Gnats
Gnats anyone?

Gnats anyone?

I enjoyed the sunrise at Cedar point on Lake Buchanan yesterday and with the approaching Festivus season (“the festivus for the rest of us”) it was nice to find many of these beautiful Axarus festivus (as I’m told by iNat) a variety of midge.
In addition to birds, photography of insects has greatly enhanced my NEDs (nature exploration days)!! Was pleased to find 6 examples of my favorite beetle yesterday!
2 things bringing me joy on morning walk this morning 1) bees swarming all over a flowering bush, 2) upland sandpipers calling overhead come down from points north (u won’t find then in the pix, it’s just for symbolic purposes)
Started off my morning here in Davis Mountains with some bad iphone pix of Montezuma Quail. Then did a walk on roads south of Davis Mountains — glad to hear lots of singing birds and see water where I’ve not seen it before!!! And finally I thought these (tentatively IDed) Velvet Mites were interesting and…
Ok, it’s insect time. Here’s one of my top 3 insects — White-lined Sphinx. Found2 of these beauties at Lake Balmorhea. Interestingly, my camera on pretty high speed seemed to be exactly coordinated with the wingbeats. I always feel that these guys are mimicking hummingbirds to avoid predation.
Just back from several days in Terlingua, Fort Davis, Big Bend area. Saw about 60 bird species, but overall low in numbers. Best bird probably Townsend Solitaire. Here’s some cool non bird animals we saw — the “B” trifecta — Black Witch, Badger & Bear. That black blob is the bear. We pointed it out…