honey bee ~ 06/10/11 ~ Pinnacles

wild honey bee nest

While Pinnacles has the highest known bee diversity in the world, I'm guessing these are typical European honey bees (Apis mellifera) that were introduced to North America close to 400 years ago. I took the pictures of the bees collecting water from the same standing spot as the nest, and I'm assuming the bees are from the nest. This is the second time I've seen comb on the outside of a tree trunk, as opposed to a swarm. I also found several online pictures of North American hives hanging from branches. However, I usually think of feral hives as being in cavities, like tree holes and chimneys. I wonder why honey bees pick different locations for their hives. Perhaps the nest is not an Apis mellifera feral hive? I had a difficult time finding any information about wild honey bee nests and their locations since most search results ended with beekeeping info. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations site and trusty Wikipedia discuss honey bee nest locations.

holly-leaved cherry ~ 06/10/11 ~ Pinnacles

holly-leaved cherry

Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia
Rosaceae

Here's my first native, non-garden blossom post. Apparently holly-leaved cherries are edible. I'll have to keep my eye out for them come September and October. I find the autumn timing of this wild fruit to be interesting considering commercial cherries are the first summer fruits available. In fact, we passed numerous roadside cherry stands on our way to and from Pinnacles.

fence lizard ~ 06/10/11 ~ Pinnacles

male coast range fence lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii

I've been debating about this ID ever since I posted another fence lizard at Pinnacles from this same trip. These two lizards look totally different from each other. I'm wondering if the one shown above might be a sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus graciosus). However, this species is supposedly not found according to the Pinnacles reptiles and amphibians list. The two Sceloporus species are difficult to tell apart without looking at the underside of the males.

lanceleaf liveforever ~ 06/10/11 ~ Pinnacles

lanceleaf liveforever
Dudleya lanceolata
Crassulaceae

So often this Dudleya is growing on rocks in hard to reach places. I was so intent on getting a better picture that I clambered up to the rock without thinking. When I was done and looked around, I realized what a precarious position I had gotten myself into with a steep drop off and surrounded by poison oak. Looking down from great heights makes me feel dizzy and unsure of my footing. It's an odd sensation, especially because I never had a problem with the balance beam in gymnastics, nor do I think twice about looking down from a building or an airplane. I probably won't take up rock climbing anytime soon.