Spring Wildflowers 2012

I caught this Red Wasp feeding on whatever it was on this flower, and managed to put a purple Larkspur directly behind him thus creating the colorful background for the picture. The bokeh effect certainly plays a large part in the outcome of a picture, especially when the colors can be so complementary to the subject.

These two wasps had a confrontation on the flower. There just wasn't room for both to these bad guys. The raised up swapped blows with their feet and one took off with his stinger tucked between his legs.

To the winner goes the spoils and here is the winner and still champion.

Here is the Milkweed bug attempting to dispatch the honey bee from his bloom all the while the honey bee is the one that pollinates the flowers so they can produce the very seeds that the stupid milkweed bug eats. At the very same moment the Milkweed bug is pestering the bee, another honey bee stops by to give the milkweed bug a little buzz of his own. I the famous words of Rodney King, "Can't we just all get along?"

Here is a closer cropping of the picture so you can get the extra details of the insects. Both bees left a second later and the milkweed bug was contented again to have his privacy.

Here we have one of the Milkweed bugs apparently standing guard over his own flower. At least I thought that until he walked over to the edge of the flower and began to lean forward more and more and then I realized he was about to take off. At just the right moment I decided to hit the shutter button and I caught him in full extension. The next shot, he was already gone. Fast little buggers.

A Pipevine Swallowtail male frozen in place as he feeds on an Indian Paintbrush.

God's Kaleidoscope as a Blue Bonnet is viewed from above.

Pastels are hard to find and when you do, the colors blend so nicely together. When you find some be sure and enjoy all the shades in the area. They cross pollinate and mix so well and can be so varied.

One more time. There can be millions of blooms and bees still want to compete over one flower. Spread it out boys.

These are very rare in the Indian Paintbrush world. The blooms are green with only the tips having the pink coloring. Usually the entire bract will have all the coloring in it but in this case the coloring is reduced significantly.

God's Kaleidoscope. A Bluebonnet as viewed from straight above.

The Golden Cheek Warbler.

Another of God's kaleidoscopes.

Nasty looking fly somehow made to look fairly decent on this flower.