An Insect Kind of Sunday in the Corrales Bosque

I really meant to ride my bike to the Corrales Harvest Festival when I got up on Sunday morning. Somehow the idea of crowds and noise did not appeal to me, so I went for a short fast ride, came home and decided to take some bird photos in the Corrales Bosque. I saw quite a few birds, but the insects were so abundant and lovely that I decided to photograph them.

The Figeater Beetles (a type of Scarab Beetle) were everywhere, flying right at me in their clumsy, bumblebee-like manner.

Figeater Beetle

Figeather Beetle and Smaller Beetles Eating Tree Sap

There were many dragonflies, spreadwings and damselflies.

Flame Skimmer

Great Spreadwing

Great Spreadwing, Another View

Familiar Bluet

I was able to identify the various species of odonata from Bosque Bill’s excellent website.

Honeybees were going about their business on the abundant wildflowers.

Honeybee on Wildflower

There were many small butterflies on the wildflowers too.

Cabbage White Butterfly on Wild Purple Aster

Clouded Sulphur Butterfly on Small-flowered White Aster

Some days you find birds, some days you find insects, some days you find both. It’s always lovely to walk in the Corrales Bosque.

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Images from the 2010 New Mexico State Fair

My son Eric and I went to the New Mexico State Fair this past weekend. I usually take more photos than I took on Saturday, but I did manage to take a few photos.

I always enjoy looking down Main Street towards the midway.

Looking down Main Street towards the Midway

Our favorite exhibit was, as always, the Natural Resources Exhibit.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, melanistic variation

Leucistic Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Gray Fox

Swainson's Hawk

We always love looking at the animals in the FFA barn.

Sow and piglets

We also enjoyed looking at the old cars from the Tin Lizzies Car Club.

1917 Depot Hack, Model-T Ford

1912 Model-T Ford Touring Car

1930 Model-A Ford Deluxe Roadster

And this is New Mexico, so of course there was a Jackalope.

Jackalope

I couldn’t resist taking a photo of a Morning Glory growing near the Agriculture Building.

Morning Glory

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Late Summer Flowers in my Garden

I had quite a few outdoor chores to do this weekend, and I decided to take my camera with me while I did them. You may have seen my Photo Feathers blog post on Corrales birds. I also took a few photos of the late summer flowers blooming around the house and in the garden.

Peace Rose

A Late-blooming Rose

Black-eyed Susans

Creeping Rosemary (rosemary prostratus) with Bee

Wild Purple Asters

Sweet Alyssum

Maximilian Sunflower

Russian Sage

Hibiscus

Dill Flower

Garlic Chive Flowers

Nierembergia

Thai Peppers

Gazanias

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A Sunday Bike Ride in the Bosque

It was a beautiful weekend in New Mexico. I went for a bike ride on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday I forgot to take my camera with me, but I remembered it on Sunday. These photos were taken with a little Canon point-and-shoot that fits in my biking jersey pocket.

After I had finished my serious riding I detoured into the Aldo Leopold Forest Area near the Rio Grande Nature Center. There were many Wilson’s Warblers in the trees near the river and I saw a Green-tailed Towhee in the underbrush, but my little camera was not up to the task of photographing small, active birds. Fortunately this Western Fence Lizard posed for me on an old fallen cottonwood.

Western Fence Lizard

Western Fence Lizard, Another Look

Afterwards I walked through the Rio Grande Nature Center where I saw turtles, Mallards and Canada Geese at the Nature Center blind.

Turtles and a Mallard, Rio Grande Nature Center

There were quite a few Black-chinned Hummingbirds at the Nature Center feeders. I was very happy to be able to get a few decent images with the point and shoot.

Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Rio Grande Nature Center

Female Black-chinned Hummingbird, Rio Grande Nature Center

As I rode back along Rio Grande Boulevard I saw literally thousands of little yellow Clouded Sulphur butterflies in an alfalfa field.

Clouded Sulphur Butterfly

The sight of all the little butterflies was so lovely that I took a slightly shaky point-and-shoot video of them.

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