Photos from last Saturday - Pollinators, Waxwings, and Groundhog

A week of field course has gone by and left me with a new appreciation for plants and tons of photos.  Another week will start tomorrow at Algonquin Provincial Park and I will be away from technology during that time.

I have not yet sorted out my photos from this past week, and I only just finished the ones from last Saturday (June 8th).  Here they are.

I went over to Trent's Ward Garden last week to test myself on plant identification using the field guide.

Came across a wasp on the stairs with many red mites crawling all over the rocky surface (one is to the left of the wasp).

This bee (Osmia sp., I think) was sunning itself.  Look at its cool eyes.

A Wild ginger flower (Asarum canadense) from the Birthwort (Aristolochiaceae) family, although it's not related to the spice ginger (Zingiber officinale) at all.

One lone Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia; Bellflower family, Campanulaceae) in the garden.  However, I am not entirely sure why it has 6 petals though.

Found a sad scene on the ground where this dead bee was headless.

A live bumblebee visiting lupine flowers.

Check out its tongue trying to drink the nectar!

On this Philadelphia fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus) flower, I found this metallic green bee (Agapostemon sp.).

In the surrounding canopy were these Cedar Waxwings.  I think they may be fledglings because they were not very shy at all, and a flying bird just missed my head as I was moving around.

This one perched long enough on the tree for me to get some photographs of it from the back.

As I was heading to my office, I saw this groundhog (Marmota monax) munching on the grasses near the parking lot.  I slowly moved towards it and was able to get closer and closer without it running off.

Leaf in its mouth.

Cute-looking critter.

Be back in a week, and I am certain I will have lots of photos to share then.