Yellow-faced Bumble Bee and the California Poppy
On a windy afternoon, a Yellow-faced bumble bee Bombus vosnesenskii, was determined to collect pollen from a California poppy. As the...
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....
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...
Pollinators in the heat
As long as there are food sources, the pollinators will visit. Here a Summer Long-Horned Bee, possibly a Long-Horned Sunflower Bee...
Still thriving
We have experienced a heat wave followed by terrible wildfires in the area, as well as very poor air quality. Here in the area where we...
Last Monarch Caterpillars of the Season
Look who's in their last instar, eating up before moving on to pupate. This plump caterpillar hatched from an egg that was laid on a...
Digger Bees Thriving
Those busy little digger bees always find something good in the garden, even now as plants start to go dormant. The Verbena De La Mina...
Yup, monarch caterpillars are still here
Mama monarch keeps visiting and laying eggs, and another generation of monarch caterpillars is thriving on the potted milkweed. Our...
