Pollinator Week - Tiny Flyer

Continuing with my challenge to blip a week of pollinators, I decided to go with this diminutive hoverfly.  This is in the Genus Tosomerus and is most likely T. germinatus, although I am not certain.  What I do know is that these little flies are very common throughout the summer months here, and they can always be found in my garden.  Adults feed on flowers, making them excellent pollinators.

Usually I would go after this tiny insect with my macro lens to capture the details, but I had the 300 with me and the conditions were just right to allow me to lock in focus, so I decided to go with lots of negative space.  I'd be curious as to your thoughts on this. To me, the dilemma is losing the fine detail on the insect in favor of showing its small size in context.  No right or wrong approach, I guess.

One of the chipmunks was doing some yoga stretches on the patio this morning.  And overnight, either raccoons or possums dug up several of my potted plants on the patio, making a bit of a mess.  I suspect raccoons only because the bird bath had a lot of dirt in it.  

There are small damselflies all over the garden now, and I found one posed nicely on a sea of pink.  

Had a nice visit with MIL today.  She was sleeping soundly when I arrived but I decided to wake her since it was getting close to lunch time.  She was a little confused initially, which is normal when she first wakes up; but soon enough she was her usual spunky self.  

I got a couple of large rudbeckia (black-eyed susans) for the new garden, but it was so hot this afternoon that I decided to postpone planting them until it cools a bit.  All the perennials are going on sale now, so this is the perfect time to fill in some of the empty patches in the garden.  

An otherwise uneventful day.

xo
Debbi