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
Spring
Winged Wonder
On a walk along the trails of Door County’s Potawatomi State Park (near Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin) I encountered some of the strangest bugs I’ve ever seen. There were a number of these bugs on a tree. They were not easily spooked, so they were easy to photograph.
The large image is a shot looking up the tree – as the bug was facing down. It looks like a rather unique bug…but not so much different than a lot of flying bugs. The thing that makes this the strangest bug I’ve come across is how it lays it’s eggs.
The bug’s body was about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in length. Those strands that arch up over it’s abdomen (the back end), were inserted into the tree. (Better seen in the side view.) When I finally saw one move, it pulled those strands out and they were three to four times the over all length of the bug’s body. It was like watching some very small-scale version of an space alien movie monster.
It took quite a bit of Googling to figure out what this bug is. According to www.exploretheoutdoorsohio.com this is the giant ichneumon wasp (Megarhyssa macrurus). Those long things are called an ovipositor. It inserts them into the dead wood of a tree, in search of one thing: the larva of another wasp, the pigeon tremex horntail (Tremex columba). It can detect the wasp larva’s movements in the wood, locate it, and then lay an egg next to the larva. Once the ichneumon wasp has done this, it will then sting the horntail larva, paralyzing it. Later, the ichneumon wasp larva will hatch and devour the horntail wasp, and continue to grow to adulthood.
I didn’t realize this was a wasp. Lucky for me, it is harmless to humans! The article I read said, “If you’re walking in the woods and come upon some dead trees in a sunny area, search around a bit and you might be lucky enough to find one.”
You can view a larger version of either photo by clicking on them.
Spring’s Serenade (textured effect)
I’ve been fiddling with my images lately. (You might have noticed yesterday’s post – Morning Friends)
This image was originally posted last April (see Spring’s Serenade). When I first posted it I shared it with some friends and mentioned I thought it would be a perfect image for a textured effect. Well, I finally got around to trying one on.
It changes the feel of the bright, vivid original image. You should look at both and see which you prefer.
If you have a large monitor, you can view a larger version of this image by clicking on it.
Little Bird Dreams
Only a few hours out of the shell, these newly hatched Tree Swallows are resting comfortably. The parents build feather-lined nests in the bluebird houses we have around our yard. In just a few days, those little black marks will become feathers. This nest will quickly become crowded because they grow amazingly fast.
Click the photo to see an enlarged version.
Poppy’s Purple Passion
This time of year you’ll see me post a lot of flowers. After the long winter, they are hard to resist.
This is a close -up of the very first Poppy to pop in Sara’s flower bed. I took the photo two days ago and it’s already gone – the victim of a strong breeze. However, there are several others that have taken it’s place.
Poppies are some of our favorites. I suspect I’ll post more before the blooming is done.
Click the photo to see a larger version.
Dandy Among Daisies
I greatly enjoy Macro photography. I love looking at small things up close because you see so much that usually goes unnoticed. This flower is a perfect example.
Who knew the humble dandelion was so intricate and delicate and, dare I say, beautiful? I found this common dandelion in our yard by a clump of emerging daisies. (That white spot to the right of the dandelion is a daisy bud about to burst open.) I was surprised at what I saw when I brought the image up on the computer screen.
Get an even better look by clicking on the image.
Simple Pleasure
Here’s another wildflower from the forest floor. Delicate…simple…natural beauty.
Click on the photo to view a larger version.
Behind the Scenes
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Often times, we “behold” obvious beauty and neglect to look further. I try to see beyond the obvious and look at subjects from different angles. I can spend a lot of time photographing a small flower like this – shooting above it, below it, one side or the other, and in this case, behind it – just trying to catch just the right angle.
Out of half a dozen or so images of this particular bloom, the shot from behind turned out to be the most appealing to me. From behind, the sunlight falling on the front of the flower gives it an iridescent quality from the back. From this angle you also pick up the very fine strands of spider web that would go unnoticed from the front.
Unrequited Love
This was a quirky combination. Start with new sprouts on this very young tree. Add it’s location; growing next to the one remaining strand of old barbed-wire fence. Top it off with some unusual light.
It was enough to make me stop, stare and snap. I thought it would work best as a high-contrast, monochrome image.
This is another image gathered while tromping through the woodlands not far from out home.
Click the photo to see a larger version.
Wild Yellows
As we tromped through the woodlands in search of morel mushrooms, these yellow flowers caught my eye. I found a couple pockets of them in a marshy area.
The late afternoon light was hitting them at the right angle to make them stand out.
Get a closer view by clicking on the image.
Early Bird Breakfast for Two
Our pair of Eastern Bluebirds enjoy a breakfast of juicy mealworms every morning. This scene seems to suggest a little friendly competition between the sexes. Notice them holding up their worms to see who snagged the most sumptuous fare.
To get a better look at those worms, I suggest you click on the photo.