Location: Lower Pine Creek Prior Weather: Rain off and on in the prior weeks. Coldish, then hot. Participants: Tom Jones Time of Day: Morning Species Seen: Big Rabbitbrush, Silver Sagebrush, Saltbush, some kinda Fleabane.

The fall bloom has been pretty good this year, and it was well-past time for me to get out and shoot some photos. But... well, I didn't FEEL LIKE IT! But the least I could do was spend an hour at Lower Pine Creek, and see if I could get the main species on pixels. The weather had been quite good for flowers. We had a considerable monsoon period in August, though Zion missed getting clobbered - perfect for the plants, a little rain now and then. Early September had been cool, and now the last week in September was unseasonably hot! The forecast ahead was of rain for a week, so this might be the last chance to get the Fall Bloom in its prime. And then there is the pollen. I know the Rabbitbrush is in bloom before I even see it, by the blockage in my sinuses!!! First up, just some 'best pictures' from this particular shoot. Rabbitbrush is a very, very common shrub in southern Utah. It looks like just yellow ends of big shrub. Looking closely, each end is a five-star flower. In this shot, a bee is hanging out on the flower. She did not move, so I really do not know if she was still alive. CLICK FOR LARGER PICTURE

Two beetles enjoying the Rabbitbrush, and each other. There were a lot of these pairs. CLICK FOR LARGER PICTURE

Here's the full frame that held both those last two images.

Also common amongst the Rabbitbrush were these spiny flies. CLICK FOR LARGER PICTURE

This, I think, the seed head of a Hoary Zionaster... but who knows. Just a neat form.

Well, we have to finally doing some botanizing. Here is the main species - a view of the overall bush, about 4 feet tall. Big rabbitbrush - Ericameria nauseosus :: Composite family - Asteraceae Ruth Ashton (Plants of Zion National Park, 1976, ISBN 0915630001) has it listed as Big rabbitbrush - Chrysothamnus nauseosus glabratus - but the classification has changed since 1976.

Progressively closer views of the flower clusters.

These hairy looking flies (ID'd by Rick "Turtleraft" as the Spiny Tachinid Fly - Paradejeania rutilioides) were drinking the nectar from each of the little flowers.