In Cornell Plantation's Arboretum

I led a small group of fellow photographers on a foray beginning at the Harder Watercourse in the Cornell Plantation's Arboretum.  While the forecast was for showers, it was actually a warm and sunny day with lots of insect activity. Entering the watercourse, one finds a magnificent array of summer blooms - Sunflowers, Cone Flowers and more.

Dropping down the slope below the Harder garden, we found fields of wildflowers including large pockets of Monarda fistulosa.  There I saw one of my favorite and strangest little moths, the Hummingbird Moth.

It is a beautiful combination of sienna reds, olive greens and blacks.  The antennae are tipped with blue too.  It hovers just like its namesake to sip nectar from the blooms.

They move pretty fast, so it is always a relief when the set of photos has a few good, sharp  images.

Finding a Hummingbird Moth was a special treat for this foray.  For some in the group, it was an amazing, new discovery.  It is a special sighting, even for me. Usually, I only see a few on my garden phlox.  There always seems to be a surprise in the Plantation's many gardens.  I just have to be patient and observe closely.  It seems that the less you move, the more you can discover.

Paul Schmitt