Almost too dark to see…

I was hoping for a repeat of yesterday, but it stayed dark, and I got rained on instead. Oh well. I didn’t melt.

Before the rain came, I did spot this sweetheart grabbing a bite by the pond. The shutter speed was 1/25 second with the aperture wide open at f/4.5 and the ISO cranked up to 6400, so you know it was dark, and I’d have nothing to show you without that monopod.

The usual duck contingent was there, but the more interesting sight was this trio of red-winged blackbirds fledglings crowding around Mom in hopes of getting fed.

At the river, I glimpsed the wren again and managed not to spook any herons this time because they must have all stayed home this morning. Can’t grab what you can’t see, I guess.

I did spot one beaver cruising home, but nobody came out to greet it, and it didn’t dawdle at the door, so pictures today.

Then the rain came, I waited it out under a tree, and once it let up, I headed home in hopes of not getting any wetter. On my way, I spotted this little cutie, whom I just couldn’t resist.

Lastly, here’s an image that didn’t make yesterday’s post.

Yup, the pavement ants (Tetramorium caespitum) are at it again. Researchers have even developed and explored “an agent-based model that conceptualizes how individual changes in brain concentrations of 5-HT and OA, paired with a simple threshold-based decision rule, can lead to the development of colony wide warfare.” Furthermore, “model simulations do lead to the development of warfare with 91% of ants fighting at the end of 1 h.” Fascinating stuff, I tell you!

Oh, and here’s one more. The common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is starting to blossom. Remember that this is a two-year effort.