doviende's Journal

Just had some interesting feedback on male bumble bees. Firstly, a new major resource for ID:
https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/documents/BumbleBeeGuideWestern2012.pdf

In the comments for the attached Bombus flavifrons, it was noted that this was a male because of the leg hairiness, which is something I hadn't seen before.

I've also been using this PDF generally for local stuff, but I notice now that it doesn't list B. flavifrons, so clearly not a complete listing, being so short:
https://eya.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/common-pollinaotrs-of-bc-v40-2.pdf

Practice with the macro lens and patience seems to also be paying off, in terms of identifiable shots. This should also get more interesting once I get my net and can do some bumble-chilling at home to get easy pics.

Any nests that got started this year should be ramping up their worker populations fast now. We should hopefully have some new information soon, but currently there are no new sightings coming up anywhere. Once August hits, I'm gonna spend more time poking around Langley, but hopefully another sighting will come up so I know which neighbourhood to look in.

I still have a pretty good feeling about Campbell Valley though.

Just a bit hyped that John Ascher told me today that my July 18 sighting of Oblong Woolcarder in Port Coquitlam was the first one in western Canada!

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/53545298

Looks like it's mostly seen south of the great lakes, but a couple have turned up in Oregon and Washington, with mine being the first BC record.