August 2023
Did the Roundup Just get better?
You bet it did! Join me in welcoming Carol Yamada to the editorial team. She brings actual journalism experience to the party. I think it already shows.
We wouldn’t mind a bit more help. It needn’t be a big commitment; for example, Martha Richards’ summary of Catch a Buzz discussions has been invaluable. If you’d like to take on a section or be a roving reporter, just let us know! Email me at e.silva@comcast.net.
If you have any feedback or submission for Field Notes or if you want to post notes for your regional team contact Ellen Silva (e.silva@comcast.net). Photo credits are at end of newsletter.
In this issue
Field Notes
Steens Mountain July Collection Day
A beautiful Hoplitis louisae captured by August Jackson on the collection event at the Steens Mountain July 2023. This bee is endemic to the Steens and a specialist on phacelia hostata.
How close does August get to the bees he photographs?
A small group of Atlas members participated in a collection event led by August Jackson in July. August shared so much about the region. Please read his summary here.
Steens Mountain lies at the northern extent of the Great Basin bioregion, which extends just beyond Oregon's borders. Steens itself is a large fault-block mountain gradually ascending from 4,200 ft. to over 9,700 ft. before dropping precipitously to the Alvord Desert below. The mountain is gouged by deep glacial valleys which nearly bisect it in parts and carry snowmelt rivers to the valleys below. The combination of elevation, topography, glacial history, and location (including isolation from other fault-block mountains) provide the conditions for a rich and unique flora that melds plants from the Cascades, Great Basin, and Rocky Mountains, and includes some endemic taxa as well.
The flora and its location in the southeastern corner of Oregon make Steens Mountain an excellent place to look for rare and unusual bees. In visiting Steens almost every summer since 2016, I've found a number of rarely recorded species and some new state records. In each of the two OBA field trips to Steens, members have caught bees I hadn't yet seen, and OBA members have made significant finds on trips they've made on their own. Steens Mountain is one of the hot-spots for bees in the state, and I estimate that over 300 species can be found on the mountain and in the adjacent Alvord Desert. Much of the collecting has happened at higher elevations in mid-summer, so collecting trips in late May and late August would certainly yield new records. The vastness of the landscape makes it feel like one could spend a lifetime and not know all the bees that call the mountain home.
A Reprieve from the Heat in South Central Oregon
Martha Richards was kind enough to send in some field notes on collecting in south central Oregon. Read on for where to find bees when the season gets hot.
I just returned from staying a few days in the Drake Peak Lookout. It's at 8,000' elevation, just east of Lakeview in Lake County; even though there was a heat wave in most of the state, the weather up at the lookout was quite pleasant due to the altitude. Amazingly, there were still patches of snow nearby and lots of blooming plants. I had been expecting much drier vegetation, but everything was very green. Penstemons were blooming, along with at least four species of buckwheat (Eriogonum), Ceanothus, a few kinds of aster-like flowers, and a number of other plants (to those of you who are now faced with cleaning up my plant identification records, I humbly apologize). There was a fair amount of bee activity, including Osmias, Andrenas, and Lasioglossums (mostly the early-season species), but the real draw was the astounding diversity of butterflies, moths, and flies. The meadow near the lookout was absolutely full of insects doing their thing. If there's ever an Oregon Fly Atlas, Drake Peak should definitely be high on the list of collection spots. Even though I've lived in Oregon for 30+ years, I had never been to this part of the state. It's absolutely gorgeous, with really interesting geology, a wide diversity of ecosystems, and lots more places that I want to explore the next time I go. In the photograph, I'm at the Warner Overlook on the Abert Rim (it's the same kind of geological formation as Steens Mountain, only a bit smaller) in the Fremont-Winema National Forest. The gravel roads were all in really good condition so we were able to explore the area by car quite easily.
Martha Richards nabbing something (a fly, most likely) on a recent trip to Lake County.
Columbia County Collection event
Robin & Jessica collecting in Scappoose
Robin Gill hosted her first collection day in Scappoose August 5th. A long-time birder, she knows all the secret spots to collect bees there. This is where the first Grumpy Bee came from, and recently Jessica Hird found a stellis in her back yard - what other bees lurk in the forest, trails and clear-cuts? In this long under-surveyed county, the Columbia OBA members are determined to find out what bees are there.
Coming UP - Cottonwood Canyon
Have you caught a Fairy bee yet?
Rabbit brush is blooming, which means it’s time to find some Perdita, those lovable fairy bees, to fill out your collection. If you’ve never caught a fairy bee, you might miss them. Consider coming to Cottonwood Canyon collection and camping event Sept 15 - 17th and learn how to capture and pin these tiny bees. It’s also the last collection event of the season. Catch bees then sit under the stars and tell stories with other melittologists about the ones you caught this year, and the ones that got away!
Previous events at Cottonwood Canyon
OBA ANNOUNCEMENTS
Catch a Buzz
Catch a Buzz is the FIRST Tuesday of the month at 7pm. The September Catch a Buzz features Jen Hayes from the OSU Garden Ecology Lab who will be talking about her research to evaluate how breeding on native plants influences their attractiveness to insects. To join, go to https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/97230252365?pwd=TURyTXNMZ1M5SHl2TFQvajBxemtRdz09 | Password: bees
Here is the recording of the last Catch A Buzz with Washington Bee Atlas taxonomist, Dr. Karen Wright.
