Reconnecting with nature through hiking, camping, and paddling
When I think of the color of bees and wasps, I think of yellows, oranges, and reds. This little Mason Wasp is black and white with beautiful blue wings. Sadly, it flew away before I could get a another photo showing more of the wing. From what I’ve read, they mainly feed on nectar and caterpillars.
A tiny Cricket Frog sits still, assuming its nearly perfect camouflage will keep it safe. I never would have seen it had it not hopped right in front of me as I walked down the lakeside trail.
The last two slices of watermelon, bathed in the light of the kitchen window.
This group of roses was one of those small scenes I just couldn’t resist photographing. The composition probably breaks all the rules but I like it just the way it is. To me the three roses in the background on the left seem balanced by the larger, fully blooming rose in the foreground and the opening bud in the upper right.
The dark green leaves of the rose bush are riddled with insect damage. Some photographers might be temped to “repair” them during processing but I like the imperfection of the scene. It reminds me that, upon close inspection, even the beautiful things in life are not perfect.
This Pearl Crescent butterfly rests peacefully in a bed of white and yellow flowers. According to “An Instant Guide to Butterflies” by Pamela Forey and Cecilia Fitzsimons, male Pearl Crescents patrol their territory and will fly at other butterflies and insects.
Wild Daisies grow along an open trail on a late spring morning in Central Virginia.
I’ve been experimenting with photographing hummingbirds as they fly to our feeder. It’s quite an exercise in patience. This little female comes regularly but sometimes it’s 15-20 minutes between her visits. I captured this image recently after waiting for about 45 minutes. It was her third visit but the only one with sharp enough focus and good enough lighting to share.
In past years I’ve noticed the hummingbirds come more frequently later in the summer. Perhaps there are simply more of them after they’ve raised a brood or two? Or maybe there are just fewer feeding options for them? Whatever the cause, I’m hoping to get more images before they migrate south for the winter.
Sun, rain, plant, earth, and gardener all played a part in producing these magnificent buds. How many hours of sunlight, drops of rain, atoms of nitrogen, and beads of sweat have gone into them?
A simple buttercup grew in a patch of grass along the trail I was hiking. After stopping to take photos of something more compelling, I noticed this flower and thought it deserved a little attention.
