Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: E. O. Wilson

4 more pictures in notes above! Today I was working on getting pictures together for Bokeh Thursday, but my favorite pick happens to be another caterpillar, and well, I don't want you guys to get sick of them, so I went out to look for those pink flowers again! HAH! Something always comes between me and the little pink flowers!! First it was the wind. It's one of those crazy changing-of-season days where the sun's out and it starts to rain. There was a booming thunder and lightning storm earlier, with downpours and hail, and then it all passed by and was sunny again! Crazy! However, it was very gusty, so when I finally found some of the pink flowers, they were waving around every which way, and as I bent down to take pictures, I realized I would be wasting my time so I went to find some sort of cover from the wind and hoped I might find some flowers there. When I got to a place behind a burn pile, there were no flowers but I didn't care at that point. I noticed a tiny something on a dried Tarweed flower husk and looking closer, I was excited to see that it was a fuzzy Bee Fly! It had its proboscis extended and at first glance I thought it was a huge mosquito. However, they aren't even related, and I'm glad...I have no interest in taking pictures of those nasty blood-suckers! The long proboscis you see is used to probe flowers for nectar, not to puncture flesh for blood! ICK! This fly was about 1/4" long and was very docile. At one point I accidentally bumped into the dried plant and it waved all over the place. Amazingly, the fly just hung on and then began grooming itself!! I have a picture of that to share too! :) I was so amazed when I looked at these pictures on my computer--you would never know it was so windy! This is one of the very best fly pictures I've taken so far! :D Edward Osborne "E. O." Wilson (born June 10, 1929) is an American biologist, researcher (sociobiology, biodiversity), theorist (consilience, biophilia), naturalist (conservationist) and author. His biological specialty is myrmecology, the study of ants, on which he is considered to be the world's leading authority. Wikipedia: E.O. Wilson Explored on September 6, 2013. Highest placement, page 2 (#36).

3 more pictures in notes above! :) I just love today's quote! It's so me! :D Honestly, I have been fascinated by nature all my life, and though my interest in tiny creatures waned a bit as an adult, the very moment I picked up a camera that interest came hurtling back and I am delighted when I discover a critter I haven't photographed yet! Yesterday I shared some pictures of Milkweed seeds, but what you don't know is that I went back an hour or so after taking pictures and gathered up all the seeds that I could find. I would like to plant these seeds in my little garden to have these flowers right under my nose next summer. :) When I brought the seeds inside, I sat and separated the seeds from the fluff, and suddenly I noticed a pretty bug crawling across the table! It just happened to be the very species I've been trying to get pictures of but keep failing at, so I gently coaxed him into a plastic bag with plans to take pictures today! Then, when I sat down again to finish my little seed project, I saw an extremely tiny insect crawling on a seed pod. When I say tiny, I mean "grain-of-rice-tiny"! Noticing how adorable it was, I popped the little guy into the bag too. Today I was just about to go out to get my pictures for the day when I remembered my little buddies in the bag! I went out and got a grass stem for a stage and went outside with my camera and the bugs and the stem, and together we all had a great time! I finally got good pictures of this bug and I couldn't be happier! :D After I was done, I brought my models back to the Milkweed bushes and put them onto some leaves where they both crawled away! Edward Osborne "E. O." Wilson (born June 10, 1929) is an American biologist, researcher (sociobiology, biodiversity), theorist (consilience, biophilia), naturalist (conservationist) and author. His biological specialty is myrmecology, the study of ants, on which he is considered to be the world's leading authority. Wilson is known for his scientific career, his role as "the father of sociobiology", his environmental advocacy, and his secular-humanist and deist ideas pertaining to religious and ethical matters. Wikipedia: E. O. Wilson Explored on August 15, 2013. Highest placement, page 2 (#28).