A Meadow Macro Safari

I went on my usual Sunday hike down in Ballard Park and around Gooseneck Cove today. The meadow on the floor of the old quarry in Ballard Park is really alive right now - wildflowers and bugs of all kinds abound. I put the camera in Super Macro mode for the first shot and then never switched back to normal mode; the interest in the meadow was all on the macro level.

The first thing I noticed was some Queen Anne's Lace, and when I narrowed in on one floral head I saw this interesting, if unknown, critter browsing amomg the florets:


Nearby was some Spotted Knapweed:

as well as some Yarrow:


And out in the middle of the meadow the Canadian Thistle has taken over:


There was one phenomenon today that took up most of my interest, though. On first entering the old quarry there was a sign right in the middle of the trail warning visitors to take care as there were bees nesting in the ground in the meadow. I kept an eye and an ear out. At one point I was looking at some Red Clover when I heard lots of buzzing and noticed lots and lots of small critters in mid-air. But they weren't bees! On closer inspection they proved to be Japanese Beetles, and they were swarming everywhere and crawling all over everything. So naturally I had to document the phenomenon. So come with me as we enter

BEETLE MANIA!!!!

They were overwhelming the Rye Grass:








and swarming over the Daisy Fleabane:







and even the Thistle:

And my favorite, these two balancing on a Timothy head:


That's my walk for today, a real macro safari!