Winged Wednesday 6.28.2023

[Eric Gofreed]

My contributions for today's Winged Wednesday will be 5 bug macros. Regrettably, my video card failed and I have replaced it but I don't have compatible cables for my monitor yet. Anyway, I hope my bug photos are worth seeing.

The Lesser search beetle is a common yard bug when I leave the porch light on. They feed on insects and larvae.

European Praying Mantis on Mexican sage

Antlions are a family of 2000 species. They are known for the predatory habits of their larvae, which dig pits that trap passing ants or other insects.

Female Eastern Pond Hawk eating a damselfly

Common Tree Cricket

Two-tailed Swallowtail: Arizona's state butterfly

 

[Ken Rennie]

From my trip to the Outer Hebrides, this is from Barra airport. Oystercatchers, along with skylarks, produce the soundscape of the Hebrides. They are ground nesting birds and anyone walking across the machair ( fertile sandy coastal strip used for common grazing in the winter) will hear them piping away. If you move closer to their nests they get much more vociferous. I just kept looking at my feet to ensure that I didn't inadvertently step on the chicks. I could have moved closer but stopped when the adults started making a din although they would not have left their chicks but I didn't want to alarm them. 400mm isn't really long enough but you use what you have. They are eating cockles. Ken

 

[Trent Watts]

My contributions for today's Winged Wednesday will be 5 bug macros. Regrettably, my video card failed and I have replaced it but I don't have compatible cables for my monitor yet. Anyway, I hope my bug photos are worth seeing.

View attachment 62943
The Lesser search beetle is a common yard bug when I leave the porch light on. They feed on insects and larvae.

View attachment 62941
European Praying Mantis on Mexican sage

View attachment 62936
Antlions are a family of 2000 species. They are known for the predatory habits of their larvae, which dig pits that trap passing ants or other insects.

View attachment 62940
Female Eastern Pond Hawk eating a damselfly

View attachment 62938
Common Tree Cricket

View attachment 62946
Two-tailed Swallowtail: Arizona's state butterfly

These are beautiful Eric. I've been trying to get pictures of a Praying Mantis but just don't seem to see them around here. Your picture is really top notch.

 

[Trent Watts]

I'll go with some more insect/arachnid images for today.
I give a shout out to https://bugguide.net It is a great resource to help ID insects.

This tiny Theridion spider was in the basket after I picked some Haskap berries. It crawled out onto my cutting board so I took a picture before sending it outside.

An Ichneumonid Wasp in my garden.

This tiny translucent fly was warming up in the morning sun. It belongs to the Camptoprosopella group of flies.

I was sitting in some tall grass and weeds trying to get some images of all the insects around me. It was a bit too late in the day and it was quite hot so everything was too active. This tiny grasshopper landed on my pants and stayed long enough to get a shot. The background is my pants so not the most natural but at least I got one shot. It is an unidentified Melanoplus Nymph.

 

[Trent Watts]

From my trip to the Outer Hebrides, this is from Barra airport. Oystercatchers, along with skylarks, produce the soundscape of the Hebrides. They are ground nesting birds and anyone walking across the machair ( fertile sandy coastal strip used for common grazing in the winter) will hear them piping away. If you move closer to their nests they get much more vociferous. I just kept looking at my feet to ensure that I didn't inadvertently step on the chicks. I could have moved closer but stopped when the adults started making a din although they would not have left their chicks but I didn't want to alarm them. 400mm isn't really long enough but you use what you have. They are eating cockles. Ken

View attachment 62950

View attachment 62949

Nice shots and story Ken.

 

[AlanLichty]

I have a simple capture of some cormorants sunning on old pilings scattered along the shoreline near the mouth of the Columbia River at Astoria.

 

[Douglas Sherman]

My contributions for today's Winged Wednesday will be 5 bug macros. Regrettably, my video card failed and I have replaced it but I don't have compatible cables for my monitor yet. Anyway, I hope my bug photos are worth seeing.

View attachment 62943
The Lesser search beetle is a common yard bug when I leave the porch light on. They feed on insects and larvae.

View attachment 62941
European Praying Mantis on Mexican sage

View attachment 62936
Antlions are a family of 2000 species. They are known for the predatory habits of their larvae, which dig pits that trap passing ants or other insects.

View attachment 62940
Female Eastern Pond Hawk eating a damselfly

View attachment 62938
Common Tree Cricket

View attachment 62946
Two-tailed Swallowtail: Arizona's state butterfly

Nice images. Eric. I’ll stick with insects today.

Variegated Frittillary.

Queen Butterfly.

