The other day I saw a yellow flash land in a nice cedar tree. Thinking it was an unusual insect I quickly went over to get a look. Alas, it was not a new insect but a Honey Bee and to say this one was covered in pollen might be an understatement. This little bee could hard fly with the load they had acquired. After a few minutes of rest they slowly lifted off and headed back to the hive. A job well done.
We typically see only a few Preying Mantis each summer either while out hiking or in our garden. Last week, while out on a hike, we saw numerous Mantids and each one matched the specific grasses they resided in. The Mantid above was in grasses that were a mix of green and brown and the Mantid was green and brown.
While the Mantid above resided in fresh green grass.
This Mantids above were right at home in a field of brown.
We even got a look at one Mantid hanging upside down.
Photographed in Denver, CO
Prickly Poppies are a wonderful wildflower to have around. On our daily walks we can rest assured we will find some in bloom. Once found, we can stop for a moment and enjoy the show as beetles, bees and ants do their work pollinating these delicate flowers. Even now, as fall approaches and most of the other wildflowers have lost their blooms, a few Prickly Poppies are still going strong.
They a treat for they eyes, like little whipped cream sundaes with a cherries on top.
Those little prickles protect such delicate yet tough flowers.
I am looking forward to see how long they continue blooming into the fall.
https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/argemone_pleiacantha.shtml
Denver, CO
A Female American Goldfinch enjoying the Thistle on a cloudy summer afternoon.
An Ornate Checkered Beetle climbs the milkweed in search of pollen and his efforts are fully rewarded.
While checking out the Coneflowers the other day we came across this really cool insect called an Assassin bug.
At one point we found them stalking prey in their world of flowers. The other insect noticed the Assassin on their trail and quickly hopped away avoiding becoming a meal.
Assassin Bugs are ambush hunters that use their long rostrum to inject digestive enzymes into their prey. Their bite is said to be quite painful yet without long term consequences.
So from now on I will be keeping my eyes open and hands a safe distance from this guys home in the coneflowers as summer carries on.
Some guys just know that they have the stuff to get the ladies and this is one of those guys…The Charmer. There were numerous Red Winged Blackbirds on the pond this day all strutting there stuff but to my untrained eye, heck i’m a human not a female Red Winged Blackbird, this guy just stood out.
He sang his song like no others birds on the pond and with a style non could match.
When he finished singing he put his brilliant red wings on display which none of the other males were doing. Most just sang and sang.
Yes…this guy knows he is The Charmer.
A male Yellow Rumped Warbler of the Myrtle variety give us both a right and left profile as we followed him through the woods as he passed through our area on his spring migration. These little guys only hang around for a few weeks so it was nice albeit frustrating at times to get a little looks as these every busy and moving little birds.
This little fuzzball is just learning to fly and hence spent a bit of time on the ground this day.
Yesterday these two Barn Swallows were hanging out on a fence near a lake where we took an afternoon walk. Nice to see them back in town and their colors are sure vibrant right now. Soon after these photos were shot they took off and were buzzing around the lake hunting for bugs which is always an amazing sight to observe.
