Posts Tagged: pear

'A' is for Almonds and 'B' is for Bees and Bradford Pear Blossoms

No, it's not Valentine's Day, yet. Yes, the almonds are blooming. No, it's not spring. But it looks like spring in Benicia. The almonds are blooming in the Benicia (Calif.) State Recreation Area. Some are on the road at the entrance to the...

Benicia resident Gordon Hough captured this image of a bee nectaring on a Pyrus calleryana (Bradford pear or another cultivar) at the Benicia State Recreation Area on Monday, Jan. 21, as identified by Daniel Potter, UC Davis professor of plant sciences.

Benicia resident Gordon Hough captured this image of a bee nectaring on a Pyrus calleryana (Bradford pear or another cultivar) at the Benicia State Recreation Area on Monday, Jan. 21, as identified by Daniel Potter, UC Davis professor of plant sciences.

Almonds are blooming in Benicia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Almonds are blooming in Benicia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Predator and the Pest

So here's this praying mantis perched on top of a prickly pear cactus. It's early morning and she's hungry. A cabbage white butterfly, looking like a white-gowned princess in a medieval palace, flutters by and pauses on the prickly pear to seek some...

Breakfast! A hungry praying mantis eyes a cabbage white butterfly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Breakfast! A hungry praying mantis eyes a cabbage white butterfly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

With a lightning strike, the praying mantis grasps the cabbage white butterfly with its spiked forelegs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

With a lightning strike, the praying mantis grasps the cabbage white butterfly with its spiked forelegs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Holding it up like a trophy, the praying mantis begins to eat. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Holding it up like a trophy, the praying mantis begins to eat. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The praying mantis concentrates on breakfast. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The praying mantis concentrates on breakfast. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Finished! Breakfast is over. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Finished! Breakfast is over. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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