kmbird 的最愛

Specimen collected from Penstemon digitalis ‘Midnight masquerade’. One of at at least 8 observed foraging on patches of that plant (included photos of other individuals of same species that were foraging)

I photographed this bee foraging on garden basil flowers in a 2000 sq. ft. urban farm/garden run by the Delaware Center for Horticulture. I am guessing by the shape of the bee it is of the family Halictidae, but the coloration is unlike anything I have ever seen. I'm hoping to find the genus.

Parapontellidae? Large species often seen in late summer swimming at the surface, where they are quite conspicuous. They jump a few inches distant just above the water when disturbed and so usually kill themselves within a few hours of capture when kept in open containers.

I found a roadkill Great Horned Owl on the way to work. It was in the middle, turning lane of a 4-lane Highway. It was almost definitely a roadkill bird, but it was in really great shape. I’ve turned this bird into the UNR museum for a specimen, with the mouse still in its talons. The owl was actually still holding the prey item it presumably caught on the road and was the reason why it was hit. The mouse looks like a Peromyscus species.