Stunning stilt striding, and other natural delights--it's been a good week

With weather like this, and longer days, I've been outside more.

Which means more photo phun.

Black-necked stilt at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge. 

Western kingbird, same place. Always beautiful. That stunning yellow underbelly knocks me out. 

 White-faced ibis (Merced NWR).

Not always the most helpful name, but what a ridiculously regal bird.

 Husband spotted this creature & knew I'd want to see it.

Holy. Wow.

I love that face.

Learned from Twitter friends (@ta_wheeler) and bugguide.net

that though it looks like a crane fly, it's not a fly at all

(flies have 2 wings, this creature has 4).

It's a hanging fly (Bittacus chlorostigma),

and the only representative of its genus among the Pacific states.

I am so glad I got to meet it.

Last, but not least, the first confirmed painted lady I've seen here this year.

I took this photo because twitter-folks (@ErikRunquist @eButterfly_org)

are interested in tracking their migration.

And I'm so very glad I was therefore motivated to encounter this charming animal.

I hope spring is springing forth merrily (northern hemisphere),

or fall is falling elegantly (southern hemisphere),

wherever you are.

=)

xoxobb

Falling through November...

 Found yet another ootheca, this time under the greenhouse eaves.

 Wonder how old this one is... years?

Was tracking a red-shouldered hawk,

when this raven decided to shoo it away.

Many insects seem to be loving ANYTHING that's blooming in November.

Which includes our zinnia, which is going bananas.

Moby (hen) struts by, headed for the cherry tomatoes...

Among the flower-fans:

This painted lady eyed me whilst it drilled for nectar.

I want to call those little frills eyelashes, but don't actually know that, so...

 I'll just call them super cool.

Fawn post-rain, chewing cud, enjoying the sun.

Fawn and mama, who's got her eye on me. =)

Big ol' gang moved through, taming the greenery for us.

And trimmed up the circular driveway. Thanks!

The deer are looking SO much better than this summer, now that there's actually FOOD. =)

Their faces are fuller, muscles are back, 

and this one even has a shine to her coat--hooray!

That's fall in this climate: the long-awaited return of water,

and all the life that it brings.

xoxobb

Summer's bounty--flowers & bugs, living fast & hard

Summer.

Time for county fairs and beautiful nights...

and for plants to leap skyward,

providing room and board for the myriad bugs that live among them.

Turquoise-eyed flies (probably related to horseflies)

none of which I noticed when I took the photo. Flies 4, bb 0. =)

In a quest to improve my attitude about summer

(it gets bloody hot here & I'm the first to drop)

I'm shining a light on summer-associated goodies that I adore.

Tiny plume moth. I've NEVER seen one before last week. SO exciting.

 ID thanks to Chris Grinter (@skepticalmoth). That body is less than a centimeter long.

A small ant (lower left) to provide scale for this wee, tiny moth.

Spotted assassin bug (Rhynocoris ventralis) on gaillardia.

First time I think I've seen this particular, dashing predator.

Nicely color coordinated with the gaillardia, eh?

Tarnished plant bug (Lygus hesperus).

A tiny little charmer.

A day later, the same species played peek-a-boo with me

Here you get a better idea of how tiny it is. =)

Crab spider dining upon an earwig, underneath a chrysanthemum bloom.

So many mysterious (and frequently tiny) creatures

to find and try to name.

An assassin bug (that I cannot ID, so far) dining on an unlucky bee or fly of some sort.

An ever-changing populace of

invertebrates in the garden. 

Ants, seemingly obsessed with carrot flowers.

For the plants

the plant pollinators,

the plant eaters,

and plant-associated-bug predators,

summer is no joke.

Lovely, little lynx spider female living on a mint plant.

She's so spiky.

Live life now,

for tomorrow is never guaranteed.

Which reminds me of two views I gained from the Ferris wheel:

the quick,

and the dead. 

It's always good to have a reminder.

Nature will do that for you.

xoxobb

love takes flight

 

The male is in the upper left, mostly a blur...

He was certainly persistent,

as the female drank from the late blooming doveweed.

Whenever he'd fly over her, or even perch too near,

she'd flutter her wings, presumably to make landing difficult.

But his persistence may be rewarded...

And, REST,

two,

three, 

four...

Then, once again,

love takes flight.

=)

bb