Uploads from Mathesont

Isodontia elegans

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:32:55 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

grass-carrying wasp

Cool thread-waisted wasps but they target my favorite summer singers the tree crickets.

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:33:06 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

Papilio rutulus - Western Tiger Swallowtail

Cannot remember ever having seen swallowtails or any other butterfly nectaring at the Alstroemeria before. Bumblebees love them, even spending the night in the flowers.

Little Buggers

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 09:17:39 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

Some sort of newly Hemiptera, probably stink bugs. Each egg is just over 1mm.

Pollen Butt

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 09:02:38 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

Megachile sp. leafcutter bee on Knautia macedonica

Eremophila alpestris

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:59:16 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

Horned Lark

See lots of these on the fence posts and roads themselves but few seem interested in posing. This one was enjoying the late afternoon sun and oblivious to the mobile blind (4Runner) stopping next to him.

Callophrys eryphon

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 08:50:24 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

Western Pine Elfin

Love this dramatically patterned little guy. Pattern makes it darn hard to follow them as they fly around bushes.

Phalaropus tricolor

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 10:54:32 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

Wilson's Phalarope - female

Small group of about half-dozen hanging out in one of the roadside pools.

Allium platycaule

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 09:25:17 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

Broad-stemmed Onion

Hirundo rustica

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 10:02:00 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

Barn Swallow

Must have been the cool conditions because there were lots of swallows just hanging out and unwilling to leave their perches even as the 4Runner crept quite close. The one above was less than three feet from the drivers door when this was taken.

Oreoscoptes montanus

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:19:00 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

Sage Thrasher

Not hard to see in the valley but a surprise to have this pair pop up on fence posts at close range. Only thing missing was sunshine.

Chlosyne hoffmanni

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 09:27:47 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

Hoffmann's Checkerspot

Sadly the only one to pose was on the rocking edge of 285 in the beautiful Little Last Chance Canyon.

Botaurus lentiginosus

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:46:08 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

American Bittern

Only a few along Marble Hot Springs Road this trip but they were quite approachable. Would have gotten real close to this one if an oblivious idiot had not walked right up to it causing to flush - dumbass.

Selatosomus sp

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 08:53:58 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

click beetle

Tentatively ID'd by v belov over at bugguide as a very dark example of S. festivus.

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 12:52:24 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Territorial males sang their horrible song from fence posts all around the valley.

Grus canadensis

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Fri, 31 May 2013 19:33:23 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

Sandhill Crane

Driving along we see a crane right by the road. We stop. Crane pays shows no alarm or even interest so we inch closer. We end up 18-20 feet from the bird - these photos are uncropped from my little camera. After five mintues or so it wandered off into the field. Magic moment on a cool cloudy evening.

Argia vivida

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Mon, 27 May 2013 09:53:26 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

Vivid Dancer

Pretty unusual to see this species perched at the top of a shrub. Normally they are hugging the ground.

Bee bully

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Sun, 26 May 2013 12:23:23 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

Hoverying bee was trying to dislodge the nectaring bee from the gaillardia flower without success.

Enallagma praevarum

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Sat, 25 May 2013 09:42:05 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

Arroyo Bluet

Colorful guy hanging out in the backyard.

Bembix sp.

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:23:32 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

sand wasp (almost none on bugguide have species level IDs)

Additional photos in the first comment

Location is mapped, which is accessible by clicking to the right where it says "Marina, Martinez, CA, US" (my father found it).

The little sand berm at the cove was swarming with these cool wasps, none getting more than an inch or two off the ground. Have been here hundreds of times before and never seen them, which just proves timing is everything.

Anthidium

nobody@flickr.com (Mathesont) — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:22:17 -0700

Mathesont posted a photo:

Possibly A. illustre but I have yet to get a good look at her as she goes about collecting balls of fiber from the rose campion.