Macro
Hummingbird Moth Caterpillar
This monster caterpillar was found decimating the primrose patch in our flowerbed. It is a Hummingbird Moth Caterpillar.
This bad boy, complete with dangerious looking spike on his tail, was about 4-inches long.
It took a bit of research online by my wife, Sara, to identify this particular species. The hummingbird moth is a large moth that is often mistaken for hummingbirds because they are about the same size and flit from flower to flower like hummingbirds.
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In Praise of Yellow
On a recent hike through the woods, I was delighted to find a variety of wildflowers. These are some of my favorites from that day.
The one flower seems to be raising a hand in praise of the creator. (Or, maybe just hoping to get noticed.)
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Bodacious!
My wife’s flowerbeds add a variety of shapes and colors to our yard. These bold, red lilies seem to be in their prime and showing off.
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Plum Rose
A floral beauty. The delicate placement of petals and the plum color captured my eye.
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Serendipity
Looking back over the past several posts, I thought it was time for a bit of floral beauty. These cosmos brighten up the edge of our garden.
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Technicolor Throne
This skipper moth was overlooking the splendor of his kingdom from the comfort of his technicolor throne, a purple cone flower.
This is a photo taken on our recent vacation. This image came from a flowerbed just outside the gift shop of the Topeka Zoo. While the rest of our party went to look through the shop, I stayed outside to snap more photos.
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Graceful End
The delicate dandelion blossom in its last stages. The dandelion, like other members of the Asteraceae family, has very small flowers collected together in a composite flower head. Each single flower in a head is called a floret.
It seems every photographer has a dandelion photo…and this is mine. They do make interesting subjects.
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Star of Bethlehem
These flowers serve as cheerful, early spring greeters at the entrance of the Algoma Public Library.
I did an internet search to identify them as Star of Bethlehem.
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Simple Spring
While walking through a swampy area of woods, I stumbled upon this simple, single flower. The bright area behind the flower is daylight reflecting off a wet area. I don’t know what kind of flower it was, but it was small. This bloom was only about the size of a thumbnail.
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Tiny Surprise
Danger lurks here! When I took this photo on a walk through the woods, I saw only a nice collection of wild violets. It wasn’t until I viewed this image on my computer that I noticed the tiny crab spider hiding in the bloom on the left.
Crab spiders don’t make webs. They hide, often in flowers, waiting for unsuspecting insects to be drawn by the flower’s nectar or pollen.
I’ve posted photos of crab spiders before – even with a short video of one trying grab lunch – that can be viewed HERE.
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