Random Shots

I haven't been doing a lot of photography on this trip, but of course, I've been taking some. On the drive down I stopped by the side of the road and noticed the dragonflies and butterflies.



I think this is a Gray Copper butterfly:



Strangely, for the middle of a hot day on the prairie, I got attacked by mosquitos. It worried me for the rest of the trip, but they haven't bothered me again. (so far!)

I stopped off in Great Falls where I found Arvon - a nice small hotel in a historic building right downtown. I also found 5th and Wine - a wine bar / restaurant where I relaxed on the outdoor deck with a glass of wine. Walking through the park by the river (Missouri) I noticed this bird emerging from a hole in a brick wall. I'm not sure what kind it is. (maybe a non-breeding European Starling - thanks Penny)



It's late in the season for flowers, but these roses were lovely.



And being a fan of pelicans, I couldn't resist a shot of this mural.



My next stop was Holter Lake, just north of Helena (where I did some paragliding). This chipmunk was busy eating the berries on this bush.



I saw a few of these butterflies with two spots on their wing. Haven't had a chance to try to id them yet. (I think it's a Wood Nymph)



These purple flowers were attracting a few different small butterflies. I think this one is a Common Branded Skipper.



If you look close you can see a spider lurking between the two top flowers. It doesn't look like a crab spider though, maybe a wolf spider?



Sitting in my campsite in the evening I heard something tap-tap-tapping on the tree next to me. It took me a while to spot it, and it was tough to get a shot through all the branches. I didn't get a great view but I'm guessing Hairy Woodpecker.



Sunset from the same campsite.



Next stop was Helena, Montana. I'm impressed that they turned several blocks of downtown into a pedestrian plaza. It even has a little stream running down part of it. There are also lots of interesting historical buildings. I couldn't find a historic hotel, but the Doubletree is right on the pedestrian mall and their restaurant has an outdoor deck that doesn't even look out on a parking lot!



And some flowers of course, with their attendants.



I'm guessing this next one is a fly masquerading as a bee. (I think it's a Hover Fly)



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Murder Mystery

I noticed something on a thistle and went to investigate. It was a small gray moth. (that's a green seed beside it)



It was awkward to photograph on the underside so I waved my hand underneath, hoping it would move into a better spot. Instead it fell off into my hand. And it was dead. Strange. Why was a dead moth on the underside of the thistle.



What would kill a moth? Maybe a spider? Sure enough, when I looked closer, there was a small crab spider lurking. I'd probably scared it into dropping the moth. Or maybe it had just finished with it. Crab spiders are ambush predators. The moth must have made the mistake of landing on the thistle where it was lurking.

I was able to get the spider to move to where I could photograph it better. It looked like a different kind from the goldenrod crab spiders I usually see at home.

Hike & Fly Montana

I'm on a solo road trip, just me and my Geo (paraglider) while Shelley is at a conference. She's also not quite as "crazy" about picking a random mountain, hiking up, and flying off. Whereas, it's one of my favorite adventures these days.

This flight was at Holter Lake, a dammed section of the Missouri River, just north of Helena, Montana. My human powered adventure was an aberration. Pretty much everyone else was there to roar around the reservoir in power boats. That's if they weren't running their generators from early morning till late at night (why?) or using chainsaws (?) to cut their firewood. Sometimes I feel like a stranger in a strange land. (Heinlein reference for scifi fans.)

I was up at sunrise to hike up 1200 feet to the top of a nearby peak. It turned out to be a great site - nice grassy slope to launch, and a big open field to land. I had a beautiful mellow first flight so I turned around and hiked back up. My hiking speed isn't what it used to be, but I still managed it in 45 minutes with no trail. The second flight the thermals were starting but not enough to stay up. But still a fun flight. I was back in the campground by 11am. I'm sure the boaters thought I'd just got up.

Photos of the Day

This butterfly stayed on the same clump of flowers long enough for me to get a few photos. I'm not sure what kind it is. Posted it on iNaturalist but no id's so far.



This little guy was so preoccupied with eating peanuts that it let me get quite close. I'm guessing Hairy rather than Downy, based on the size (smaller than a robin) and the small beak relative to the head.



I like the first shot better with him looking at me, but this next one shows the length of beak better. (I have no idea if it's male or female, but I dislike using "it")



There have been lots of birds at the feeders recently - chickadees, nuthatches, house finches, sparrows.

Around the Pond

The flowers are lovely this time of the year around the pond at Innovation Place. But the plants are almost too lush - it gets hard to spot the wood frog or the fishing spiders. The bees are happy though!



They are so preoccupied with their work that they don't seem to mind a camera lens shoved in their face. Of course, that doesn't mean they sit still for long either.

While taking photos of the bees I noticed this tiny crab spider. They will tackle prey bigger than themselves, but I think this guy was waiting for something smaller than the bees. As usual, it is well color matched.



Lots of water lilies flowering but none close to shore where I could get closeups.



But I also love the hibiscus flowers, and they are readily accessible. For some reason my camera struggles to focus on the fuzzy protruding stigma. I like the yellow and red anthers on this one.



The duckweed is taking over around the fountain. I like the abstract pattern it makes.



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Print of the Week

I love the details on these lotus flowers. Rather unusual plants.