Friday Night Photos Small World Edition
Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 05/03/2024 - 5:00pm
Happy Friday everyone. I hope everybody is doing well. Post any photos, meme's, or music you like.
My goto place for bug photography is the Balboa Park rose garden when the roses are in bloom. Now that they're in bloom again after being cut back for the winter, I decided it was time to throw the macro lens on the camera and head to the garden for a little bug hunting. You never know from one day to the next what you might find there. Unfortunately, when I was there on Tuesday I didn't find much, and most of what I did find were flies. Even the usual suspects (bees and lady bugs) were few and far between. Oh well, hopefully I'll have better luck next time.
Comments
Hey social
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good finds with the few available bugs
speaking of blooms, every year when the
quince bush blossoms, within a couple days
the hummingbirds arrive. Like clockwork.
They act like they are in sync somehow?
cheers!
Hi, QMS.
The Hummingbirds returning to the Quince bush each year sounds like the Swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano around the same time every year.
I woke up this morning determined to drink less, eat right, and exercise.
But that was four hours ago when I was younger and full of hope.
Nice images.
It is a good thing that they are smaller in reality than they appear on my screen otherwise they would be considered sci-fi monsters.
Hi, humphrey
I think I'd prefer giant ants or spiders over the human monsters that currently plague our world.
I woke up this morning determined to drink less, eat right, and exercise.
But that was four hours ago when I was younger and full of hope.
@Socialprogressive Me, too.
Me, too.
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
I word; "THEM" n/t
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Hi Social
What strange creatures insects are. Thank you for showing so clearly their amazing variety. Is the first insect the same as the metallic green, red-eyed one in the second photo?
The music you chose buzzes like busy insects.
Thanks Social, it's always a treat.
Thank you, Janis
As far as I know, there's no relation between the two flies unless they're fraternal twins, which would explain why they don't look the same.
I woke up this morning determined to drink less, eat right, and exercise.
But that was four hours ago when I was younger and full of hope.
Hi all
Surprises in the mulch
Taro flower and leaves ...
Winter was definitively announced yesterday with a sharp drop in temperature, accompanied by rain. Although today is sunny and warmer, the air and light are more winter like.
I’m glad I have plenty of firewood.
Enjoy the weekend
Hi, Janis
Is the surprise in the mulch a fungus? They look like they could be starfish. How big is the Taro? The leaves look huge. Stay warm and dry.
I woke up this morning determined to drink less, eat right, and exercise.
But that was four hours ago when I was younger and full of hope.
Hi Social
It is a fungi. The Taro leaves are very big, about 20"x14".
Time to start the fire.
20"x 14" is a pretty good sized leaf
With all the rain you get you could use it as a hat in a pinch if you needed to.
I woke up this morning determined to drink less, eat right, and exercise.
But that was four hours ago when I was younger and full of hope.
A hat would work
It's not quite umbrella size.
Hi Janis
Hi ya,
Neat pics.
Love the fungi! There is a group called 'earth stars' which they remind me of. Mine here grow on rocky limestone soils and have less 'petals', but very similar in general.
thanks for the pics.
I try to be a fun guy.
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
gi, you do?
Have fun and be well
Hi pixelators
Hi all, Hey SP!
Great bug shots man! As always.
I do like those Stilt- or Long-legged Flies. As the metallic green one. There are a couple different genera, neat flies.
Janis, those two flies are unrelated genera.
Thanks for the pics and OT SP! You can bug me anytime.
Back in a flash with some pixels...
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
size is relative
Hi all,
Hope it's all good out there!
This is only about 5" and change and a bit over a quarter ounce. But it would love to dine on yer bugs SP!
Some consider it the most beautiful wood-warbler in America. They breed here (east half of US - climax old-growth forests only - why declining) but winter in Mexico and central America. This is one of my personal favorite birds, and which is threatened and declining actually. They are always scarce, even where they are found, and a treat to see. This one showed up at our birdbath a few days ago.
Golden-winged Warbler, male
might need to update my avatar...
Happy trails all!
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
Hi, dystopian
Beautiful looking visitor at the birdbath. Most of the Warblers I see here are Yellow-rumped Warblers.
I woke up this morning determined to drink less, eat right, and exercise.
But that was four hours ago when I was younger and full of hope.
Thanks d
I love warblers, and yours is very beautiful. I see only one variety, the grey warbler which is the smallest bird in NZ. It weighs just under a quarter ounce and is just over 4" long. It is very sweet.
Hi Friday Photo people.
There is so much good stuff here to respond to/about.
First, while we heard the Hoopoe for one day at the end of several very warm weeks, as is more usual in the last decade, the early too warm Spring has returned to late Winter early Spring, very cool and cold; wet and dark. The Hoopoe, the Cuckoo, insects and flowers more or less stopped in their tracks.
