I love these mountain pools in Shenandoah National Park. This one is downstream from Dark Hollow Falls but you can find scenes like this throughout the park.
Click on the image to see a larger version of the photograph.
Daisy Fleabane
This daisy fleabane was blooming along a hiking trail in Shenandoah National Park at the end of May.
Knowing “bane” loosely means something that is hated by or makes something’s existence more difficult, I thought fleabane was an interesting name for a wildflower so I looked it up. Folklore has it these plants can be dried and used to keep fleas away. That explains the name.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Vivid
Traditions De France
During the walking part of my commute through Old Town Alexandria I kept my eyes open for vivid images. Normally I walk on the same side of the street as Traditions De France so I pass right by without really seeing it. Viewed from across the street it really does make for a vivid image.
Blackberry Blossoms
The bees in Shenandoah National Park were busy pollinating blackberry blossoms growing along the Dark Hollow Falls trail when I was last there.
Weekly Photo Challenge – On The Way
Island Of Wildflowers
On the way to Dark Hollow Falls, in Shenandoah National Park, I noticed this tiny “island” of wildflowers and moss growing in the stream.
If you click on the image you can see a much larger version of it.
Supper Time!
The first few years I had a bluebird box in the yard it remained empty. Then, just as I was thinking of taking it down, a pair of Eastern Bluebirds nested in it. Since then we’ve had bluebirds nest in the box every year, producing multiple broods. The female pictured here is feeding one of the juveniles from the first brood of this season. If the past is any indication we should get at least another two broods this summer.
VMFA Water Lilies
The water lilies were in full bloom at the Virginia Museum Of Fine Arts (VMFA) on Mother’s Day.
Aphid Nightmare
This family of aphids watches helplessly as one of their clan is ruthlessly devoured by their arch enemy, the ladybird beetle (aka ladybug). When you look at a ladybug it’s easy to forget they are savage predators.
Spider Wasp on Lance-Leaved Goldenrod
Here’s another wasp I’m not quite sure I correctly identified. I believe it is a Spider Wasp. Regardless, it was one of the pollinators that shared their meadow with me in early September. Like other wasps and bees I’ve photographed, this one didn’t seem to pay any attention to my presence. Perhaps because I was sitting still and it approached me rather than the other way around.
From what I’ve read Spider Wasps can be aggressive and have quite a painful sting. I guess it’s a good thing it didn’t mind me being there.
Eastern Carpenter Bee Landing On Thin-Leaved Sunflower
During a photo outing to shoot wildflowers I decided to take a few backlit shots. In the process I began tracking a few Eastern Carpenter Bees as they passed by. I was lucky enough to capture this one as it prepared to land on a thin-leaved sunflower.
I like the way backlit flowers almost glow but that’s pretty easy to predict, setup and shoot. After all, except for the wind, the flowers aren’t really moving. I was really pleased with the lighting of the bee in this photo.
Like most of the photos on my blog, you can click the image to open a larger version of the photo. Check out all the pollen covering this bee. This clearly wasn’t its first flower of the day.