208/365: "Intimidation doesn't last very long." ~ Lenny Wilkens

4 more pictures in notes above!

This morning I decided to go right over to the Milkweed flowers, since I've been finding so many insects there to photograph. Wow, did I ever find insects! I was only out there for about 15 minutes and saw several types of bees, three kinds of wasps and hornets, two types of skippers and four different species of butterflies. There were lots of beetles too, and flies I'm sure were around. The thing that's surprising is that upon first inspection, nothing was there. But after standing still for a moment, the insects zoomed back in to carry on their business. Makes me wonder how many insects I would see if I spent several hours here! Of course, I can't do it. I am always extremely wary of burning myself out, if even just for one day. That kind of thing builds up and I can't risk it because this 365 project requires me to take new pictures every day. If I got sick of taking pictures, it would be a disaster! So I'll have to see about an extended photography session next year. Something to look forward to!

As I watched to see what was visiting the flowers, I hoped that a certain wasp I'd seen in the past would come by. This wasp is huge--about 2" long and you can really hear these guys buzzing around. They are not something I'd want to tangle with, but I WOULD like pictures! And lucky me...after several failed attempts on other days, today I got lucky!! I managed to get some very nice pictures as the wasp moved around the flowers, and then it landed on a flower with a skipper on it. The second it detected the skipper, it moved over in a very aggressive manner. I was close enough to take pictures and darn it if they didn't come out!! When I got to the third picture, I whooped in delight, as I was hoping desperately that I caught the skipper as it flew away! HOORAY, I DID!!!! (You can see my two other pictures of the wasp and the skipper by rolling your mouse over the upper left of the picture) Thanks to Art (Leapfrog), I now know that this is a Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus) and a Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides)...you're the best!!! *hugs*

Leonard Randolph "Lenny" Wilkens (born October 28, 1937) is a retired American basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been inducted three times into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, first in 1989 as a player, as a coach in 1998, and as part of the 1992 United States Olympic "Dream Team", for which he was an assistant coach. From the 1994–95 season until the 2009–10 season, Wilkens was the all-time winningest coach in NBA history and retired still holding the record at 1,332 victories. Wilkens is now second on the list behind Don Nelson. Wikipedia: Lenny Wilkens

Explored on July 28, 2013. Highest placement: page 1 (#21).