Critters behind DNA building

Just some photos I took behind the DNA building this afternoon when I came outside to eat my lunch.

First woolly bear I saw this season crossing the parking lot.  I saw a (squished) one while I was biking home later in the day.

Nice day today - sunny and not too cold.


Asters and goldenrods.


I thought the cold nights lately would affect most insects, but some are survivors!  European honey bee (Apis mellifera) visiting asters.

Another one.

Saw a jumping spider impressively hopped along the trail.

Saw this enormous bumble bee (relative to the honey bees) - it was about 1.5 times larger than a honey bee.  Using this guide, I think it was either a Northern amber bumble bee (Bombus borealis) or a Yellow bumble bee (B. fervidus), but the yellow face suggested it was a B. borealis.

Here it was, foraging next to a honey bee.