On Autumn Wings
“Far from the aspen groves in the Sierra, the smaller creatures … go about their business of preparing for winter.” color spotter Robert Kermen reports.
While relaxing over a cup of brew in his backyard, Kermen observed two very different winged species feeding on the last blooms of a Rose of Sharon bush: a carpenter bee and an Anna’s hummingbird.
The carpenter bee (Xylocopa californica californica) arrived first to grab some nectar and drop off some pollen in return. Next, the Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna) flew in and quaffed some nectar.
“Soon, the carpenter bee will seek out its nest in a dead tree to overwinter, to reemerge in spring, while the hummingbird will stick around all winter, as it’s one of only four hummingbird species in California that does not migrate south,” Bob observed.
Now, why did CaliforniaFallColor.com include a report on a bug and a bird? Because fall color is not just about trees, but about all things colorful about the season.
Soon, whales will be migrating south, elk will be trumpeting their rut, Sandhill Cranes will be calling as they return to roost in the Central Valley and Monarch butterflies will be cuddling together along the coast. 