Why I'm Not A Biochemist

I've been watching bugs on flowers for two months now, and I'm seeing interesting patterns.
The longhorned beetles in photos 3 and 4 from the top are always on Angelica. The Plant bug in the 6th photo has been seen on Yarrow and Daisies. The red and black beetle in photo #5 has only been seen on Angelica. The Crab Spider, shown in the second photo has appeared on Yarrow, Daisies, and St. John's Wort as well as on blades of grass. Last summer I also saw them on Gum Plant, but that hasn't bloomed yet this summer. The Common Checkered Clerid beetle, a green and black beauty, seems to rest on virtually every kind of flower. This has not been a scientific study, but enough observation to see some patterns and arouse my curiosity. After a nature hike, I often search the internet or library for more information on some of the flowers and bugs I've seen. But my curiosity stops short of leading me to focus on one narrow question as a life's study. I've met biochemists who have studied various physiological phenomena in cloned cells but who might never have seen the type of animal from which those cells were cultured. I admire the tenacity and endurance of people who can be that narrowly focused, but I also know I am not that kind of person. I love learning a little bit about a lot, and I suspect I'll be hiking the trails, taking pictures, and drawing and writing in my journals as long as I'm able to. I also love to introduce people to the wonders of nature they may have overlooked. I'll never tire of the thrill I see on people's faces when they first discover the Goldenrod Crab Spider, especially if we happen to catch it in the act of feasting on a butterfly or bumble bee. My fellow hikers and i have seen this act at least a dozen times this summer. It's amazing.
As the forest and roadsides become drier at the Quincy elevation, spring is just now unfolding in the higher country such as in the Lakes Basin and around Bucks Lake. Tomorrow's report will be on the new flowers blooming on the Mill Creek Trail and Bucks Creek Trail as of this past Saturday. There's still snow on the trail in places and the lilies are just beginning to show their colors. Hurry and take a hike. Spring will pass by quickly.

Mad About Madia

I love free entertainment. This field on the corner of Quincy Junction and Chandler Roads has been providing it for weeks. The first time I saw the field solid yellow from blooming Madia was a thrill. I saw it on my way to work at around 6:45 a.m. The low angle of sunrise caused the blossoms to glow. I stopped for lots of photos: direct light, back light, front views, rear views, with and without visiting bugs..... I couldn't get enough of this beautiful flower. They populated not only the field but the shoulders on both sides of Quincy Junction Road. On my way home in the early afternoon, I was startled. The flowers seemed to be gone. I thought "those dam mowers again." But they reappeared the following morning! Madia elegans is one of the many composites that opens and closes every day. The above photos are in the order they were taken.
The top five at 7:00 a.m. and the bottom one at 1:00 p.m. As you can see in photo #4, someone decided to mow the shoulder, but mercifully spared a few small patches of Madia. Why it had to be mowed, I'll never understand. There were no tall weeds that could obstruct the view of drivers. They were not encroaching onto the pavement. I think to some people a mowed area is aesthetically more appealing that one covered with weeds, even beautiful weeds. Oh, well. After they mow the field, or when the Madia go to seed, I'll have these photos and many others for summertime memories.

Flowers on the Way to Gilson Creek

Here are the most noticeable wildflowers on the hike from Oakland Camp to Gilson Creek. The rest of my narrative will have to wait until this evening. I'm due to lead a before-breakfast hike, a between-breakfast-and-lunch hike, then a return trip to Mill Creek Trail by Bucks Lake with my wife. Last week's hike to that trail left me with a sense of anticipation. Snow was almost gone and lots of wild plants were budding. Hopefully, today most will be blooming. I'm especially looking forward to the Monkshood.

Biophilia erupts near Gilson Creek

Had the pleasure of hiking with two elementary teachers and a nurse today, and the weather was perfect for wildflower and bug activity. I've been excited about the frequency of Goldenrod Crab Spider sightings these past couple of weeks. They're almost always where I seek them, and in all combinations of camouflage or not... That is, we've seen the white phase on white flowers as well as on yellow flowers, and also the yellow phase of the spider against both backgrounds. Today's highlight was a large white one on top of a Yarrow flower head. Yesterday we saw both white and yellow ones against St. John's Wort blossoms. More often than not they've been eating some other bug when we arrived.
We also saw Dragonflies and Damselflies so I could conveniently point out the difference. The most obvious is that Dragonflies land with their wings outstretched (3rd photo from top) while Damselflies land with their pressed together over their backs (4th photo from top). The bodies of Dragonflies are bulkier and usually larger than those of the rather dainty Damselflies. We also saw some nice specimens of Crimson Columbine blooming. There were lots of butterflies along the way, some of which stopped long enough to drink nectar from flowers that we got some nice photos. Here (bottom photo) we have a Pale Swallowtail landed on Pennyroyal. In the next week or so, we should see large groups of Red-shouldered Ctenucha Moths gathering on the Pennyroyal. Have seen only a couple of them so far this season and they're still pretty skittish.
More photos from today's hike will be posted tomorrow. Also, a discussion of the variety of plant fragrances we enjoyed.

