Bug Hike! Tuesday March 3rd
It’s finally warm and dry enough to start up the Bug Hikes again! This upcoming Tuesday, March 3rd, we’ll be hitting the trail at 11:30. This is a bit later than our usual times, but for the Burke Williams folks, it will allow for an hour of leeway for those attending the development meeting. Be prepared for warm and sunny weather!
Date and Time: March 3rd at 11:30 am
Location: 438 Coleman Ave, San Jose, CA, 95110
If you do not see me and I haven’t sent out a notice about me being late, I’m likely inside the visitor center. It tends to be keep the doors closed and locked even when they are technically open to the public. Either ring the bell, email, or text me. If you see BJ’s across the street you are in the right place.
What we’ll be doing:
We’re first going to start at a spot right behind the visitors center that was very popular with pollinators last year and see what we can find. Then we will turn back and cross the street to another side of the trail where we will be catching insects, Id’ing plants, and spotting birds.
I have two small glass jars, big enough for most species we come across, and one butterfly net. Feel free to bring any tools to assist with capture and identification including jars, cameras, and nets. If you are hopeful about catching a Darner (A type of large Dragonfly) I highly recommended a decent sized wide lipped jar.
IMPORTANT!!
We only practice capture and release and try to reduce harm as much as possible, so keep that in mind during capture sessions
For their safety, we will avoid netting Monarchs entirely, but if we spot them, don’t be afraid to point them out! Hopefully we’ll spot caterpillars on the Mexican Whorled Milkweed behind the visitor center
No Bug spray. This will make insect interactions difficult, and can harm beneficial insect species in the area. If you feel you do need it, avoid sprays with DEET
Recommended Apps to help with Identification
If you want to come extra prepared, help out with Identification, and even contribute to Citizen science, I recommend you download these apps. Keep in mind none of these are 100% and benefit from community input.
I-Naturalist - This app’s greatest strength is also it’s greatest flaw. It has a system that helps you Identify species, but sometimes those Identifications are close, but not quite right. The nice thing is you can compare suggestions, narrow down as far as you feel comfortable (you could literally just list something as “Life” can upload it), and community members will generally come in and correct any mistakes you make, often experts within that field.
Merlin Bird ID - As the name implies, this app is perfect for identifying birds. It doesn’t best with Sound and Step by Step Identification. When you press record it will highlight and identify bird calls in real time. If you saw a bird and can describe it generally, Step by Step Identification can help you narrow down to the right bird, even if you didn’t get a picture.
Seek - This app is directly connected to I-Naturalist’s database and so has similar benefits and flaws. It’s fun, because it has challenges and you can earn badges. I find it works best with plants, but even then, it really struggles to stay focused long. While you bend and turn like you’re playing outdoor twister, the app may grace you with an exact species, or curse you with a broad classification such as Dicot.