Mica Mine Trail

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The Mica Mine trail is a very short hike.

There are many interesting rock formations along the way.

Deer Fly

Mica Mine Trail

Robber Fly

Can you find the lizard in this pic?

How about now?

Tachinid Fly?

Cloud Iridescence

Scott Wilson's much better picture of cloud iridescence.
Same day. Same location. Better camera.

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Syrphid Flies at Wingate Park

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There were several types of syrphid flies on the bushes at Wingate Park in Grand Junction last Saturday. Here are some pictures of a couple. There were many smaller and faster syrphid flies that were too fast for me to catch with the camera.

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Wingate Park Week

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This week I'll be featuring pictures of insects that have been taken at Wingate Park on South Camp Road in Grand Junction. There are several flowering bushes near the picnic tables where pollinators can be found: wasps, a wide variety of bees, syrphid flies and bee flies, as well as representatives from other orders.

Today I'll just post a couple of pictures of the specific area where this week's upcoming insect photos were taken. Wingate park is a great place to take the kids for an afternoon picnic. It is not at all uncommon to see quail, rabbits, relatively large lizards, grasshoppers, several small birds, and pollinators all over the flowering bushes and shrubs, not to mention the great view of the Colorado National Monument.

The Colorado National Monument in the background.

The flowering shrubs in the picture above provide opportunities

to view all kinds of pollinating insects. Lizards are often seen on 

the cement and the rocks below. Quail are usually visible nearby.

A closer look at the flowers in these bushes.

If you look carefully, you may see some insects buzzing around.
Click twice on the picture above to find some bees.
I see at least four.

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Grand Junction Robber Fly

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Today on the bike path, I saw several robber flies on South Broadway

just before the path turns onto South Camp Road. A tiny toad 

was nearby, possibly after a few of the red ants crossing the path.

Robber flies are predatory creatures that capture other flying insects on the wing, hold them tight in their strong grip, pierce the victims' bodies with their sharp proboscis, inject the prey with a liquid
containing neurotoxins and proteolytic enzymes which quickly paralyzes the victim while it digests its innards. The robber fly then sucks out its newly-digested, high-protein, liquid meal. Yum!

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