i know you didn't- i'm a careful reader. it's just that the very variation of circumstances you describe made me think of that wider context. love the messages and paintings in any case!
glad to see the comment relating to climate change -- my first thought was, if a desert becomes more deserty-y and is subjected to more flash flooding, longer-term flooding (the "lake" in Death Valley, for instance) - then in what ways will these changes affect this whole process you describe. I can't imagine it would be positive for any and all concerned! and tnx for the comment on anthropomorphizing processes and terminology. came just in time before I was going to write some snippy comment about terminal cuteness - but was spared!
I made no comment on climate change. Desert climates are notoriously variable, with the variance usually far greater than the mean. More specifically, the Southwestern deserts have been drying for most of the Holocene. The Great Basin used to be a parklike woodland with large lakes, but now consists of desert basins with dry lake beds. Even in the 19th century, some of those lakes were still marshes. A few lakes still exist. But who knows what the fate of the Southwest is? With such a variable climate, it is not easy to detect real trends.
I've seen bees cutting open the sides of flowers to get at nectar they couldn't otherwise reach, but I never thought about how this behavior might interfere with pollination. Thanks for sharing your penchant for looking deeper.
The commonality of nature vs the human race seems to be beauty, cleverness and survival but we go overboard and chop the plant down to “develop” land and risk the survival of nature. And Florida’s government still refuses to acknowledge the escalating effects of climate change. This late winter/early spring in rural north Florida is short on wildflowers, insects and birds. Though I do hear barred owls, pileated woodpeckers, Carolina wrens and see a few small anole lizards.
Nature will survive, no matter what, but it will be different than what we are familiar with. Best just to watch the pageant. Florida government isn't responsible for the climate, no matter how much anyone wishes. I'm glad you like the photos and drawings, and enjoy the birds and lizards.
I can see why you might feel that way. Reasoned problem solving is certainly an aspect of intelligence, but it's hard to know if the bees got there by trial and error or by figuring it out from a knowledge of flower structure. Of course, humans are "intelligence Chauvinists." In the Big Picture, intelligence is only one of a huge range of adaptations.
Late to the party. My apologies and also appreciation of this essay and also the comments which always constitute a welcome annotation.
Moving from bees and birds to ants! Walter did you get wind of the Aussie's losing war against fire ants?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/mar/04/australian-program-to-eradicate-red-fire-ants-is-a-shambles-senate-inquiry-told/
You should have been called in as an expert advisor!
i know you didn't- i'm a careful reader. it's just that the very variation of circumstances you describe made me think of that wider context. love the messages and paintings in any case!
glad to see the comment relating to climate change -- my first thought was, if a desert becomes more deserty-y and is subjected to more flash flooding, longer-term flooding (the "lake" in Death Valley, for instance) - then in what ways will these changes affect this whole process you describe. I can't imagine it would be positive for any and all concerned! and tnx for the comment on anthropomorphizing processes and terminology. came just in time before I was going to write some snippy comment about terminal cuteness - but was spared!
I made no comment on climate change. Desert climates are notoriously variable, with the variance usually far greater than the mean. More specifically, the Southwestern deserts have been drying for most of the Holocene. The Great Basin used to be a parklike woodland with large lakes, but now consists of desert basins with dry lake beds. Even in the 19th century, some of those lakes were still marshes. A few lakes still exist. But who knows what the fate of the Southwest is? With such a variable climate, it is not easy to detect real trends.
I've seen bees cutting open the sides of flowers to get at nectar they couldn't otherwise reach, but I never thought about how this behavior might interfere with pollination. Thanks for sharing your penchant for looking deeper.
Your drawing and photos are beautiful.
The commonality of nature vs the human race seems to be beauty, cleverness and survival but we go overboard and chop the plant down to “develop” land and risk the survival of nature. And Florida’s government still refuses to acknowledge the escalating effects of climate change. This late winter/early spring in rural north Florida is short on wildflowers, insects and birds. Though I do hear barred owls, pileated woodpeckers, Carolina wrens and see a few small anole lizards.
Nature will survive, no matter what, but it will be different than what we are familiar with. Best just to watch the pageant. Florida government isn't responsible for the climate, no matter how much anyone wishes. I'm glad you like the photos and drawings, and enjoy the birds and lizards.
Maybe calling it "intelligence" is problematic, but the way pieces of the natural world fit together and work together feels like intelligence to me.
I can see why you might feel that way. Reasoned problem solving is certainly an aspect of intelligence, but it's hard to know if the bees got there by trial and error or by figuring it out from a knowledge of flower structure. Of course, humans are "intelligence Chauvinists." In the Big Picture, intelligence is only one of a huge range of adaptations.
A truly fascinating insight into a natural event I was not aware occurred. Do we have parallels here?
Yes, nectar robbing is not limited to the Borrego Desert, but is widespread.