Bombus occidentalis, the Western Bumble Bee, has several color forms or patterns. Color forms refer the coloration of the bumble bee with respect to the location of the hairs on its body. Solid areas of colors often present as bands; sometimes they can also take the form of patches or spots. If two hair colors… Continue reading Western Bumble Bee
Category: Trails
Black-tailed Bumble Bee
Where I live the Black-tailed Bumble Bee is usually the first species I see in January or February, depending on local conditions. On a walk last winter I stopped by a small community park near my house. The date was February 15, 2024. The park has a few native plant cultivars, including three manzanita shrubs.… Continue reading Black-tailed Bumble Bee
Triptych
Panel One: a male Valley Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa sonorina), collects nectar from Narrow Leaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) blossoms. On the Sunrise Trail in Conejo Open Space, May 27, 2022. Panel Two: a Lorquin’s Admiral (Limenitis lorquini) collects nectar from Black Sage (Salvia mellifera) blossoms. On the Sunrise Trail in Conejo Open Space, May 27, 2022.… Continue reading Triptych
Grazing Buck
A male Mule Deer stops to graze as he walks through the brush. Two large Coast Live oak trees and some low growing shrubs separate the buck from me. The presence of the trees in particular helped me to stay hidden. He passes from shadow cast by the first tree to an opening of sunlight,… Continue reading Grazing Buck