Journal archives for June 2018

June 6, 2018

Confluence State Park, Wenatchee, Washington

I've never spent an afternoon looking for insects in particular at this park, so finding this many was very rewarding. This park is mostly for camping in trailers and it is almost all mowed lawns with Norway Maples and some pines. The border along the two rivers is lined with thick trees and shrubs--and there is no way to get down to the water except in the man-made beach area. The stalwart native plants are competing with things like large stands of knapweed and Himalayan blackberries. Generally there are crows, Canada Geese, gulls and house sparrows around as the main wildlife.

Posted on June 6, 2018 06:34 AM by wenatcheeb wenatcheeb | 41 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Snow Goose in Wenatchee, Washington

The story behind this sighting: Students from Mission View Elementary School's 3rd grade and I were doing a nature walk along the path next to the Columbia River. As we were observing the area one of the boys, I think, noticed that there was a white bird mixed into a flock of (nine) Canada Geese across the park on the other side of a pond in the rugby field. I went back with my camera and took some photos. I also contacted two local bird photographers and one was able to come down to get better photos. He is the president of our Audubon Society and he identified it later.

The pond was because the Columbia River was high and it raised the water table inside Confluence State Park, so that the Rugby field and several other areas were flooded with seepage from ground water. The flock of geese was joined for a few moments by a Mallard Hen and then three starlings which fed at the edge of the vernal pool. The killdeer seemed to have just flown in to feed on the other side of the pond and did not appear to pay any attention to the geese.

The Wenatchee Museum and Cultural Center and the Wenatchee Row and Paddle Club work together to bring students out the Confluence State Park to paddle in voyageur canoes. This began on the 200th anniversary of David Thompson's trip down the Columbia River, which was celebrated along the river in 2011. Since then thousands of students have come to the park to explore nature and experience a short paddle to the mouth of the Wenatchee River. Once in a while we get to observe something special, like this Snow Goose.

Posted on June 6, 2018 02:51 PM by wenatcheeb wenatcheeb | 5 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

June 10, 2018

Dry Gulch, June plants

Dry gulch trail is an old road along the dams that retain the water below an old gold mine. The Chelan Douglas Land Trust and the Appleatchee Riders cooperate in allowing public use of these trails.

Posted on June 10, 2018 02:31 PM by wenatcheeb wenatcheeb | 17 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Bear Creek in June

We went up to the Methow to teach students in the Master's Program from the North Cascades Institute about native bees. They camped up in the Bear Creek campground and I explored around that area when there were a few extra minutes. The flowers were lush and the grass is still green. Don gave his presentation in the evening and then it rained overnight. It got up to just over 60 degrees by about 9:30 and it warmed up a little more, but people kept their coats on (and we didn't take the temp. again). The weather stayed overcast for the most part, though there were occasional breaks in the clouds with some blue sky peaking through. There was some light rain after lunch. The students found a decent selection of bees, especially megachilids and osmia. I saw at least two types of Bumble bees. The most unusual find what when Charlie spotted large metallic blue-green beetles mating in the lupine.

Posted on June 10, 2018 02:36 PM by wenatcheeb wenatcheeb | 19 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

June 11, 2018

Bear Creek in May 2017

Adding in last year's photos to create a better list of the taxa at Bear Creek. I was lucky to be able to go up as Don's assistant when he gave his bee program for the students of the North Cascades Institute. Once again we were too busy helping the students look at bees and I didn't get any photos taken. Also, the Arrowleaf Balsamroot was in bloom, but there are no photos to prove that either. The best photo was of what seems to be a Boisduval's blue butterfly on Calochortus lyalli, or Cat's Ear's.

Posted on June 11, 2018 07:17 AM by wenatcheeb wenatcheeb | 12 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Best bee photo day ever

Perfect sun for better detail on small bees--plus a lot of insects using the chives. There is a native onion nearby on the hill and I wonder if that attracts the same bees. Must keep that in mind for a future informal study next year!

Posted on June 11, 2018 04:54 PM by wenatcheeb wenatcheeb | 45 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

June 12, 2018

North facing slope of the ravine uphill from my house

Went out weeding and was soon caught up in an informal inventory of the plants that grow on the wetter side of the ravine above the house. As near as I can tell, this hillside never had cattle or horses run on it, so it is fairly pristine. It stays greener far longer than the slope facing it. The soil is deep and soft, even though it is quite steep.

Posted on June 12, 2018 08:06 PM by wenatcheeb wenatcheeb | 23 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

June 13, 2018

Lamb's Quarter Patch

We rearranged three large "meadows" around out house. The one downhill is over the sewer field. We did plant it with native grass seed after it was installed in 2008 /9 but we did not have the energy to also add a layer of topsoil so those grasses didn't get a great foothold. Then the Lambs' Quarters, Chenopodium album, got a toehold, and eventually took over the entire field. It got so thick and tall that it was an impenetrable jungle.

Last spring my husband took pity on me and we did in the weeds. I had tried valiantly to weed every year, but there were so many seeds built up that it was impossible. He used Round-up. I would not normally recommend it, but in this case it worked--for the most part. We raked and smoothed the debris into piles and burned that. Then we raked in native grass seed from Derby Canyon Natives and watered it extra all summer. I should note--watering for us is a rare thing. We usually do a long set when things look a bit peaked so we water less than every 3-4 weeks at the most.

The grass is lush and thick and still green this year, and not I am spot weeding. It seems not only were these things brought over from Europe, mostly, they can also be eaten! So I learned something by looking up their Latin names.

Salsify, Tragopogon porrifolius:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/salsify/grow-salsify.htm

Tumble Mustard, Sisymbrium altissimum:
https://wildfoodgirl.com/2015/dont-forget-the-tumble-mustard2/

Prickly lettuce, Lactuca serriola:
A close relative of the domestic lettuce that has been used as an alternative to opium.

Posted on June 13, 2018 04:15 PM by wenatcheeb wenatcheeb | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Critters in the Lamb's Quarter Patch

This will be a collection of the animals that came to visit while the Lamb's Quarters were flourishing...

Caterpillar
There was a caterpillar that I saw several times.

Wren
The good side is that it drew in our wrens. I had never seen a wren even though I grew up in the Wenatchee area, so I was charmed by their appearance with their perky upright tails. They stuck around even though we turned the patch into a grass "meadow." I put up 5 bluebird houses and 2 wren ones that they attempt to claim for themselves every year. When I clean the houses out each spring they are stuffed to the top with tiny sticks. Often there are yellow jackets hibernating inside.

Posted on June 13, 2018 04:20 PM by wenatcheeb wenatcheeb | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Chicks with a mission

Mom? Dad? Where are you?

A small flock of baby birds went through the yard early in August. I remember about four of them, but it seems I only caught the slowest one in photos. They came into the Wild Basin Rye in the front of the house, where they perched almost at my shoulder while I was weeding the front yard.

I must have run into the house for my camera and by then this one was alone in the Rye, but then strayed over to the patio, calling for its family.

Its siblings had already moved into the grass under the evergreens. They were chirping and calling from better cover.

I expect they were calling for their parents, but weren't willing to stay put to wait to be found.

Posted on June 13, 2018 04:50 PM by wenatcheeb wenatcheeb | 1 observation | 0 comments | Leave a comment