Lazy summer days

Pollination, you're doin' it right!

This bee was found a few days ago busily pollinating this Black-eyed Susan. Look how covered in pollen it is!
Speaking of busy, I'm glad someone is busy around here. Me, I've been sitting on my duff reading books and paddling around a lake, exerting very little effort to do much else. Isn't vacation grand?!  I haven't even had my camera out very much.

As you can see in the background behind this Ox-eye Daisy, the dock leads your eye to the beautiful clear water...



Dragonflies and damselflies are plentiful here, and big Dragon Hunters fly over the lake in search of easy prey. When they get tired, they like to land on the knee of an unsuspecting kayak paddler and take a little rest.

Unidentified (I didn't bring my field guide) damselfly resting on the dock. Beautiful.


I HOPE to get back on a regular blogging schedule soon. I hope you all are having a wonderful summer!

Macro critters

I still have lots of photos to share from our trip to Michigan, but there are some other things sitting in "the vault" that I want to address while they're still somewhat fresh in my mind.

For example, in late June I spent one afternoon after work taking a tour around parts of the Ohio University campus in search of gorgeous flowers to photograph. I was not disappointed, and I've already shared some of my flower photos over on my other blog (see Flower Power, parts 1 and 2), but I also want to share some of the critters I encountered on that afternoon.

Of course flowers attract all kinds of insects...

...like this Sulphur on Echinacea (I'm not sure if it's a Common Sulphur or Orange Sulphur).
click to enlarge for the best view

I came across an interesting group of plantings that included succulents and pitcher plants. Pitcher plants are carnivorous.


Looks like this plant was in the beginning stages of a meal.


My very basic understanding of how pitcher plants work is that the insects are supposed to get lured within the pitcher where they will get trapped in a small pool of liquid which will gradually dissolve them. This particular bee seemed to already be dead (or stunned?) though, so I'm not sure how it would actually have made it down into the pitcher. I didn't want to touch the bee, but I did blow on it a little, and it offered no response, so that's why I assume it was either stunned or dead. If anyone out there knows the specific mechanics of pitcher plant food consumption, I'd love to hear about it or to be directed to a resource.

Stumbled across this frog in a pond. In one of my attempts to get closer to him I startled him and he hopped across the vegetation and ended up hiding himself pretty well!


And finally, a dragonfly (possibly a female Common Whitetail?).

I'll share some more of my flower photos from this outing soon!