An Alien?

Ok, obviously it’s not an alien, but this small wasp looks awfully strange.  Like most wasps, it’s completely harmless and couldn’t sting if it wanted to.  It was busy searching some flowers for food.

There were lots of insects out at the beginning of the afternoon.  The warm temperatures and sun really made them active.  With bright sun like this, you have to either find ones in the shade or create some shade of your own.  That’s what I did for this dragonfly.

There were a few birds out too by the time the clouds came in to stay.  This Anhinga is nearly as strange as the wasp was.  This is a male in full breeding plumage.  At this time of year they get extra fuzzy and the green and blue eye rings really stand out.  This bird has so many names including darter and snake bird, but I always think they are just one goofy-looking bird.