Sandy Ridge Bugs

I visited Sandy Ridge again trying to get some more dragonflies for the survey Ohio is doing. I was surprised at the number of bug pictures I got.

Making some new dragonflies.

Ebony jewel Wing

Honey bee

This is apparently a unicorn clubtail.

Perhaps a bit blurry but most comical express goes to this dragonfly.

Another jewelwing

And finally an orchard orbweaver.

Hello Moon (and Jupiter)

Today is one of the best days of the year to see Jupiter, and I lucked out with relatively clear skies.

First I had to do a test photo with the moon. 

Here is Jupiter and the two smaller bright dots are some of its moons. 

This if probably the clearest shot. You can see some of the bands. 

Sandy Ridge Reservation Redux

The weather held out for a trip today. I didn't want to venture too far with the broken glasses of doom so I went to Sandy Ridge as it gets a lot of foot traffic.

This Sandhill Crane was fearless. People were walking a foot away from it and it didn't care. One guy joked about trying to pet it, but while I was close enough that I could have, one look at the huge beak and I was not tempted. I took a lot of photos of the crane.

I can totally see the birds as living dinosaurs thing here.

I cannot get over those eyes!

The crane was so big, it was actually hard to get it all into the picture. 

I saw quite a few turtles. They always make me think of my sister.

I saw a few white egrets too. 

This is a female red-winged blackbird. They look nothing like the males. 

This butterfly has seen better days. 

This is actually a second butterfly.

And finally a decent dragonfly picture this season!

And finally this is what happens when you catch a warbler in flight at just the wrong time. 

Valley Parkway Trail

 I finally had a day where it wasn't super grey and raining when I was out of work. We saw quite a few swallowtails, a monarch, and a big dragonfly that refused to land and have their picture taken.

I almost missed this beauty on the side of the trail.

I think these may be butterflies. I thought maybe they were a male and female of the same species, but the antenna and bodies look quite a bit different.

I am not sure what the dark black spot on this is. Maybe a mite of some sort?

I suspect this is supposed to mimic bird poop

Check out this funky fungi. And no dragonflies today. but we found some ebony jewel wings!

Cuyahoga Valley Park - Ledges

Over the holiday weekend I went wit my brother to Cuyahoga Valley park. The trip was a bit of an adventure. There was some kind of event and no parking, I didn't have a memory card in my camera and I learned that mosquito repellent is a paint stripper. I also wrote out text for this whole post that disappeared into the belly of the internet.

Black Swallowtail

Viceroy (not a monarch)

brown thrasher

red-winged blackbird

I didn't know Ohio had poppies.

female brown-headed cowbird.

Giant millipede of doom. (it was deadish)

Of course we saw chipmunks. 

Finally a song sparrow.