Butterfly, Bee, Bunny and Flowers

This afternoon on the way home I stopped off to take a few pictures round Memorial Lake. Lots of baby bunnies and hordes of Brown Thrashers.

Great Spangled Fritillary

Bee on Milkweed

Cottontail Rabbit

Assorted Wild Flowers

Assorted Wild Flowers

Tree Flowers and a Butterfly

Probably my favorite tree out the many in the yard is the Catalpa or Cigar Tree.  In June it has this gorgeous flowers and they smell wonderful. I think they remind me of the Frangipani flowers but I might be wrong as I don't have one to compare.The leaves are huge, probably 10inches (250mm) and sort of oval shaped. We had to have it pruned this spring and it seems to have done it the world of good as it's sprouting like crazy. In the fall they have these long bean like seed pods. I'll have to try and grow some from seed. I have some Osage Orange trees which were grown from seed, just got to find a suitable place for them.

Catalpa Flowers

Catalpa Flowers

Clouded Sulphur

I came across this Sulphur while out for a short walk this afternoon.

Butterfly Time

It's that time of year again when my photographic subjects are often butterflies. These are some from a couple of years ago.

Regal Fritillary on Thistle

Regal Fritillary

Zebra Swallowtail

Zebra Swallowtail

Assorted Images from Home

Been busy with various things, subsequently not been taking too many pictures. Feeling a lot better after the virus from hell and the after effects not to mention the old 'camera stuck up where the sun don't shine' procedure. I'm told by the very nice gastroenterologist that it's a Fuji camera not a Sony or a Nikon which is a good thing because I certainly wouldn't want either of my camera's shoved up my ass. The good thing is that he didn't find anything nasty this time around. Back for another session in 5 years. Anyway. On to the pictures. These Yellow flowers are some sort of lily I think. Theres lots of the wild Chicory along the roadsides in front of the yard. The Cone flower is in the backyard. The Sunflower is in a weedy area, it might be a Tickseed Sunflower. Late this afternoon a thunderstorm came rolling in and the light was awesome so I dashed out and took the picture of the corn shooting up in the humid conditions. I was quite sore after splitting all this wood, I had to sharpen my axe several times. Just need to get it stacked now.

Yellow Flower, a lily perhaps?

Wild Chicory

Cone Flower

Sunflower Sp.

Corn in the Storm (Knee high by the Fourth of July)

Log Pile

Waterfall Birds

In this hot weather the birds like a nice bathe. The Baltimore Oriole really enjoyed his bath, he came back twice. The first shot shows he's been at the flower nectar because you can see the pollen at the base of the bill. The Ovenbird is very, very stealthy. He had been bathing a while before I even noticed him. He too came back twice.

Baltimore Oriole

Baltimore Oriole

Baltimore Oriole

Ovenbird

Ovenbird

Todays Birds

Some birds from today.

Baltimore Oriole

Juvenile Bluebird

Red-eyed Vireo

Curious Cardinal posing Phoebe

This Cardinal wanted to know what I was doing.

Curious Cardinal

Eastern Phoebe

Swatara State Park

A breezy Sunday morning and a guided walk through part of Swatara SP gave me an opportunity to take some pictures. Thanks Dave!

Black Rat Snake

Unknown Flower

Green Frog

Oxeye Daisy

Oxeye Daisy

Painted Turtle

Phlox

Red-shouldered Hawk Chick

Great Spangled Fritillary

Wild Rose

The Regular Crowd

I got the hunting blind out in front of the waterfall for the first time this year. I've missed the   migrants but the regular crowd are always worth photographing. One thing I've never noticed before was that the Grackles often came to the water with a mouthful of food. They then wet the food several times and flew off with presumably to feed the young still in the nest and to give them a bit of water as well.

American Robin

Blue Jay

Common Grackle

Green Eyed Monster

Yes he's cute but he's BAD. Except when he's sleeping and he's good sleeper.

Oliver

Afternoon Walk

It was a nice late spring afternoon and after a nice picnic lunch with Kelly I set off for Ft Indiantown Gap. First stop was 2nd Mountain as there was thunderstorm brewing but it didn't amount to anything. It was still a bit breezy up there so the butterflies were in more sheltered areas in the valleys I presume. A careful walk around due to creepy crawly things up there I came across this little toad. I didn't want to get down on the deck in all the leaf litter because I didn't want any creepy crawly hitchhikers sucking my blood. Dropping down into the valley theres a nice little wetland area and there were several Damselflies. Heading back round Memorial Lake a walk across the dam and some flowers were nice. I really need to get a Flower Identification book.

Little Toad

Damselfly

Memorial Lake

Flower?

Rubus flagellaris
Dewberry

Flower?

Potentilla

Hairy Flowers?

Mitchella repens 

Partridgeberry

Hairy Flowers?

Mitchella repens 

Partridgeberry

Sunday Birds

Very overcast which I normally like but it's just a bit too overcast for birdies, I could have done with a  bit more light. Hey Ho, it's the conditions out there.

Blue Jay

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Common Grackle

Red Bellied Woodpecker