A 'Close' Morning and 'Pop Bugs'

 

I was out early this morning doing some watering and checking the flowers. That's when I noticed a bug I hadn't seen before. 

It's hard to see on this black hook, but it is black with an iridescent sheen on its head and wings.

I also took note of the yellow tips on its back legs. Wondering what it was sent me online to search. Nothing matched my description but in the process of hunting I saw this bug....

....which reminded me of a childhood pastime. Somehow my sister and I learned that if we turned this bug on its back it would 'magically' flip itself back over, making a popping sound. So we called them "pop bugs". Not knowing until today that the nickname of the Elateridae is "click beetle". Pop, click - we were close.

It finally occured to me that the yellow on the legs of the bug I was trying to identify might be pollen. Sure enough when I went back out to find it again, it was going in and out of all the portulaca flowers. In addition to the yellow, it now had some red. I still haven't been able to identify it though.

Mid-morning Bud asked if I wanted to walk down to the pond with him. He wanted to see what had been done to fix the dam where it was leaking. You can see how low the water is in this photo. We won't know for certain if the fix worked until we get enough rain to fill the pond back up - hopefully.

The a/c was already running at 10:30 a.m. and as soon as we stepped outside you could see why. It was cloudy, hot, humid, rank. I said: "This is what my Mom would have called a 'close morning'.

Naturally, I took my camera. Between the pond and the railroad tracks is a virtual haven for wildlife. This female Oriole is the first thing I took a photo of. 

And I got close enough to see what those flowers were that I can just make out the yellow color of from the house. It's a nice clump of Gray-headed Coneflowers - accompanied by some Queen Anne's Lace.

Speaking of QAL, did you know its other name is "Birds-Nest Weed? I didn't.

It's because of the way the flowers close after they have bloomed. Like the one in the center of this picture.

I was drawn to the purple Ironweed along the dam.

Which led me to discover another plant I'd never heard of - those little white flowers are Whorled Milkweed. At least that's what I think they are as nearly as I can tell from this photo.

I may go back down and get a close up of them to verify.

The Chokecherries are ripening. I wish I could get enough to make some of my favorite jelly, but the birds will get them all first.

They are just one of the reasons this area is such a wildlife mecca. There are also Wild Plums and Elderberries.

I took a photo of the back side of our house from the pond. Just one of the 35 pictures I took. They are a reminder that one doesn't have to get far from home to discover new territory.  (Other flora and fauna included Honeysuckle, Bulrush, Cattails, Willows, Poplars, Rabbits, Robins, Groundhogs and many more.)

P.S. - The air-con felt really good when we got back. 😉