonfly species, the common green darner (Anax junius). This is […]
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HumBug: Spring Bug Break
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 […]
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HumBug: Winter Critters
Five years ago I started reporting seeing a small dragonfly in the middle of winter on sunny days, even following frosty nights. Dragonflies usually spend the cold months as larvae in the water. Up until then, none of the other dragonfly enthusiasts were reporting anything at all. I’ve been able to photograph and report this […]
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HumBug: Seasons Change, Bugs Change
Following up on last week’s post of photos of the American rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) male, I decided to try to get a better shot of the wings. Relying on the fact that this species is extremely territorial, I found him in exactly the same spot. This time I got closer and waited until he flew […]
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HumBug: Creepy, Cute and Unusual
Looking closely at more crawling critters than most folks, you’d think I’d get used to them. But there is one critter that still holds a Class 4 creep factor for me: the common centipede. If you could cross a spider and a snake, centipedes would be the result. Flexible, fast and venomous — in their […]