It was such a delight to watch this Western Bluebird swing back and forth on a hanging twig. Just sitting there, swinging in the breeze …
Sialia mexicana
Images
Feron kingi
Feron kingi, commonly known as the red cone gall wasp, is a member of the Cynipidae family.
The adult female lays her eggs within the leaves of several white oak species, including the valley oak (Quercus lobata). Once the egg hatches, the larva begins feeding on the leaf tissue, triggering the plant to form a hard, protective structure—a small red cone about 5 mm tall. This gall benefits the insect, providing it with additional plant tissue to consume. Inside the gall, the larva pupates and eventually matures into a parthenogenetic female adult before emerging from the tip of the cone. That’s right — there are no male gall wasps.
infographic
I had a go at creating an infographic. I suspect it’s too wordy to be effective as such. What do you think?
Santa Ynez Mountains
dove comparison
I have been looking at the doves silhouetted on the power lines, and wondering which of the two common species they are. Now I know that the tail shape is a strong indicator—the mourning dove’s tail is tapered while the Eurasian’s is square.
inside/out
Of course, being in a heat wave, our AC repairman is booked up for another 10 days.
made a dress
I intended this as a muslin (test garment) but I don’t think I’ll make another. It fits as it should, it’s comfortable — but I realise I’m just not really a dress person.
button riches
I don’t know why I thought I needed TWO x 2lb bags of buttons. One would have lasted me several lifetimes. They are mostly plastic, with some wood/metal/shell. And there are plenty of duplicates, so I’ll be able to find suitable sets for most of my garment sewing, I hope!
buteo lineatus
A red-shouldered hawk living nearby dropped a gift on the driveway. Thanks to my friend Alli, who recently replaced my Bird Feathers reference guide (lost in the fire), I could easily ID it.
Daucus carota
Our neighbour invited me over to peruse her garden for seeds and cuttings. I came home with Queen Anne’s Lace seeds (Daucus carota) along with ferns, tillandsia, and various other pretty things. So I made her a thank you card and dropped it in her mailbox.
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