Tree Lovers

Oof, this is going to take a while. I took over 450 pictures today. I didn't find anywhere near as many bugs as that probably implies, but I was trying very hard to get a picture to give you a sense of something that is, well, very hard to photograph. But I think it worked, ultimately, at least a little bit. So what am I talking about?
The flowering crab apple is in full bloom:

 It was warm, it was sunny, there are massive numbers of flowers in bloom on this tree, and that means, finally a lot of bees. You can hear them when you stand under the tree. And they are flitting all around it. Sadly for me and my macro lens, I couldn't find any on the lower branches that are at my eye level. They were all swarming about the crown. So of course what I wanted to show you was the spectacle of this multitude zipping around this feast of a tree. It's not easy to do. So, here's what I was able to get:

 I think there are at least ten bees (or other bugs, can't tell from this distance) in this shot. You can tell from their sizes that there are several species.

I think that bigger bug toward the right might be a beetle.

 

 There are bumblebees up there, too, and they are pretty much the only ones you can see on the flowers at this distance.

 Bumblebee on the right. The other circle shows that the bees sometimes are not keen on sharing, even though there are more than enough flowers to go around.

 

 Ah, two bumblebees.

 A bit of a skirmish there.

 I am guessing that at least some of the insects zooming around up there are flies.

And insects were not the only creatures attracted to the tree. Backyard Bird of the Day:

 I think this is a warbler, possibly a blue-winged warbler, but there is at least one other in my bird book that is a possibility. And what has attracted this warbler to this tree in glorious bloom? It's not eating the flowers, or even feeding on the nectar. Warblers eat insects.

 Not cooperative...

Speaking of birds...

 

 There were vultures kettling overhead for a while.

That tree is one of two flowering crab apples that I planted, and they don't bloom in unison; one is always at least a week ahead of the others (which has leaves and flowers of a different color). But there are several other flowering crab apple trees in my backyard that were planted by birds of other wildlife, and one of those at least is short enough for me to be able to see the flowers up close, and therefore also the insects feeding on its blooms:

 It was mostly bees...

 But also a tumbling flower beetle. Or is it a wedge beetle? I should look that up... anyway, they are in the same genus, which is to say they are on the same page in my bug book which is just out of reach of where I am sitting right now, so I am going to be an irresponsible blogger and not look it up... I looked it up. It's a tumbling flower beetle.

My policy on tumbling flower beetles is that if I ever get a good picture of one it becomes Backyard Bug of the Day automatically, because they just don't photograph well. I don't think this one is quite up to snuff.

Crane fly

Backyard Co-Bug of the Day #1:

 Beetle. I couldn't find it in my book, and there were at least four genuses (geni?) that it resembles, so...  I have no idea. It might be a new species for me.

 It was crawling clumsily around in the grass. It gave the impression that it was wrestling with the grass...

... and losing.

 This was the point where my presence became too obtrusive and it decided to play dead so I would go away, but of course I didn't. I flipped it over, figuring I could finally get a good shot at it (the first picture above), and eventually it started moving again. Altogether I think I took over 100 pictures of this beetle, accounting for a big portion of today's photography.

Backyard Co-Bug of the Day #2:

 Velvet ant, female. Velvet ants are actually a species of wasp, the females of which have no wings. Female velvet ants are reputed to have the most painful insect sting in North America, so I am carefully not to put myself in a position of testing that claim. Like with the tumbling flower beetle, I have sort of a policy on this blog that if I ever get a good picture of one it become Backyard Bug of the Day because it's so hard to get a picture of one, but this one happened to wander into view as I was taking pictures of the beetle above, and so I took a few of her, too.

Other Bugs:

 The flowering crab apple is not the only target for the bees. The dandelions are quite popular, too.

 Gnat on sassafras flower

Here's another insect-spotting test:

 I would never have seen the insect here if it didn't move. And when I did see it, it really did look like it was just part of the moss, but moss doesn't move.

 I think this is a beetle larva.

 

 Solitary snow flea

 A curious scene

 Tiny wasp

 Click beetle

 I saw at least four, possibly five, species of butterflies today. Two I could identify on sight, spring azure and mourning cloak. Two I got bad pictures of (with my telephoto lens, a circumstance I am too tired to explain):

A footprint in the mud

Arachnid Appreciation:
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Backyard Reptile of the Day:
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I'm probably just seeing the same garter snake every day, because it has been in the same general area of the backyard. It is curiously unconcerned with my presence whenever I see it. It moves away, but not much, and not in a hurry.