Tuliptree Blossom with Guest
Another Day at Work
Apis Workers' Party
Predator
Some of Your Beeswax
Sedum Bumbler
Look of Defiance
Chicory Bee
Bumbling Bees
Garden Cafe
Buzz By Here - To Infinity and Beyond
Pick Your Poison
Blind Side Attack
On a Mission
Honey Bee on Sedum
Covering the Cosmos
Center of the Cosmos
Three's a Crowd
Popular Spot
On A Pedestal
Big Harry Fireworks Display
To Impress the Girl
Different Perspective
Sweet Ride
Perfect Little Piggies B&W
Flipping the Light Fantastic
Festival of Flights
To the Crowd's Delight
Amish Go Round
Wondersome One
The Stars In Her Eyes
Tuesday's Child
Sleeper Hold
Considering the Next Move
Sugar and Spice
Front Porch Portrait
Caged Competitor
Early Adoration
Child In the Ligtht
Stroll Through the Weeds
Attention Grabbing
Eye Contact
On the Line
Eyes of Wonder
Rounding the Curve
Troubadours of Basin Spring Park
Down by the Creek
Sun Day
Catching Some Light
EAA Fireworks
Hear Me Roar
Flowers
Bird’s Foot Trefoil
This is a flower known as Bird’s Foot Trefoil. This is a close-up, top-view of one of tiny flower clusters – about the size of a quarter. It has been growing extremely well in our area this year during our very dry summer we are having. It’s a plant that grows in bright yellow clumps, low to ground. I’ve always considered a pretty wildflower, but most consider it a weed in these parts.
According to Wikipedia…
It is a perennial herbaceous plant, similar in appearance to some clovers. The flowers develop into small pea-like pods or legumes. The name ‘bird’s foot’ refers to the appearance of the seed pods on their stalk. There are five leaflets, but with the central three held conspicuously above the others, hence the use of the name trefoil.
It is used in agriculture as a forage plant, grown for pasture, hay, and silage. It may be used as an alternative to alfalfa in poor soils. It has become an invasive species in some regions of North America and Australia.
The plant has had many common names, which are now mostly out of use. These names were often connected with the yellow and orange colour of the flowers, e.g. Butter and Eggs. One name that is still used is Eggs and Bacon.
To see a larger version of this image, click on it.
Fixin’ to Bloom
In photography, sometimes lighting is everything.
This is simple Queen Anne’s Lace. It is just beginning to open up to that flat base of tiny white flowers.
The lighting and color of the background are what make this a worthwhile post. The light was provided by a rising sun. The background is a simple concrete wall – the foundation of our home.
This kind of lighting is why the times around sunrise and sunset are called the “Golden Hour” in photography.
To see a larger version and more detail, simply click on the image.
Garden Svengali
This butterfly struck a perfect pose for this portrait shot. He was a handsome specimen. Still, I’m not sure which I find more interesting, the butterfly or the flower he is perched on.
Hands Lifted High
This is an example of unusual light creating an unusually lovely image. This sparse bunch of Phlox were being illuminated by the muted light of very low sun in the early morning.
There were Phlox bunches filled with many more blooms, but the cool color of these few caught my eye.
Get a better look at a larger version by clicking on the photo.
Ugly Bug Feast
My camera and I spent a warm summer morning roaming the woods of northwest Missouri.
I found small clearing with some wildflowers, including a number of beautiful Queen Ann’s Lace. On one bunch of Queen Ann’s Lace I spotted a black wasp with distinctive white stripes. It was easy to see the bed of white.
Upon closer inspection, it was obvious the wasp had died there Then I noticed a smaller, ugly bug gnawing on it’s leg. It took some searching and help from a friend to identify it as an Ambush Bug.
I watched it for awhile and saw the ambush bug try to carry the wasp off, but seemed unable. I think the wasps legs were stuck in the flower bed.
I made it a point to check back the next day and couldn’t find any sign of either parties.
To see a larger version of any of these images, simply click on them.
Bold and Beautiful (monochrome)
Sometimes I like taking a favorite color photo and removing the color – making it monochrome – to see how the change affects the image. There are times when the B&W version is better…and times when it is not. This is a monochrome version of Bold and Beautiful. You can look and both and decide which you like better – color or B&W. I like aspects of both and would call this one a toss up.
Click on the image to see a larger version.
Popular Spot
Flowers are blooming and the bees are buzzing. This proved to be a popular spot in the meadow. Honey bees and bumble bees were frequenting this clump of purple spiderswort. It was early morning – maybe 6:30 (notice the dew still on the plants) – and they were already hard at it.
To get this shot, I put my camera on a tripod and simply focused on a colorful, well lit clump of flowers and waited. When a bee would enter into the scene, I would start clicking. The bees you see here are exactly how I photographed them…but they were never in the shot together. Since the focus and framing never changed, it was easy to combine the various bees from separate images into one.
To get a better view of the image details, click on it and a larger version will open in another tab.
Bold and Beautiful
These bold, big-as-all-outdoors flowers remind me of purple cone flowers. I’m not sure they are cone flowers because the petals don’t slope downward. I’m not an expert, I just appreciate the beauty.
These beauties were photographed in the center of the circular entrance to the Kraft Building at the Green Lake Conference Center, Green Lake, Wisconsin.
To see a larger version, click on the photo.
Garden Party
I went to a garden party to reminisce with my old friends
A chance to share old memories and play our songs again
Rick Nelson
These are the some of the regulars who frequent the birdbath and feeders in our yard. The yellow ones are male American Goldfinches. The other three are House Finches – the males having the red coloring.
In the interest of full disclosure – I never got more than three of them to belly up to the bar at one time, so a little Pops Digital magic was needed to fill up the spaces.
To get a better view, click on the image and you’ll see a larger version.
Unassuming Charm
“Thou unassuming Commonplace Of Nature.” ~ William Wordsworth
This has been a banner year for daisies in our yard. They seem to be popping up everywhere. It’s also been a good year for the orange hawk weed you see in the background.
To view this photo in a larger size, click on it.