joerich's Journal

It was 113F/45C yesterday and that is quite hot. I have not been wandering the trails and hills lately, but yesterday I saw a leafcutter bee on a pepper plant cut a leaf plug and fly off with it. I have spent about four hours with my camera trying to capture a picture but have been unable to do so. I saw the bee once again but it was too fast for me to get the camera focused and a picture. It takes about five seconds to do a cutting. However, in the meantime I saw about 15 other species on that and an adjacent Zucchini and learned about a few new things, such as Hover Fly larvae.

After a week or so of extreme temperatures where I did not go out, we are now in a cool spell where the daily temperatures are only in the 80s and 90s. However, there is a huge fire, the Mosquito Fire, burning just to the east of us and its smoke is settling in the valley. The air quality is hazardous and going outside hurts my lungs so I am staying inside in the presence of air filters. What is it doing to all of the creatures which cannot get to clear air. And I just read an article on BBC concerning PM 2.5 air pollution and how it causes cancer.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-62797777

I also read another very disturbing article this morning about how most Minnesots deer have high levels of neonicotinoids. How stupid can we be.

https://www.startribune.com/nearly-all-minnesota-deer-exposed-to-pesticides-linked-to-pollinator-die-off/600205634/#:~:text=In%202019%2C%20he%20led%20a,had%20concentrations%20higher%20than%20that.

Humans are not worthy of this earth.

I "discovered" Vinegar Weed this summer. It has a very amazing flower. I found a website talking about the interaction of between pollinators and the flower and became intrigued because the only pollinator I had observed was the Western Honey Bee. So today I went to the field to see if I could spot more pollinators.

I believe the Vinegar Weed is a little past prime as it seems that most of the flowers appeared a little wilted. The various pollinators were quite active and did not dwell on any flower long, it seems, except for a Cabbage White. So it was very hard to photograph them.

I saw six different pollinators today.
Large Carpenter Bee - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/136340397
Cabbage White - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/136340393
Skippers - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/136340392
Wasp - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/136340389
Western Honey Bee - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/136340382
Tripartite Sweat Bee - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/136340381

Here is the pollinator / plant site I was referring to above: https://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2015/08/trichostema-lanceolatum.html