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Here and There…Now and Then |
Hawk in Steel Tree
This tree is a steel and concrete sculpture called Graft by Roxy Paine. It’s between the Natural History Museum and the National Gallery of Art. We especially enjoyed the hawk that was perched in it. What would be really funny would be a woodpecker.
Ducks
Across Key West is a pond that was put in about ten years ago. It’s a great spot to find ducks, geese and other birds. These three took off as I approached.
Deer Skull
Out in the woods next my office today I came across this deer skull (and other bones).
Mushrooms and Ant
These mushrooms have suddenly appeared in our back yard. I’m hoping they are growing on the roots of the tree that came down in the summer of 2010.
Grasshopper
What a perfectly beautiful day it was after the rain stopped and it cleared up. It was a pleasant temperature and there was a gentle breeze. I went outside briefly and took a few pictures including some of this little grasshopper who let me get quite close.
Duck Pond
To me this photograph has something of a painterly quality — it sort of looks like a watercolor. Something about the reflections, maybe. What do you think?
Pale Beauty
I saw a few of these little moths today. I believe it is a pale beauty (Campaea perlata).
Polyphemus Moth Caterpillar
This thing is huge. It’s as big around as my thumb and as long as my middle finger. Actually, I think it’s pretty amazing that this big, squishy, green blob turns into a beautiful (and quite large) moth. In this case, a Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus). It’s named after the Cyclops Polyphemus in Homer’s Odyssey because of the large “eye spot” on its hindwings.
Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk
A juvenile red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), flying over the parking lot outside my office today. He gave a single scream which alerted me to his presence and I got quite a few half-decent pictures (with my less than decent long lens). Gotta get me a good telephoto.
American Goldfinch
The horizontal wire just above the bird bothers me a bit but otherwise I really like this picture. It is a female American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) taking off from a dried sunflower growing between rows of grape vines (which is what the wire is for) at Rocklands Farm.
County Fair
The county fair is always a good source of interesting photographs. Taking three kids (ages 1, 5, and 7) plus Dorothy should make it even better. Unfortunately I forgot to put the memory card back in my camera this morning. So, this is a picture of Zeke on a camel, taken on Dorothy’s phone (but by me, don’t worry).
Monarch
This is the first monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) I’ve seen this year. All of a sudden there are lots of them in the yard, on the buddleia, the black-eyed Susans, and here, on the Conoclinium coelestinum.
Tomato Hornworm
After not being able to go out to the farm for three straight Saturdays it was nice to be able to again this morning. It was quiet and I enjoyed a little photography time in the vegetable garden. I came upon this caterpillar, which I believe is a tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata) that is covered with eggs from some parasitic insect, possibly a Braconid wasp of some sort. A little less spectacular than Alien and no Sigourney Weaver but that’s the general idea.
Cæsar
Hanging upside down in his cage, as is is wont, the yellow-headed Amazon (Amazona oratrix), Cæsar, casts a wary eye at the photographer. (Except it turns out that he is a she, so perhaps we should call her Cleopatra, instead.)
Katydid
I went out into the woods next to my building today and took a few pictures. As I was heading back I came across this Katydid, probably a Pterophylla camellifolia, who flew up onto the trunk of a tree as I approached. He somewhat reluctantly allowed me to get close enough for a few pictures.
I remember Cathy had one of these on her shoulder one time and when she noticed it but before she knew what it was, she totally freaked out. Pretty funny.
Cabbage White
The cabbage white (Pieris rapae) is cosmopolitan and ubiquitous. This one is in my back garden.
Sphinx Moth
Taking pictures of bees and butterflies on flowers is hard, but at least they land, if only momentarily. This is a sphinx moth and I’ve only very rarely seen one actually land. Certainly when feeding on flowers they tend to hover. Unfortunately this one was not in the sun, so it’s not shown as nicely as it might be, but beggars cannot be choosers. I’m guessing that this is Hemaris diffinis, the snowberry clearwing, but I really don’t know.
Green Lynx Spider
In the Green Swamp, green lynx spiders (Peucetia viridans) live on pitcher plants, enjoying the insects that don’t quite make it into the death trap. Bwah-ha-ha!
Dinosaur and Chicken
It was cool enough in the car that Dorothy wanted to wear her dinosaur suit today. Outside, where this chicken was, however, it was pushing 100°F. We stopped there for lunch and Dorothy asked if she could have her picture taken with him.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
This is a male eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus). These and more of the silver-spotted skippers (see photo in yesterday’s Extra gallery) were out in force today feeding on the teasel (Dipsacus sp.) flowers in the lot next to my office.