But wonder of wonders a large, secretive gorgeous bird with a silvery song showed up. In French, Loriot.
Janis, I've never seen a Taro, but we have a wild plant that is almost a miniature of your purple Taro, but in green. The leaves, flowers are so similar I wonder if it's an Arum. In the Fall the single flower stem becomes a cluster of red berries.
We now have both large black flies and the multitudes of small cow pie flies, beetles, gueps (wasps), small butterflies and many more critters.
Orange Tip Butterfly
SP - I look forward to your Friday Photos each week. Your photo skills are as they say here "super" (sou-pair).
A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.
Consider helping by donating using the button in the upper left hand corner. Thank you.
Bonjour DM
Hope all is well for you on the other side of the pond.
Merci for the images and wonderful video of the Golden Oriole. Around here from April to August we have Bullock's and Hooded Orioles that travel north from Mexico to spend their breeding season here in the western US. I hear them chattering in the trees all day.
I woke up this morning determined to drink less, eat right, and exercise.
But that was four hours ago when I was younger and full of hope.
Thanks for the photos Dawn
Nice twittering you have around you.
The butterfly photo is so beautiful. Its soft pastelness (and growing in France) makes me think of Monet.
The flower and the leaves in the background definitely look like an Arum family plant, which both Taros and Calla Lilies are a part of.
I think it might be this one which has lots of different interesting names ...
Thanks so much for the interesting info and names.
When we see things we don't know we first go for a Latin name then show locals phone photos from image banks. Now I'm really curious to learn French names for A. maculatum or italicum.
ETA: had never seen that Butterfly before, but there it was on some wild Geraniums near my clothesline. Didn't have my phone with me so no photo. But I'll take my pphone whenever I go outside. You never know.
A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.
Consider helping by donating using the button in the upper left hand corner. Thank you.
You're welcome Dawn
I know you enjoy the nature around you, and I enjoy however you share it.
Hola everyone from the getting hot
and muggy Sandbar Peninsula. I listened to an interesting live podcast c/o Yale Climate Connections on climate change yesterday. They and the NHC are my go-tos for storm season which is approaching--DOUBLE UGH!!! There was the moderator and 3 climate/weather experts. They have been able to scientifically prove the natural connection between human-caused atmospheric pollution and the increase in rain events. The other climate change aspects are being worked on. Geez, all you have to do is look at the horror show going down in Houston.
Great photos and tune selection. My fave is the ladybug. When you can make a spider look good, you have talent. The Orange Tip Butterfly is an Honorable Mention. 
Rec'd!!
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
Had an interesting telepathic exchange
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with a spider last night. It came up and sat by my feet as I was reading.
Several turns around the up and back down, it just perched there.
Like it knew it had my attention. Maybe wondering what I was?
After awhile, it moved to the other side of the chair, sat and pondered.
Wasn't afraid of me, nor I with it. Not afraid of the arachnid species.
Could have sworn a tiny bit of my brain was picking up on something.
Eventually, it skittered off and hid somewhere. Could have been about
reading a sci-fi book about Mars? Spiders from Mars as Bowie would say.
@QMS Spiders creep me out.
Spiders creep me out. Lifelong fear of them even though I know they are perfectly evolved to survive. Nothing else really fazes me including coral snakes and cockroaches. I'm a regular on here, and I've seen some spider photos that were terrific, but still raised the hairs on my head.
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
No accounting for phobias
Spiders don't bother me, snakes don't either (unless I come upon one by surprise). But poison ivy - BRRR! (In my case the phobia has a realistic underpinning - I used to be extremely allergic to urushiol and could even get a bad reaction from petting a cat or touching something that had been in contact with it.)
Rationally I know it can't come after me like Triffids - but even seeing a picture of the plant creeps me out.
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
Hi other maven
Growing up in the NY/NE I have had many uncomfortable encounters with poison ivy. Nettles are no fun either. The next time you come across a poison ivy plant you could introduce yourself and make friends from a distance, in hope that it won’t bother you. It can't hurt to ; ).
I enjoy your contributions wherever I find them here, thanks.
copperhead bite victim here.
Be very afraid of snakes! 5 years later, my foot is still painful. It was hurting me today,right where the bastard got me.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Sneaky snakes :-P
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
sorry to hear
always wanted to have some of those.
very pretty snakes on occasion. huge nuisance I'm sure.
Hi, orlbucfan
I don't know if anybody can make a spider look good.
It's rather sad that some people still think that 8 billion people polluting the atmosphere on our little speck of dirt has no relationship to climate change. Hope the climate change doesn't wreak to much havoc on the sandbar penninsula this season.
I woke up this morning determined to drink less, eat right, and exercise.
But that was four hours ago when I was younger and full of hope.
Hi obf
I hope you stay safe through the climate changing hurricanes this season. Better even would be that they stay away from land.
Your participation here on Fridays is always enjoyed.