Mossy

I like moss. It's pretty, it's colorful, it doesn't have to be mowed, it's comfortable to walk on, it grows where it wants to be, it's just all around wonderful. For some reason a lot of people don't like it, and when they have it growing in their yard they kill it and try to replace it with grass, but why? It's green, like grass, but it doesn't have to be mowed. It' visually more interesting than grass, if you bother to look at it. And if there is moss growing somewhere instead of grass, it means that it is a location in your yard that probably isn't suited to grass anyway. If it was a good site for grass, grass would be growing there. If moss is growing there, it's a good place for moss. There are several areas of my backyard that have been taken over by moss over the years and that makes me happy. I don't go around staring at it, but I do look at it, in part because I think it's pretty, and in part because I am always hoping to find a cool bug on it, so then I can take a picture of a cool bug on pretty moss (The only problem with that being that moss is usually on the ground, at least in my backyard, and it's always awkward and uncomfortable to take macro pictures of things on the ground. I prefer things at eye level). It is so much easier to take a picture of a bug on moss than on grass. Sadly, I rarely actually find any bugs on moss.

Today I found a bug on moss. Backyard Bug of the Day:

 Today I found this tiny bug on a mossy log. I am not sure if is a fly or a wasp, but I think wasp, based on those antennae.

Mostly what I found on my bug walk today were flies:

 

 I saw them basking on a wide variety of vertical surfaces: the side of the house, rocks, tree trunks... That is the best way to soak up warmth from the sun, so that's what they were doing.

Other Bugs:

 I found two species of lady beetle today, this twice-stabbed lady beetle...

 ... and this one with fungus growing on it, which might be an Asian multicolored lady beetle.

As for other beetles...

 I saw a LOT of winter fireflies.

 Here's what I like, though: nature already getting ready for spring, which is only... 4 months away.