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Anna's and Costa's Hummingbirds (Genus Calypte)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
A FOS and first yard-list sighting in 23 years of listing, photos by my husband, Randall. Adult male arrived 10/02/23 and remains today, 10/03, very aggressive with local Anna's, guarding both our feeders. We live near Ygnacio Valley Road and Oak Grove in Walnut Creek.
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Willow Redgall Sawfly (Euura proxima)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
Photographer: Dirk Muehlner
Submitted by A. Hobbet
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True Hoppers (Suborder Auchenorrhyncha)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
Found on a jade plant I'd just brought indoors. Fierce little thing.
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Longlegged Sac Spiders (Genus Cheiracanthium)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
I do not feel at all confident this ID is correct, but I did find it in a leaf sac. It had rolled this sage leaf in half along its length. Perhaps it's swollen with eggs?
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California Mantis (Stagmomantis californica)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
I'm only making a stab at this ID since it's an immature mantid, but I hope someone else can give it a try. The smoky morning sun highlighted the color, making the orange brighter than it really is, but it is an orange critter.
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Geometer Moths (Family Geometridae)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
Moth stationary for 24 hours on window
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Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
common goldeneye duck
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Beaked Twig Gall Wasp (Burnettweldia plumbella)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
gall beaked twig gall Discholcaspis plumbella on scrub oak quercus berberidifolia along Donner Creek inside Mount Diablo State Park
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Townsend's Warbler (Setophaga townsendi)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
Adult male feeding on walnut chunks in suburban backyard. He or others have been seen since early December 2019 in this location, feeding on insects on blooming camellias and bottlebrush.
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Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
This photo was taken by Faith Martinez in her back yard on Cherry Lane in Walnut Creek California. She passed it on to me for posting here.
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Valley Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa sonorina)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
Xylocopa varipuncta, Valley carpenter bee, male of dimorphic species. 2-3 working penstemon blooms in Walnut Creek CA home garden. I hadn't seen them before in our area.
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Large Carpenter Bees (Genus Xylocopa)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
After sipping nectar from the bottom of this enormous Datura trumpet flower, it had some trouble getting airborne again, and buzzed noisily for ten seconds or more, warming up its engines.
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Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
European honey bees prying open nocturnal Datura well before sunset. To see the 34-second video: https://www.facebook.com/Mount-Diablo-State-Park-1412040059025878/?ref=ts&fref=ts
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Black-spotted Lady Beetles (Tribe Coccinellini)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
Larval stage of ladybug on milkweed
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Lady Beetles (Family Coccinellidae)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
Pupating ladybug on milkweed near large aphid infestation.
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California Wild Grape (Vitis californica)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
This is the largest wild grape vine I've ever come across. It's in Pine Canyon in Foothills Regional Park, also known as Castle Rock Park, to the right in a creek side meadow as you head up-canyon. My hiking stick is in there for scale.
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California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
Note all the developing buds. This little community of fuchsia will be blooming for some time to come despite the long dry season still ahead of us. This shot was taken along Pine Canyon, next to the dry bed of Pine Creek.
Photos / Sounds
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Plate Gall Wasp (Feron pattersonae)Observer
anastasiahobbetDescription
Plate gall (Andricus pattersonae) on a blue oak leaf (Quercus douglasii), Walnut Creek Open Space.
