BUGS AT THE ARBORETUM
Here are a couple of bugs I saw at the Arboretum of Flagstaff. This arboretum is a botanical garden among a Ponderosa Pine forest in northern Arizona.
RUFOUS
I saw this female Rufous Hummingbird flying around Desert Paintbrush flowers, seeking nectar. They are very fast and agile flyers. They are very aggressive hummingbirds that will go after other hummingbirds (even ones larger than them) at flowers and feeders to get to the goods.
SKIMMERS
Skimmers are dragonflies that have a shorter body than their wingspan. They can be found around water perching on plants, they have a tendency to sit still. They are day flyers and eat from the nectar of colorful flowers such as asters and cone flowers. Here is a Twelve-spotted Skimmer and a Flame Skimmer.
WADING PLOVER
A Killdeer is a wading plover. They can be seen running quickly while making loud calls. They will do this because they are shy birds or to distract predators from their nesting sights. We have some ponds close to where I live and there are about six that I have spotted so far this summer.… Read More WADING PLOVER
