Summer Delights

Our country property is especially lush and beautiful over the summer months. While taking a break from my usual chores, I delight in wandering around our acreage with my camera in hand. There is always something lovely and interesting to see. In this post I feature several of the pretty sights I have observed this summer ~ Identification corrections always welcome

A colorful Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly enjoys the deep purple blooms of a Tall Ironweed plant

 Wild Bergamot flowers attract this beautiful hovering Hummingbird Clearwing Moth

A Monarch Caterpillar navigates the buds of a Common Milkweed plant ~ I have seen very few of these striped beauties this year

A Viceroy Butterfly shows off its gorgeous wings

The iridescent colors on this tiny Condylostylid Long-legged Fly are especially resplendent

Red Milkweed Beetles are regularly seen exploring the Common Milkweed plants

A Wild Bergamot bloom is the flower of choice for this Silver-spotted Skipper

Delicate Eastern Amberwing Dragonflies are a common sight in our peach and apple orchard

 

A busy Honey Bee delights in the tiny blooms of a Sumac Bush

This sightly Eight-spotted Forester Moth was seen flitting around the Common Milkweed plants all day long

Bruce observed a Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly lay this single egg on a peach leaf ~ I kept an eye on it for a few days ~ Sadly, during a recent visit, I noticed it was gone

Had the pretty green egg survived, it would metamorphosized into a lovely Spicebush Swallowtail like this

Pollen Wallowers

Pollen is plentiful during the summer months. Bees, moths, butterflies, hummingbirds and some nectar feeding bats are several of nature's all-star pollinators. These winged transporters carry the protein-rich pollen grains from flower to flower as they feed. Plants benefit from the pollinators, as the transfer of the golden dust enables them to reproduce. In turn, the flowering plants provide sustenance for the pollinators and their offspring.
(I welcome identification corrections)

The wing underside of a Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is blanketed in pollen dust

A cheerful, bright Blanket Flower plays host to a satiated bee ~ Note the full pollen baskets on the hind legs of the bee ~ These sacs are for pollen storage

This Golden Northern Bumble Bee seems to have found the perfect flowering plant ~ A Honey Bee looks as if it is waiting its turn for a tasty treat

If you look closely you can see a few yellow pollen granules dotting the wing and thorax of this Missoni-like patterned Red Admiral Butterfly

Legs coated, pollen baskets full to bursting, this bee is earning its pay when it comes to assisting in plant reproduction

This Virescent Green Metallic Bee looks as if it has bathed in pollen powder

 A busy Golden Northern Bumble Bee collects pollen from Purple Coneflower florets

A beautiful Eastern Tiger Swallowtail sprinkled with pollen particles