Gather Round the Stinky Bush

A grey hairstreak. Love these guys.

Monarch. I don't see many around, but that is in comparison to other species.

Like the painted ladies. These gals were all over the place.

A funny little fly, no idea what kind it is.

Buckeye

It was fun to see a butterfly with which I wasn't familiar. This is a buckeye, apparently very common, but I'm not as good with identifying the butterflies as I am the spiders. Anyhow, this bush was one of the last few flowering things in the area. I have no idea what the plant is but it completely REEKED. I thought it smelled like a distilled mixture of teenager socks and urine, but every nectar drinker for miles was visiting. Maybe they thought it reeked too, but it was the only game in town.

Farmers' Conversations

The first photo is an ant milking an aphid for the sweet honeydew. Who needs picnics when you have your own herd of sugar-water cows?

The second photo is two ants talking with their antenna. The ants in this situation seem very on edge, even with each other.


This is the only kind of picture that ever puts me in danger of stings or bites. Ants with their aphids are more aggressive than anything else I photograph. At least the bites and stings aren't dangerous, just a bit painful. What I hate the most is that I'll be clicking away and look down to suddenly discover that I'm under seige by tens of ants.