It's butterfly weather
While we feel uncomfortable with very warm or hot weather the butterflies are out in great numbers. In the above photo, a Gray Hairstreak...
Sleeping Summer Long-Horned Bee
Yesterday as I made the morning rounds of the garden, I came upon this sleeping bee on a dried flower head of a Pozo Blue salvia plant....
A Chestnut-backed Chickadee and Brown-eyed Bushtit visit
The Chestnut-backed Chickadees often can be heard around the garden, chattering and chirping in the trees and shrubs. They can be very...
Butterflies feeding on the ever popular Red Valerian
Although the smoky air has been often quite toxic, full of particulates, somehow the pollinators and other wildlife manage. A few painted...
Beautiful Webs
Oh what an absolutely beautiful morning we had today! The fog was so thick, blanketing the garden. If I closed my eyes I could imagine...
Respite for the birds in the garden
The birds are surviving the toxic air that has been surrounding us for more than a week. Fortunately we aren't too close to the...
Apocalyptic skies over California
Well, you've seen it all over the internet - the unnatural orange skies over California. With all of the wildfires here, the smoke is...
Tattered Anise Swallowtail sipping on Red Valerian
Anise Swallowtails Papilio zelicaon have been flying through the garden for several months now, but they fly so quickly that I haven't...
Wowee! A Blue Eyed Darner Damselfly
I stepped out to the patio late this afternoon, and immediately a damselfly buzzed past my head. Several of these have been flying around...
Whew, that was close
A close call in the garden, that I wasn't aware of until I got very near to the action. The leaf cutting bee is on a blossom of the...