Bucks Lake trip, Part 3

These ten images are the third and final report on my hike along the Mill Creek Trail at Bucks Lake last Sunday. There was still a bit of snow on the trail and the place had the feel of Spring just beginning. I suspect that a hike this weekend would reveal a dozen or more new species of flowers blooming. Click on any of these for a closer view and captions. There are many species of Penstemon and Mimulus that I don't know, so they've just been identified to genus here. This was a quick hike, motivated more by aesthetics than taxonomy. If any botanists out there want to ID and of these, or even send corrections for the ones I've chanced, please feel free. I love that trail, especially when the motorboats are on the other end of the lake. I enjoy meeting fellow-travellers with their DSLRs and field guides as well as friends from my neighborhood. Only a beautiful half hour drive from Quincy to the trail head, the experience reminds me that in my home state of Massachusetts a similar drive would take me through four or five adjacent towns with no such thing as a forest that is not within a town.

The Berry Creek Oasis

Great hike to Berry Creek today. I call it an oasis because the place where the creek emerges from a rectangular culvert beneath the railroad track has a little pond and is surrounded by lush vegetation. The pond contains several trout and the vegetation includes a healthy stand of Leopard Lilies and lots of St. John's Wort. The latter is featured in the top two photos showing a Goldenrod Crab Spider finishing off a Bumblebee meal. As often happens, while walking along we first notice the prey. The spider is usually camouflaged. As we approach slowly for a photo of a bee, fly, or butterfly, we wonder why it doesn't take off. Then we notice it is paralyzed and being drained of its fluids by the spider. Often we see a small pile of bug carcasses on the ground beneath the feeding spot. Quite an interesting show every time.

Gilson Creek Adventure

I know I need to get back to my third and final report on last Sunday's trip to Bucks Lake, but yesterday's hike to Gilson Creek was too good to wait. We were blessed by just enough cloud cover to keep us cool and to provide good lighting for photos. I had written yesterday morning that the Pennyroyal was blooming and how that always excites me about the impending arrival of the Red-shouldered Ctenucha moths. Then, a couple of hours later, where Gilson Creek crosses the trail, I saw my first one of the season. Too skittish and fast to photograph, but within a few more days to a week, they'll be abundant and so preoccupied with mating that I'll be able to get closer for photos. At least that was the case last year.
Now, as for what I was able to photograph, perhaps I got most excited about finding a Monarch Butterfly caterpillar. I had been pointing out our five species of milkweeds and explained that the Showy Milkweed often hosts the Monarchs. But I found the caterpillar on a Narrow-leafed Milkweed. This species hasn't bloomed yet, but the buds are already attracting a nice variety of attractive bugs. Besides the Monarch, we saw several Small Milkweed Bugs (that's its actual name) as shown in the fourth photo from the top.
We also passed by a patch of Yarrow that I inspect every time and, sure enough, there was a Goldenrod Crab Spider consuming some sort of tiny fly or wasp. In the same patch of Yarrow, we saw lots of Checkered Clerid Beetles.
Also along the path toward Gilson Creek we saw several patches of Scarlet Gilia and Snowy Thistle. These bright red beacons stood out against an otherwise dry landscape. Then, as we approached the creek, there were large gatherings of Lorquin's Admiral butterflies on the wet sand. There were also lots of Western Swallowtails fluttering around, but not landing. Among the lush, green vegetation of mostly White Alder, Cascara Buckthorn, and Umbrella Plant, were some great patches of Leopard Lily and Sierra Stickseed. This little oasis is a treat as the creek flows all summer while the surrounding forest gets very dry and brown. The Gilson Creek crossing is on the public road about a mile past Oakland Camp. The only thing that detracted from the beauty of this place was a pile of old mattresses that were lined up in a way to provide some sort of launching pad into Spanish Creek. It was a disgusting scene, reflecting badly on our community. Oakland Camp visitors actually pick up quite a bit of trash along the nearby trails.