First, two regulars, Stephen and Diana.
Stephen Barnard, the Endless Fount of Great Photos, sends two from Idaho:
I had the doors open to air out the house when this Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) flew into my enclosed porch and got trapped for a while.
Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Diana MacPherson keeps her log of the local birds and chipmunks.
With the milder temperatures, the chipmunk [Tamias striatus] who took up residence near my deck (ruining my moonflower vine late in the summer while making a new chipmunk hole) has woken from torpor to collect the seeds left out for him/her.Chipmunk hiding under barbecue looking for seeds.
Male downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) scaling pole to get to some fat. All the birds were nervous today. This downy didn’t even get on the fat, he kept wimping out & taking off. I also tried to capture a photo of a nuthatch but it too was too darty. Same goes for a chickadee. I suspect a hawk has been hanging around as I heard a kerfuffle out there earlier.
And two beetles by Andre Schuiteman. Any species identifications appreciated!
Unlike a certain deity, I do not have an inordinate fondness for beetles. But they are far more willing to be photographed than most of the gorgeous butterflies I often have the pleasure of watching during my travels in the tropics. These two longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) drew my attention while I was looking for orchids in North Laos. Both were about 4 cm long, excluding the antennae. The more colourful one, with the black pompoms on its antennae, somehow reminds me of a poodle.
Wow, such amazing photos. Love them!
Awesome.
So that’s a black-capped chickadee, I’d always wondered.
(“Song for a future generation”, The B-52s)
What lovely birds, cute chipmunks and impossibly marvelous beetles! Kudos.
Wonderful photos again. Tnx.
Once more, fabulous photographs! That chickadee looks as if it has plans to submit a photo of Stephen. The pom-pom beetle is astonishing. We humans certainly are the plain species as far as coloring goes.
The chickadee is clearly pretending to be an astronaut, sitting on a huge rocket ship.
As usual excellent photos.
Looking at the pom pom beetle photo I noticed that its eyes seemed to be surrounding the base of its antennae. I’ve never seen anything like that before but the google tells me its common in the Cerambycidae.
Glad you pointed that out–interesting!
Attractive pix!
A black-capped chickadee alight a black-capped, long-range camera lens!
The combination of chipmunks and snow makes me want to go grab an extra sweater…
Splendid beetles!
The beetles are of course ceramabycids, but I do not yet see the species. I recognize the first one is in my big book ‘0 bugs at home.
OK, I found the 1st one. Just had to include ‘Laos’ in my online search. Its on one of their postage stamps .
I have no idea what the pom poms might be for.
Thanks for trying to identify one of ‘my’ beetles. But I don’t think it is the same species, to be honest.
If it is not the exact species, it sure is very close. here are more of the same. The black markings on the elytra are slightly different.
Yes, I agree that’s probably it. Thanks!
How sweet to have a stamp series of cerambycids! I think the legend below is trying to tell us something about the pom poms, but I’m not sure what. 😀
Great stuff. I love the chickadee shot and Dian’s first one of the chippy.
I love the photos of red tailed hawks. They are a magnificent animal.
Moonflowers in Ontario??? I thought they were desert-dwelling.
Great chippies:-), and boids, Stephen.
This is the species of moonflower, I think.
I plant them from seeds each year & they tend to bloom late in the summer. If they get a poor start, they end up frosted before they bloom.
Cool! I had no idea they would grow here, but of course you have to start over every year. I think the ones I’ve seen in Utah and New Mexico are a tad bigger and look like kleenex when they wilt.
I want to pat those pom poms on the beetle’s antennae!
All beautiful photographs, but I’m always in special awe for the images of flying birds (and insects). That photo of the red-tailed hawk is really awesome.
That chickadee has found a very valuable perch. Good taste I must say.
Nice chips Diana…I’m glad they are still putting on fat from your seed contributions.
I wonder if the beetle’s pom poms aid in sensory input. Really neat beetles though.
For those who’re wondering…that’s Stephen’s small lens, the 100-400. Only weighs 1.38 kg / 3 pounds.
His big lens is the 500 f/4, which weighs 3.19 kg / 7 pounds.
b&
The 100-400 is the lens I should have been using, but it was taken.
😀
You could have at least spared him a camera body.
Diana, cute chippies as always, and I just love everything about the first shot!
Is that your garage I see reflected in his eye?
It will be my sliding doors onto the deck and me taking his picture from behind those doors. 🙂 I sometimes try to see if I can see myself reflected in his eyes & I’m impressed by how much of the scenery is reflected in his eyes.