Posts Tagged ‘nature video’

June 23, 2013...The walk into the woods starts here.  The creek usually flows under a wooden plank.  For several months, the water has not been flowing, probably due to the lowest rainfall this year on record.

June 23, 2013…The walk into the woods starts here. The creek usually flows under a wooden plank. For several months, the water has not been flowing, probably due to 2013 being the lowest rainfall on record.  To be precise, the water HAS been flowing, but not where you can see it.  Close to the point where the path crosses the creek, the creek dives underground.

A small pool of water can be seen about two feet upstream before the water flows into the underground.

Looking through the skunk cabbage, a small pool of water can be seen a short distance upstream before the water disappears underground.

June 23, 2013...The water flows to here, then goes underground.  It's weird, you can hear the water flowing, but then in disappears.

June 23, 2013…The water flows to here.  It’s weird, you can hear the water flowing, but you can’t see where it goes.

February 17, 2014...After a couple of weeks of on again, off again heavy periods of rain, the ground is saturated and the water is flowing.

February 17, 2014…After a couple of weeks of on again, off again heavy periods of rain, the ground is saturated and the water is flowing.  It’s been over a year.   Skunk cabbage is just poking up.

February 17, 2014...skunk cabbage just starting.

Old snag forms a backdrop to the skunk cabbage

Survey stakes, uh-oh

Survey stakes, uh-oh

They want to put a road here.

“East edge of road…?”  Oh no…they want to put a road here.

An article about creeks and rivers going underground.

March 17, 2014...Creek still flowing.  Skunk cabbage growing well.

March 17, 2014…Creek still flowing. Skunk cabbage growing well.

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Building nesting tubes for solitary bees is easy…

A hack saw works real well here.  Cut near the node, so one end is sealed naturally.

A hack saw works real well on the bamboo. Cut near the node, so one end is sealed naturally.

Cram the tubes into some protective covering.  In this case the down spout of a gutter, works well.  Different sizes offer choices.  I thought the large diameter tubes would too big so I was pleasantly surprised to see them sealed up.

July 27, 2013...Bamboo nesting tubes, NOW OPEN!

July 27, 2013…Bamboo nesting tubes, NOW OPEN!

July 27, 2013...Last year's tubes (on top) have two tubes filled.

July 27, 2013…Last year’s tubes (on top) have two tubes filled, chewed up leaves are evident.  These must be leaf cutter bees.

Sept. 1, 2013...Two tubes filled with visitor

Sept. 1, 2013…Two more tubes filled.  They are sealed with mud.  Maybe these are mason bee tubes.          A blue-green visitor decides to investigate.

While I was waiting for a solitary bee, this insect strolled in.  it's either a cuckoo wasp or a Blue-green sweat bee.

Sept. 1, 2013…While I was waiting for a solitary bee to fly in, this curious little insect strolled up. it’s either a cuckoo wasp or a Blue-green sweat bee or Osmia aglaia.

I asked a couple of knowledgeable people if they could give me a solid “Bug ID” on this insect.

Marco at My Biodiversity Garden  …says “one of my acquantances told me it could well be Osmia aglaia but she was not 100% sure as it looked more like a wasp to her – to be continued :-).”

“The other person gave the following ID “looks like a green sweat bee to me”. Some cuckoo bees look very similar but of course they won’t have any device to carry pollen (compared to the female bees) as they don’t collect pollen to feed their young but simply deposit their eggs in the nest of a normal bee.”

Celeste says, “I think it is a Cuckoo Wasp–good heavens, it’s beautiful!”

Bug Guide,  “It might be a chrysidid.

I’ve taken a short video of the Osmia aglaia/green sweat bee/cuckoo wasp for you to decide for yourselves…

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