Nine participants completed this week's survey. It was cool and sunny, although the presence of hoarfrost (see below) early on indicated pockets of freezing temperatures near the ground. The pollen-dusted blow fly, shown below on Elbow-bush, is indicative of the fact that flies are the second most important group of insect pollinators, after bees. Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: Odocoileus virginianus (white-tailed deer shed antler) photo by Val Bugh Centruroides vittatus (striped bark scorpion with parasitic mites) photo by Val Bugh Phormia regina (black blow fly) photo by Val Bugh Efferia sp. (robber fly eating leafhopper) photo by Val Bugh Unknown sp. (fly, just emerged from puparium) photo by Val Bugh Enallagma civile (familiar bluet) photo by Val Bugh Pasimachus californicus (ground beetle) photo by Val Bugh Junonia coenia (common buckeye larva) photo by Val Bugh Vanessa atalanta (red admiral) photo by Dan Zinn Phyciodes tharos (pearl crescent) photo by Val Bugh Callophrys henrici (Henry's elfin) photo by Val Bugh Callophrys gryneus (juniper hairstreak) photo by Val Bugh Colias eurytheme (orange sulphur) photo by Val Bugh Pyrgus philetas (desert checkered-skipper) photo by Val Bugh Geococcyx californianus (greater roadrunner) photo by Harriett Wolf Spizella pusilla (field sparrow) photo by Barbara Ribble Melospiza lincolnii (Lincoln's sparrow) photo by Barbara Ribble hoarfrost on leaf photo by Val Bugh Birds: American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) American Robin (Turdus migratorius) Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus) Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica) White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) Mammals: Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), tracks & shed antler Amphibians: Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandiera) Misc.: Julid Millipede (Aniulus sp.) Pillbug (Armadillidium vulgare) Striped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus) Mite (Leptus sp.) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   nymphalidae   Vanessa atalanta   Red Admiral       Junonia coenia   Common Buckeye (adult & larva)       Phyciodes tharos   Pearl Crescent       Danaus gilippus   Queen       Agraulis vanillae   Gulf Fritillary    pieridae   Colias eurytheme   Orange Sulphur       Nathalis iole   Dainty Sulphur       Anthocharis midea   Falcate Orangetip    lycaenidae   Callophrys henrici   Henry's Elfin       Callophrys gryneus   Juniper Hairstreak    hesperiidae   Pyrgus philetas   Desert Checkered-skipper       Erynnis juvenalis   Juvenal's Duskywing    noctuidae   Psychomorpha epimenis   Grapevine Epimenis    geometridae   Digrammia pallidata   Moth       Digrammia californiaria   Moth       Lycia ypsilon   Woolly Gray       Phigalia strigataria   Small Phigalia       Psamatodes abydata   Dot-lined Angle    crambidae   Diastictis fracturalis   Moth    elachistidae   Ethmia semilugens   Ethmia Moth    lacturidae   Lactura sp.   Moth coleoptera   coccinellidae   Coccinella septempunctata   Seven-spotted Lady Beetle    carabidae   Pasimachus californicus   Ground Beetle homoptera   cicadellidae   Exitianus exitiosus   Leafhopper hymenoptera   apidae   Apis mellifera   Honey Bee    megachilidae   Osmia ribifloris   Mason Bee    formicidae   Solenopsis invicta   Imported Fire Ant diptera   syrphidae   Copestylum avidum   Flower Fly       Eristalis sp.   Flower Fly       Toxomerus marginatus   Flower Fly    asilidae   Efferia sp.   Robber Fly    anthomyiidae   Unknown sp.   Root Maggot Fly    calliphoridae   Phormia regina   Black Blow Fly    unknown family   Unknown sp.   Fly (teneral)    tipulidae   Tipula sp.   Crane Fly    chironomidae   Unknown sp.   Midge odonata   coenagrionidae   Enallagma civile   Familiar Bluet orthoptera   acrididae   Schistocerca sp.   Bird Grasshopper       Lactista aztecus   Aztec Bandwing dermaptera   anisolabididae   Euborellia sp.   Earwig isoptera   rhinotermitidae   Reticulitermes sp.   Subterranean Termite neuroptera   myrmeleontidae   Myrmeleon sp.   Antlion (larva) araneae   lycosidae   Schizocosa sp.   Wolf Spider       Pardosa sp.   Wolf Spider       Rabidosa rabida   Rabid Wolf Spider    gnaphosidae   Unknown sp.   Ground Spider    tetragnathidae   Tetragnatha laboriosa   Silver Longjawed Orbweaver