Of birds, bees, flowers, and the dog days of summer

Bumble bee (Bombus sp?) on butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Helenium possibly variety ‘Konigstiger’ (Helenium sp?)

Possibly a barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Another possible barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)

A trio of supposed barn swallows (Hirundo rustica)

Metallic green bee (Agapostemon sp?) on chicory (Cichorium intybus)

Might be a female gadwall (Anas strepera) or mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) or some other (Anas sp?)

Paddling the Schuylkill River

Metallic green bee (Agapostemon sp?) on chicory (Cichorium intybus) 2

For this set we have barn swallows visiting our Lum’s Pond air quality station. Some bees visiting our native plant garden which has butterfly weed and helenium flowers. Chicory can be found all over, typically considered a weed but apparently the metallic green bees like to visit the flowers. I took a kayak trip this summer along the Schuylkill River with a friend, always a challenge/risk to bring a camera along even with a dry sack, so not too many pictures. I did manage to catch a female duck which are a challenge to differentiate from a single picture angle though I believe this is either a gadwall or mallard. Enjoy!

Back from Hiatus

hoverfly (Family Syrphidae) visiting some type of sunflower/daisy (maybe Helianthus sp?)

Another view of an Imperial moth (Eacles imperials) in Evansville, IN

Another view of a Bumble bee (Bombus sp?) visiting some type of sunflower/daisy (maybe Helianthus sp?)

View 2 of a hoverfly (Family Syrphidae) visiting some type of sunflower/daisy (maybe Helianthus sp?)

Seed head of some flower, probably a daisy of some sort

Bumble bee (Bombus sp?) visiting some type of sunflower/daisy (maybe Helianthus sp?)

Unknown seed pods

Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota)

Sharpshooter (leafhopper family Cicadellidae)

 

It’s been almost three months since my last post, as is obvious by the pictures of flowers in the winter time 🙂 A lot has happened, including starting a new job! I will be trying to get back to my weekly postings and get caught up on the back log of pictures from my trip to Colorado as well as other local places. Stay tuned for more to come.