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Dear All: July 9, 2015
The last traffic noticed at the Andrena crataegi hole was July 7 but =
today I noticed one, loaded with pollen, entering a hole 48 cm away from =
the original (hole hidden until I moved a dead leaf and the apparently =
bewildered bee then entered).
Three times this week I have watched a Downy Woodpecker feeding =
shortening to a young; both near the fat and in one instance the young =
saying 'dad I can eat this all by myself' while doing a poor job of it.
Insect activity was low much of July 7 & 8 and I imagined the worst =
but today seems to be about normal; more than I care to record. As =
Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) has come into bloom over ~the last week I =
have seen bees tending it but today, for the first time, I was near =
enough to see details of several; bright green head and thorax, abdomen =
black with many thin yellow transverse bands. One sent a Skimmer flying; =
the first I have seen here this year. About 10 years ago small Skimmers =
used to arrive when the Maiden-pink (Dianthus deltoides) came into bloom =
and they have been in flower for at least a week. The Multiflora Rose =
bloom is nearly over but bees still find enough late flowers with pollen =
to get a load.
That pink is found on sand plains, so I understand from Roland, and =
one might suppose it needs dry poor soil. [I first found it at the =
Research Station as tiny plants on a very sparsely grassed knoll.] But =
as I think I mentioned previously, it does best on the lawn where =
drainage from a downspout provides provides some irrigation: a cluster =
of plants 35 cm tall.=20
I have not seen an Earwig in the yard for years and supposed them to =
be history but today I found hundreds in a temporary compost pile (lawn =
cuttings piled 2 (?) years ago over a Sugar Maple stump to smother =
regrowth). There were also many Ants in with the Earwigs so they =
apparently get along fine together. The Maple stump appears to have =
given up sprouting but time will tell.
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
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<BODY>
<DIV>Dear All: =20
=
=20
July 9, 2015</DIV>
<DIV> The last traffic noticed at the <EM>Andrena=20
crataegi</EM> hole was July 7 but today I noticed one, loaded with =
pollen,=20
entering a hole 48 cm away from the original (hole hidden until I moved =
a dead=20
leaf and the apparently bewildered bee then entered).</DIV>
<DIV> Three times this week I have watched a Downy =
Woodpecker=20
feeding shortening to a young; both near the fat and in one =
instance the=20
young saying 'dad I can eat this all by myself' while doing a poor job =
of=20
it.</DIV>
<DIV> Insect activity was low much of July 7 =
& 8=20
and I imagined the worst but today seems to be about normal; more =
than I=20
care to record. As Knapweed (<EM>Centaurea nigra</EM>) has =
come into=20
bloom over ~the last week I have seen bees tending it but today, for the =
first=20
time, I was near enough to see details of several; bright green =
head and=20
thorax, abdomen black with many thin yellow transverse bands. One =
sent a=20
Skimmer flying; the first I have seen here this year. About 10 years ago =
small=20
Skimmers used to arrive when the Maiden-pink (<EM>Dianthus =
deltoides</EM>) came=20
into bloom and they have been in flower for at least a week. The =
Multiflora Rose=20
bloom is nearly over but bees still find enough late flowers with =
pollen=20
to get a load.</DIV>
<DIV> That pink is found on sand plains, so I =
understand from=20
Roland, and one might suppose it needs dry poor soil. [I first found it =
at the=20
Research Station as tiny plants on a very sparsely grassed knoll.] =
But as I=20
think I mentioned previously, it does best on the lawn where drainage =
from a=20
downspout provides provides some irrigation: a cluster of plants 35 =
cm=20
tall. </DIV>
<DIV> I have not seen an Earwig in the yard for years =
and=20
supposed them to be history but today I found hundreds in a temporary =
compost=20
pile (lawn cuttings piled 2 (?) years ago over a Sugar Maple stump to =
smother=20
regrowth). There were also many Ants in with the Earwigs so they =
apparently get=20
along fine together. The Maple stump appears to have given up sprouting =
but time=20
will tell.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville</DIV></BODY></HTML>
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