Weird Spider

I've seen these odd looking spiders in books but never in real life.  This one is very small.

Hummingbird Video

I shot this video this morning from inside our back door and did a quick edit.  Added bird and frog sounds from a sound effects CD and also slowed down a section at the end. 
This is a red breasted hummingbird [the only species found in the Richmond area]
Cool!

Lichen with red bits

It looks like this lichen is making some red globs. Maybe they're fruiting bodies? It's time to study up on lichen.

Red-spotted purple (Nymphalidae)

Limenitis arthemis at Belle Isle in fall 2014

Sporophytes

A species of moss with a very tall sporophyte generation. They have a little capsule at the top for dumping spores out. The green moss we all know and love is the gametophyte generation. Let's all read up on the moss life cycle.

Lesser Scaups

Male and female lesser scaups (Aythya affinis) in early spring 2014 at Midlothian Mines Park.

Narrow-winged damselfly (Coenagrionidae)

A narrow-winged damselfly being narrow on a rock at the Reedy Creek section of James River Park in May 2015. I'm pretty sure it's in the family Coenagrionidae.

Ebony Jewelwing (Calopterygidae)

There were a lot of these broad-winged damselflies at Rockwood Park in May 2015. This is a female of the species Calopteryx maculata. The males look the same but without the white spots.

Lichen Diversity

The tree that lichen loves at Midlothian Mines Park in 2014.

You can see three different lichen growth forms: foliose (the flaky, leafy one), fruticose (the one branching out in plant-like tufts), and crustose (a really flat coating on the surface of the bark, especially in the second photo).

Beetle Larvae (Chrysomelidae)

An unflattering shot of beetle larvae at Rockwood Park in May 2015. I think they're in the family Chrysomelidae. I could probably ID them further than the family level if I had paid attention to what kind of leaf they're eating... haha...

Checkerspot (Nymphalidae)

A nice orange butterfly posing at the bug garden at Reedy Creek in May 2015. My best guess at a species ID is Chlosyne harrisii, Harris's Checkerspot. I like the striped antennae.

Maple flowers

A maple tree that made flowers before it made leaves in early spring 2015 at Midlothian Mines Park.

Toad

A humble, well-camouflaged toad at Forest Hill Park the same day I saw the vertical frog, in fall 2014. It might be Anaxyrus americanus.

Oak sapling gall (Cynipidae)

At Bryan Park in May 2015, there were a couple of these things on the end of some low-to-the-ground little oak saplings. They were kind of horrifying. They turned out to be galls. There's larvae in there.

This type of gall is made by a wool sower wasp (Callirhytis seminator).

Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle (Carabidae, Cicindelinae)

Cicindela sexguttata at Bryan Park in May 2015

Handsome Meadow Katydid (Tettigoniidae)

Orchelimum pulchellum on the floating boardwalk at Dodd Park in fall 2014

Common whitetail (Libellulidae)

Plathemia lydia at Bryan Park in May 2015

Solomon's Seal (Liliaceae)

A lily-looking plant with flowers that hang down under the leaves at Rockwood Park in May 2015. I think it's Polygonatum sp., either Smooth Solomon's Seal or Hairy Solomon's Seal.

Dayflower (Commelinaceae)

A dayflower at Belle Isle in fall 2014. I think it's either Commelina erecta (native) or Commelina communis (introduced).

Wolf spider

A wolf spider from Chesterfield County

Grasshopper (Acrididae)

A short-horned grasshopper at Dodd Park in late 2014

Alder

An alder tree at Midlothian Mines Park with male (yellow) and female (dark) catkins in early spring 2014

Toad

Very Tiny toad.

Spider in Web

 A nice shot of a spider in his web from 2013 (don't remember where)

Big Bug-eyed Black Fly

This black fly is about 1" long.
Biggest fly I ever saw. 
This was at Three Lakes Park in Henrico County in 2013.

Tiny Fly that looks like a bee

This tiny fly is only about 3/16" long  (approx 3 to 4 mm) .
It is sitting on a mint leaf in my front garden.  I took the picture this morning!

Alien Plant

Very cool looking plant!  I think it might be a fern unfurling.
This was very recently taken at Rockwood park.

Fungus

fungus

Ducklings

These were at the Midlothian Mines Park in 2013.

Maymont Grapes 2012

beautiful grapes at Maymont

Skink: quick good Lizard

Skinks are quite plentiful around here.  They like to sun themselves on dead logs and eat insects.  The youngsters have bright blue tails.

Blue Heron at Maymont 2012

Check out the video I made which includes this guy HERE!

Beetle