Prairie Dust

Wheatland - Saline County

Tue, 15 May 2012 19:32 -0500

Wild Bachelor Buttons and Wheat Rows

Mon, 14 May 2012 21:30 -0500

Along Stimmel Road, rural Saline County, Kansas

Field Borders - Stimmel Road

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:29 -0500

Along Stimmel Road, Saline County, Kansas

Wild Bachelor Buttons and Wheat #2

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:01 -0500

Saline County, Kansas

Wild Bachelor Buttons and Wheat #1

Mon, 14 May 2012 06:33 -0500

Saline County, Kansas

Black Ant and Aphids #9451

Mon, 07 May 2012 21:18 -0500

Laird's Pond, Flint Hills Wildlife Refuge – Using its antenna a black ant milks an aphid, freeing a small drop of "honeydew". Called a "mutualistic relationship" aphids receive protection from predators in exchange for the sweet liquid. Some ants nurture their herds from year to year by storing aphid eggs in their nests over the winter months, then move them to the plants in the spring to create a new colony. For more information check this Wikipedia article.

Ant with Honeydew Drop

Sun, 06 May 2012 17:07 -0500

Here's a closeup study of an ant pulling a drop of "honeydew" from a colony of aphids.

Ants and Aphids

Sun, 06 May 2012 17:06 -0500

Ants offer protection to aphids in exchange for the sugary "honeydew" left behind when the aphids feed on plant sap.

Opening Act

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:59 -0500

Lyon County, Kansas (Photographed on March 28th) – This was the opening movement of heavy rain, hail, and a funnel. No, I didn't add that ominous face in the clouds. It's just an accidental but cool formation.

Sitting in Froggy Paradise

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:05 -0500

After an hour or two slogging around on the pond banks I have enough mud on me that the muck dwellers accept me as one of their own. It helps me get closer to the action. But, as you can tell, I'm still looking down from above. I need to get more into the soup to get down at froggy eye level. This could get even more messy, stay posted.
Frogs often take on a metallic look, sometimes gold, this one brassy with a touch of patina. He's happy popping around in the swampy back waters at Chase County Lake. His actual size was ~ 3/4 inch.