Wilting Camelia, I
The camelia flowers have had their run.
Their work is nearly done and their time is running out.
In a few more days this flower will be gone.
American Goldfinch, female
During the breeding season the American Goldfinch has beautiful, bright yellow plumage that turns to a sort of olive green in the fall.  This female, decked out in her summer plumage, looks curious about something.  The males are similarly colored but sport a prominent black cap as part of their breeding plumage.
Canada Violet
This Canada Violet was growing along a hiking trail in Shenandoah National Park when I was there last May.
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 – 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.
Spider Wasp on Lance-Leaved Goldenrod
Here’s another wasp I’m not quite sure I correctly identified. Â I believe it is a Spider Wasp. Â Regardless, it was one of the pollinators that shared their meadow with me in early September. Â Like other wasps and bees I’ve photographed, this one didn’t seem to pay any attention to my presence. Â 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. Â 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. Â Check out all the pollen covering this bee. Â This clearly wasn’t its first flower of the day.
Ailanthus Webworm Moth
This Ailanthus Webworm Moth was making its way among wildflowers when I saw it in early September.
Eastern Carpenter Bee on Wildflowers I
The Eastern Carpenter Bee is easily confused with the American Bumble Bee. Â While the bumble bee is covered covered in fuzzy hair, the carpenter bee is missing the fuzz from its abdomen.