Volunteer at OREGON STATE FAIR AND GET THIS GREAT NEW HAT (AUGUST 25 TO SEPTEMBER 4)!
The OBA will have a strong presence at the fair and you are needed to help share our information. Sign up for shifts here and share your enthusiasm for Oregon bees. You will also get one of these swanky new hats in the process (on the head of Brooke Ruby in the Pollinator Health Lab who is working on the vineyard project). Sign up here (and indicate you are a Master Melittologist) under “Group/Club.”
LAST CALL FOR BEE SCHOOL!
There may be a few spots left for ADVANCED bee school this year. In the Advanced School you have a chance to learn from the best how to identify bees all the way to species! (Well, some of them, anyway.)
kudos and thanks are always in season
This month, Carol Yamada and Mike Bogar are both being called out as patient teachers of the art of collecting bees. It’s true, the on-line modules teach a ton, but having an experienced OBA member as a coach is a wonderful thing. Kudos to Carol and Mike!
Do you know someone else who deserves a big thank you for the work they do on behalf of OBA and its volunteers or just deserves a shout-out for their achievements, big or small? You can make that happen! Nominate your personal hero for going above and beyond and after approval by the Advisory Committee, a handwritten note will be sent thanking your special person. All it takes to get the process started is to fill out the nomination form found by clicking HERE.
Calendar
Team news
If you want to include your own team’s news in the Roundup, send it to Ellen Silva (e.silva@comcast.net) the Monday before we publish (typically, the 1st and 3d Monday of the month).
Updates from Columbia County
left to right, Debi Brimbacombe, Robin Gill, Cat Brake, Julie Hird
Columbia Co. REPRESENT!
Debi Brimbacombe and Robin Gill planned and set up a booth for the Oregon Bee Atlas at the First Annual Pollination Celebration event Saturday July 29 from 10 am-2pm, at Cope's Park in Clatskanie, Oregon . The booth was also staffed by the knowledgeable OBA Master Metitollogist Jessica Hird and Master Gardener, Crystal Joy Abel. There were multiple activities: vote for your favorite bee, make your own bee antenna headband, color and create a pollinator themed origami fortune teller. A kid friendly "microscope" was also available for people to look at and handle bees. OBA wildflower seeds, bee themed stickers, OBA bee information and candy were offered to the public free of charge.Debi Brimacombe wrote the hilarious and educational script for the pollinator fashion show, complimented by a soundtrack by Robin Gill. They also created multiple colorful bee costumes for the Pollinator Fashion Show. Bees represented: Silky green Agapostemon virescens (played by Robin Gill) , cowboy/cowgirl fuzzy long -horned Melissodes (Played by Cat & Jim Brake), sleek red Nomada (Played by Julie Hird), and the groovy blue Ceratina (Played by Debi Brimbacombe).Over 100 people stopped by to talk about their experiences with bees, get information, and make crafts. It was a delightful day!
Central Oregon
OBA members are everywhere! Your editor was delighted to find long-time OBA member Jerry Freilich narrating the raptor show at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. Afterwards, Jerry shared his insect collection, including plenty of bees, with an interested crowd.
Rubber Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa)- PandG - the Petersons
Rabbitbrush is home to many interesting and specialist bees. In order to get an accurate species identification, be sure to photograph the flowers from the side, just like this one.
What’s blooming
Combing through iNaturalist over the last week, we note our volunteers have come across some great plants on the hit list or have found bees in areas of special interest. You should be able to revisit these sites. Remember to check the permit requirements for these sites in Canvas.
Scorpionweeds (Genus Phacelia) — Judith Maxwell, Rogue River-Siskiyou Nat’l Forest (August 3)
Common Madia (Madia elegans) — Robin Gill, Scappoose, OR (Aug 8)
Oregon Gumplant (Grindelia stricta) — Rebecca Cheek, Seal Rock, OR (Aug 8)
Please remember to include images of the flower, the leaves, and the entire plant with all your submissions. Only include images of the plants you collect on, not bees, in the Oregon Bee Atlas (Plant Images/Sample ID) project.
miscellany (not to be missed)
Catch A Buzz: August 1,2023 Summary submitted by the brilliant Martha Richards
Karen's presentation has left me dazed and amazed and as you might expect, I'm not going to even try to summarize it beyond saying "Go watch it for yourself and be prepared to hit rewind a few times to take it all in!"
Yes, Karen Wright, director of the Washington Bee Atlas, wowed us all with her presentation on the evolution of diet breadth in the genus Melissodes. Run, don’t walk, to your nearest computer and watch it HERE.
Instructions for Donating to the oba
Would you like to help ensure the future of the OBA with a donation to the endowment fund? Start by clicking HERE and in the “I want to give to…” field, start typing “Jerry & Judith Paul Native Pollinator Endowment” and it should pop right up. Be sure to select this exact destination for your funds to get it in the right place. And thank you in advance!
Photo credits (all photos not credited are by Carol Yamada or Ellen Silva)
Header photo and Hoplitis louisae: August Jackson
Lake County: Martha Richards
Columbia County events photos submitted by Robin Gill