Mega Tiny Tuesday

I was thrilled when I uploaded my SD card and realized that I'd caught this little Megachilid bee in flight!  These little bees are one of my favorite summer visitors but they are hard (at least for me) to photograph.  They are in the family Megachilidae (leafcutter bees), and I think this one may be a European Wool Carder, but don't hold me to that.  What makes the megachilids readily identifiable is that they gather pollen on their abdomen, rather than on on their legs as other bee species do.  As a consequence, if you see one from the side after they've been gathering pollen, it looks like they have a furry belly!  

The bluebirds were back today, Monsieur singing and inspecting the nest box and Madame chattering and also inspecting the box.  One juvenile came down but when it realized I was only a few feet away, it flew back up into the trees.  I am holding some hope that more than two may have survived because I watched both parents taking beaks full of mealworms to several locations up in the tall trees.  

Speaking of mealworms, my "farming" venture seems to be doing well.  I have a bin with beetles who are madly fornicating and, presumably, laying eggs. (I have seen teeny, tiny larvae in there, so I know that some eggs have hatched.)  I also have a bin where I am putting any pupae I find (this is what the mealworms eventually turn into) and as the pupae turn into beetles I move them.  The mealies who don't quickly turn into pupae eventually become bird food.  Not for the faint of heart, I guess, but I confess that I am fascinated by the life cycle.  And, the birds love the worms!  Today it was a full-on race between the bluebirds, two pairs of cardinals and several titmice - each trying to cram as many squirmy larvae as possible in their beaks.  And, unfortunately, the blue jays have also now developed a taste for mealies...

Lots of babies up in the trees.  And one juvenile female downy woodpecker who's been holding her own at the suet feeder - I watched her hold her ground as long as possible against the much larger red-bellied woodpeckers and even grackles.  And she went after a house sparrow (yay) and chased it off the feeder!  Little gal has some spunk.  I'll try to get a better photo of her tomorrow, but in the meantime, you can see her in Extra with the much larger male RD woodpecker!

Two other pics on Flickr...
Fledgling bluebird, bustin' a move
Mama Cardinal, taking five

Thank you ever so much for sending my bluebirds to the front page of Pops today - your lovely comments, hearts and stars are most appreciated.  

TTFN
Debbi