2024-03-31: First bees of spring at Lake Quinault - Kestner Homestead Trail
Arrived at the ranger station at 3pm, a little late for observing bees. Since this was due to excellent bee activity at July Creek, I couldn't complain too much. Started along the trail and soon saw a white butterfly resting on a salmonberry flower a ways off the trail. Thank goodness for telephoto lenses!
High moth activity; several times moths that were resting near the trail fled before I was able to photograph them. I very much regret not noticing a beautiful large brown moth on a tree trunk right next to the trail before I startled it.
A lot of skunk cabbage in bloom and other hikers said it was an unusually dense bloom. I didn't observe any pollinators on the skunk cabbage.
On down the trail. Several bumblebees circled me to get a good look at me, but none let me get a good look at them. However, I observed more Lepidoptera (and many more escaped my lens) and a wide variety of interesting flies resting in sunny trailside spots near blooming cardamine. I took a rest on a bench and watched sunlight and cloud shadows chase each other across the mossy trunks of old-growth bigleaf maple.
I arrived at Kestner homestead at 5PM, and noted that the wide cleared fields would likely make a good Hymenopteran observing spot later in the season and earlier in the day (there were few flowers at the time). There were also, of course, old buildings and fences. And a beautiful view of the mountains. As I wandered the area in search of bees (got an Andrena on a fence).
Not many bees on this leg of the trip, but with so many excellent flies and far more moths than I actually managed to photograph, I can't regret the adventure.
Observations
Photos / Sounds
What
Blow Flies (Family Calliphoridae)Observer
wildnettleDescription
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
What
Blow Flies (Family Calliphoridae)Observer
wildnettleDescription
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
What
Muscoid Flies (Superfamily Muscoidea)Observer
wildnettleDescription
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
What
Hover Flies (Family Syrphidae)Observer
wildnettleDescription
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
What
Blow Flies (Family Calliphoridae)Observer
wildnettleDescription
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
What
Muscoid Flies (Superfamily Muscoidea)Observer
wildnettleDescription
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
What
Bot Flies, Blow Flies, and Allies (Superfamily Oestroidea)Observer
wildnettleDescription
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
What
Mining Bees (Genus Andrena)Observer
wildnettleDescription
Resting on fence rail
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
What
Whiskered Bumble Fly (Criorhina bubulcus)Observer
wildnettleDescription
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
What
Western Pond Fly (Sericomyia chalcopyga)Observer
wildnettleDescription
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
Observer
wildnettleDescription
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
What
Muscoid Flies (Superfamily Muscoidea)Observer
wildnettleDescription
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
What
Sedgesitters (Genus Platycheirus)Observer
wildnettleDescription
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
What
Enchoria lacteataObserver
wildnettleDescription
On cardamine I think
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
Observer
wildnettleDescription
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
What
Western Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton americanus)Observer
wildnettleDescription
People said the density of skunk cabbage bloom here this year is unusually high (I have not been here long enough to know).
Photos / Sounds
What
Western White-Ribboned Carpet (Mesoleuca gratulata)Observer
wildnettleDescription
On bird poop
CV says mesoleuca gratulata and it’s probably right.
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
What
Subfamily AlysiinaeObserver
wildnettleDescription
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
What
Margined White (Pieris marginalis)Observer
wildnettleDescription
Resting in salmonberry flower
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Photos / Sounds
What
Blow Flies (Family Calliphoridae)Observer
wildnettleDescription
Today I am using mostly telephoto + extension tubes to try to observe as many different insect species as I can rather than try to get pristine photos of a few cooperative individuals. I don’t expect all images to be good enough to allow species ID. The primary goal is to document that there are bees out already.
Comments
Add a Comment