Kneeling

I think I may have mentioned that I was asked recently what my favorite bug is. Truth be told, I don't have one. How could I, with so many to choose from? I am not a person with favorites, for the most part. But I do have a favorite way of taking pictures of bugs. I like to take pictures of bugs at my eye level. I don't like stooping, squatting, or bending, and given how much deer scat remains all over the yard, I am not keen on sitting, kneeling, or lying down in the grass. Also, my monopod is partly broken, so I can't collapse it down to its lower level, which makes taking pictures of low-down bugs more awkward. Unfortunately, as there's still not a lot going on in the leaves and plants department to get the bugs up at my eye level, lately I have been taking a lot of pictures of bugs on or near the ground. It's getting annoying. But more on that anon.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

Perhaps I should mention that I didn't find many bugs today. I am guessing this is a wasp, because it looks like it has a sting, but this is all I saw of it.

 Pretty wings.

So, about that bug on the ground...

 This was Backyard Bug of the Day one day last week. I didn't get the greatest pictures of it because it was on the ground, and feisty (this is the one that grabbed a mite and gave it a shake). I found another one today, and it was a bit more accommodating. Also the fact that it was really cloudy kind of made it easier to photograph - there was a lot of glare on it the other day in the bright sun (and that is the only good thing I have to say about today's gloomy weather). However, it was on the ground, so I had to get down really low to get these pictures, and was forced to choose between kneeling on a rock or kneeling on mud. I chose rock. It was not comfortable. But at least the bug was kind of cooperative, so now I've got some pretty decent pictures of it. I still don't know what it is, though. Some kind of beetle, about 1/4 inch long.

Even in the gloomier light there is an iridescence to it (more so when I turned on my camera light).

 Let's zoom in on that face...

Here's another look at yesterday's Backyard Bug of the Day, also inclined to be more cooperative today:

 As expected, lots of sawfly eggs laid in the needles of the bush.

 Look at that adorable face!

I spotted this fly on a branch above my head (which is why it's such a far-off picture). I noticed something interesting about it, so let's zoom this picture in...

 It has a glob of water or some other liquid on its face.

Have I mentioned how much I love spring?

No spiders today (I saw some, but they were in too much of a hurry to have their picture taken), but there's still some Arachnid Appreciation:
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 Tiny daddy-long-legs

 Tinier daddy-long-legs. At least that's what I think they are.

 Here's another of what I consider a small daddy-long-legs (like the first one above).

 And what appears to be a baby.

Really tiny daddy-long-legs with an almost invisibly tiny something else (maybe a springtail?)

Here's some context: On the left is what I am calling a small daddy-long-legs. There are three of the smaller ones in this picture, too.