Mystery Insects at Hidden Lake

Jack and I went to Hidden Lake this morning and were amazed at these large insects digging tunnels on the dam. There were hundreds of the things and others flying just above them. I couldn’t get a decent photo so cadged this from a DuckDuckGo search but it looks like the same bug (and Eastern Velvet Ant) with more orange than red. I will try to get down there later today with a macro lens and see if I can get a shot of my own, but if there are any entomology fans out there, I’d like to know if this is the correct ID.

 

Morning Walk: Our Furry Neighbors

Squirrels seem to be everywhere in our neighborhood. I rarely walk more than a hundred yards without seeing one or two, and I enjoy their antics. They seem to enjoy driving our dog, Bella, wild by playing right outside the front window, where she stands guard. They like breaking into attics and setting up housekeeping there. And they seem to be fearless when running across the road in front of Country Place drivers. Of course, there are drivers who don’t brake for them.

The female pictured above likes to sit on the Middleton’s fence and scold passersby.

Young Bucks

Two young bucks have been hanging out beside the Lowell’s home on Lakeshore. The light was dim, but I managed to snap one shot of them before they drifted back into the brush.

Bream Lake Quackers

This morning I ran across a trio of ducks on the banks of Bream Lake (#2). How these  domestic  birds (the  Aylesbury’s  are  white,  the  brown  one  looks  like  a female  Mallard)  have  survived  in  a  neighborhood  full  foxes, raccoons, opossums and coyotes is a puzzle.