Widow Dragonfly

Robber Fly

Flame Dragonfly

 

[Eric Gofreed]

From my trip to the Outer Hebrides, this is from Barra airport. Oystercatchers, along with skylarks, produce the soundscape of the Hebrides. They are ground nesting birds and anyone walking across the machair ( fertile sandy coastal strip used for common grazing in the winter) will hear them piping away. If you move closer to their nests they get much more vociferous. I just kept looking at my feet to ensure that I didn't inadvertently step on the chicks. I could have moved closer but stopped when the adults started making a din although they would not have left their chicks but I didn't want to alarm them. 400mm isn't really long enough but you use what you have. They are eating cockles. Ken

View attachment 62950

View attachment 62949

Masterful bird photography, Ken. Highest compliments

 

[Eric Gofreed]

I'll go with some more insect/arachnid images for today.
I give a shout out to https://bugguide.net It is a great resource to help ID insects.

This tiny Theridion spider was in the basket after I picked some Haskap berries. It crawled out onto my cutting board so I took a picture before sending it outside.

View attachment 62966

An Ichneumonid Wasp in my garden.
View attachment 62967


This tiny translucent fly was warming up in the morning sun. It belongs to the Camptoprosopella group of flies.
View attachment 62968

I was sitting in some tall grass and weeds trying to get some images of all the insects around me. It was a bit too late in the day and it was quite hot so everything was too active. This tiny grasshopper landed on my pants and stayed long enough to get a shot. The background is my pants so not the most natural but at least I got one shot. It is an unidentified Melanoplus Nymph.View attachment 62969

WOW!!! sensational bug photos, Trent. Love that Theridon spider. I think the Happy Faced spider I saw in Hawaii is in the same family. That translucent fly is similar to a fly I photographed in Maryland, Neogriponeura sordida. That grasshopper nymph is amazing too!!!

 

[Eric Gofreed]

Nice images. Eric. I’ll stick with insects today.

Variegated Frittillary.
View attachment 62973

Queen Butterfly.
View attachment 62974

Widow Dragonfly
View attachment 62975

Robber Fly
View attachment 62976

Flame Dragonfly
View attachment 62977

Your artistry and mastery of photography are undeniable, Douglas. Love all your photos. That flame skimmer is stunning. The widow dragonfly is a male.
The robber fly is a bee-killer perhaps it's the southern Bee-killer (Mallophora orcina). I'm only guessing of course but it looks like one I photographed at Page Springs.

 

[Eric Gofreed]

I have a simple capture of some cormorants sunning on old pilings scattered along the shoreline near the mouth of the Columbia River at Astoria.

View attachment 62982

Superb photo, Alan. I'm pretty sure these are double-crested cormorants. I read years ago the cormorants found the Astoria-Megler Bridge an ideal spot to nest.

 

[AlanLichty]

Superb photo, Alan. I'm pretty sure these are double-crested cormorants. I read years ago the cormorants found the Astoria-Megler Bridge an ideal spot to nest.

That bridge is about a mile off to the left of this scene. They are all over the place out along both side of the Columbia. The river is just over 4 miles wide in this area so lots of open water to feed.

 

[Eric Gofreed]

That bridge is about a mile off to the left of this scene. They are all over the place out along both sides of the Columbia. The river is just over 4 miles wide in this area so lots of open water to feed.

An abundant population now that was decimated by pesticides and fishermen who didn't want competition in their fishing grounds 100 years ago.

 

[AlanLichty]

An abundant population now that was decimated by pesticides and fishermen who didn't want competition in their fishing grounds 100 years ago.

Interesting irony here - those pilings the birds are perched on are what used to support long gone canneries along this part of Astoria's shoreline

 

[Douglas Sherman]

Your artistry and mastery of photography are undeniable, Douglas. Love all your photos. That flame skimmer is stunning. The widow dragonfly is a male.
The robber fly is a bee-killer perhaps it's the southern Bee-killer (Mallophora orcina). I'm only guessing of course but it looks like one I photographed at Page Springs.

Thanks for your kind words, Eric. It’s great to have a world class photographer like your work.

 

[Douglas Sherman]

I'll go with some more insect/arachnid images for today.
I give a shout out to https://bugguide.net It is a great resource to help ID insects.

This tiny Theridion spider was in the basket after I picked some Haskap berries. It crawled out onto my cutting board so I took a picture before sending it outside.

View attachment 62966

An Ichneumonid Wasp in my garden.
View attachment 62967


This tiny translucent fly was warming up in the morning sun. It belongs to the Camptoprosopella group of flies.
View attachment 62968

I was sitting in some tall grass and weeds trying to get some images of all the insects around me. It was a bit too late in the day and it was quite hot so everything was too active. This tiny grasshopper landed on my pants and stayed long enough to get a shot. The background is my pants so not the most natural but at least I got one shot. It is an unidentified Melanoplus Nymph.View attachment 62969

Excellent photography, Trent.

 

[larryj]

Cormorants in a tree at a local park

Juvenile Cormorant

 

[Trent Watts]

These are great Larry. They always seem like such unlikely birds to spend time in trees and balancing on a wire. Great colours.

 

[Eric Gofreed]

Cormorants in a tree at a local park

Juvenile Cormorant

Cormorants galore!!