mikef451's Favorites

(Finally dug these pictures out from 2008). Seen mating in bkgd for 2.5 hrs! Female got bored/tired and started eating grass she could reach, and then took a nap while the male continued mating. We have more pictures is anyone is interested.

Right before the rain started, I noticed a smallish darner patrolling my yard. it was foraging between 6 and 25 feet and frustratingly, I could not get it in my bins or camera to identify it. I decided to just keep watching it and it finally flew over my pond and landed on one of the main branches of my Pecan tree. It was very dark so I had to crank up the ISO and grabbed my flash unit but I was able to get a few shots before it flew. I believe this is a male with blue marking on S2. I tried to get a shot of the abdomen from underneath but only managed a side shot, which does appear to show a bit of blue near S9-10.

Interestingly, a female visited my yard on 25 Aug 2018 and also landed in the Pecan Tree, not far from where this one perched. In fact, I located it by going back to the branch last year's landed on.

Pardon my excitement. I first learned of this hot spot because of sightings of this bird 3 years ago. I monitor the area off and on. I saw, but did not photograph it about 2 weeks before reports started this year. Finally, TODAY. Two Pileated Woodpeckers flew across one of the ponds. Heard call. Only photographed one. They are mostly on private property, but this tree is along the roadway.

Day trip to Gus Engeling W.M.A., Anderson Co., Texas with @greglasley, @gpstewart, @rsalinas2370, @nancynorman, @bradyreed.

Buprestid beetle hanging out on wax myrtle (Morella cerifera). 18 - 20 mm total length.