Beware the Weedeaaters!

I titled this photo "Quincy Landscaping."  The occasion?  Scroll back to my June 24 post titled "Reflections on a Cloudy Day," and you will see how much I love the Red Milkweed Beetle. I took those photos on Sunday, June 23, and yesterday I went back to the same spot to check on my beetles.  Well, the weedeaters had arrived and decimated the milkweeds and any beetles that weren't quick enough to take flight.  Why?  Presumably in preparation for the High Sierra Music Festival that moves in later this week.  The above photo was taken on what was one of my favorite wildflower and bug watching spots along the Oakland Camp Road.  This stretch was given the weedeater treatment over a week ago, allegedly in response to an auto accident that was blamed on lack of visibility.  Nonsense!  People drive too fast on the road, and if visibility is improved they'll just drive faster.  Get out of your damned car and smell the bugs!

But it's not evening!

 I stopped by the ditch in front of Safeway around 6:45 a.m. to photograph the Hooker's Evening Primrose.  Interesting how in the afternoon and evening the blossoms shrivel up so thoroughly that you can hardly spot them from the road.  But in the morning, they are in full bloom and it lasts almost until noon, or on cloudy days maybe a little after noon.  So, why is it called Evening Primrose?

A little while later I photographed blooming Fireweed on the road into Oakland Camp.  It's in the same family as the Primrose, and it too is in full bloom in the morning.    I'll post the rest of my morning photos after dinner.  Hiked with some campers out to Gilson Creek and back to camp.  It got pretty hot, so we did all our philosophizing in the shady spots  between flower and bug sightings.  It was a great day for Milkweeds.  Four out of five species blooming and the fifth one already gone to seed.  All are attracting interesting bug activity.  More later.

Architects

I really admire their work. 

Preview of Thursday's Photos

 Today I drove to camp via Quincy Junction Road even though it's not the quickest way.  My goal was to photograph the Common Madia (below) which blooms only in the morning.  Then, at camp, I led a group of kids on a hike to Gilson Creek.  I was pleased to note that the creek rose a few inches as a result of the rains early in the week.  We saw lots of interesting bugs and flowers, including the caterpillar of the Monarch Butterfly and a healthy specimen of Grand Collomia (bottom photo).  I'll post more photos and some text about our adventures tomorrow morning.  A high point was catching a small garter snake in the creek.  Most of the kids wanted to pet it before we released it.
Interesting that the Monarch was on Narrow-leafed Milkweed, even though there was lots of its favorite Showy Milkweed nearby.  There were plenty of adult Monarchs circling the area as well.

Beauty in a Ditch

 Headed into Safeway to buy some OJ and spotted a patch of Tansy growing in the ditch out front.  Couldn't resist.  Tansy is such a bug magnet, the insect and spider activity in the flowers gets better and better over the next couple of months.  One thing led to another, and after photographing several interesting insects on the Tansy, including a mating pair, I circled the ditch and found some Hooker's Evening Primrose, Wild Sweet Pea, Cat-n-nine-tails, Monkeyflower, and Orchard Morning Glory.  This excursion took only about 10 minutes.  Over the next couple of days I plan to spend a few hours around this ditch.  There is much more to see and record.  Click on each photo for closer views.

For Nan, RIP

Nan Brown was a great photographer and friend.  She shot in black and white, and was a skilled lab person.  A true artist.  Nan passed away this past weekend and will be missed.  She knew I was more of a naturalist than a photographer, so I think she wouldn't mind that I converted this photo of a Monarch Butterfly caterpillar to black and white with the click of a button.

Au naturel

I posted a photo of this beauty last Wednesday, but it was in the palm of my left hand.  This is how it looked when I found it along the Tollgate Creek trail.  I have the urge to paint one of these on a wall in our home.  It's the White-lined Sphinx.  I hope I get to see the moth later in the summer.