What a Pain in the Ass!

Bees. Bees man. Right when you think you're living in happy harmony with the little flying she-devils, one flies up your skirt and in a flurry of jostled confusion jabs her stinger into your butt. I would show you a picture but that would be inappropriate. Now I grew up on a farm. Bee stings are meh.... nothing to worry about. Although I haven't been stung in years, I expected that it would be a bit sore, then itch, then go away in short order. It would appear that my sensitivity to being injected with honey bee poison has drastically increased. Here I was laughing at the Otter about his jumpiness regarding bees... and was delivered a swift kick in the rear by a karma bound honey bee.

http://romancingthebee.com/2012/03/15/avoiding-the-dreaded-sting/

Being of a curious nature, I decided I need to know why the venom has the effect it does. A chemical called melittin appears to be the primary pain inducer, stimulating  pain receptors in the skin. Your body, in response to this nastiness, frees fluid from the blood in the area to flush out the venom. If you have been stung before by this species your immune system will recognize the venom and boost disposal of the venom. So that makes sense... But my body, not having been stung in many years, doesn't have that immune system boost anymore. And thus I have a 4 inch diameter swollen itchy circle on my posterior where excess fluid has pooled and is trying to do its good work.
Anyway...
A few weekends ago I went on a little road trip. The first day I went back to Cape Kiwanda in the early morning to wander around some more.

 As usual there were lots of crabs scurrying around and pretending that if they froze no on would see them. Or snapping their little claws at the giant looming over them like they are super duper intimidating.

 Plenty of barnacles for all! The one on the left is good and dead, with its feeding legs stuck out.





That's right, more anemones! You've got your giant green anemone...

 Our mystery anemone....

And the aggregating anemone. See there? There's lots.  

 An isopod! Never had seen a marine isopod before, what a nice surprise!

 Often times there are little jellies that get washed up.

 Little something or other eggs. Unfortunately I didn't see any red trumpet tube worms (right) suspended in water, but saw many sitting out of water. They have feathery feeding structures that emerge from the tubes to snatch up edibles as they float past.

And here we have another tidepool sculpin, waiting in little nook for the tide to rise again. I mentioned before (Cape Kiwanda post) that they are amphibious, which is rather splendid.

A few other animals...

 More pigeon guillemots displaying their bright red throats. Several turkey vultures were scouring the beach for tasty morsels.

First, I know nothing about boats, fishing, anything of that nature. Its not surprising then that I was rather in awe of these men who back their trucks into the sea, then gun it pulling their trailers out from under their dories. Then to land the boat, they fly up out of the water onto the beach at high speed, skidding across the sand. Did see one truck get stuck, tires spinning deep ruts in the sand...

A few things in bloom on the beach. Below is a nice rush showing off its incomplete flower and gargantuan stamen.

The most striking aspect of this beach is the landscape.

Top of the sand dune looking out. Its a big dune. My legs got pretty sore from scrabble/sliding all over it.

 Its a beautiful place. You should go! Have a marvelous Friday!

Buh Bye Salem...!

That's right.The butterflies are done. Eggs laid, larvae hatched, lupine devoured... Pupae forming. Lets just catch up a bit here with the most recent adventures that I have been too... out of it to work on. The witty Phoebasaurus charm does not turn on and off like your trusty faucet. Its a little erratic, so forgive me if I seem a little lackluster.
Lets start up right where I left off last... Galls!

While out walking in Ankeny NWR I noticed these trees whose leaves were absolutely coated in little bumpy galls housing minute larvae.
The roses and lupine began to demonstrate totally new deformations. I had seem remnants of the mossy rose galls (lower left) from last year, but this raceme swelling in the lupine is new to me.

Tiny larvae inside the lupine stalk...

 Didn't open one of these up, but they are preposterous! That used to be a leaf/flower bud and now its a fuzzy wuzzy insect manor. Imagine if insects could do this to us and we couldn't fight it off...?

Invertebrates!
This fella flew in through my screenless window, stunned itself on the wall, and sat complacently in my hand for a little photoshoot.

 This is a Lorquins Admiral (Limenitis lorquini), and its pretty.

Many beautiful longhorn beetles hang out in the prairie.

They're pretty neat to look at.

Still entertained by the weevils. And then I managed to sneak up on mating damselflies.

Continue to be fascinated with these flower spiders. And found some large large slugs.
There have been these mayflies out and about for a few weeks.

There are numerous dragonflies to admire as well.

This guy is particularly well camoflauged.

My favorite are these barred winged dragonflies. 

Flowers!

Above we have Willamette Fleabane (Erigeron decumbens), a threatened species, and Western Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum) which I intially believed to be another Brodiaea to add to my collection.

Invasive bindweed is also to be found,although the night blooming is more pleasing to my eye. To the right, an excellent example of how it earned the moniker 'bindweed'...
Some more Fool's Onion (one of those aforementioned Brodiaeas), but in full bloom.

Clarkia gracilis, maybe. Lots off them dotting the prairie.

Vertebrates!

When red-wing blackbirds call they puff up. Then they realize there's someone crouching in the cattails and... vamos.

A few weeks ago I mentioned little fluffy yellow goslings, now they are larger grey goslings all in a row...

While out counting larvae one day these lovely creatures happened by. Mama wasn't too keen on me staring at them...

Marsh wren perched in some delightful reed canary grass.

Food!

The culinary adventures have been somewhat dampened due to a depressing discovery... I've reached adulthood, my metabolism has slowed, and last summer's shorts are a bit... tight. This was my dinner for about two weeks, pure yumminess. 

Other stuff!

Time to leave Salem, no more work here!

One of the last female Fenders I saw at Baskett Slough NWR. Have a superb Tuesday!