Flitting Fritillary

This fritillary butterfly knows what's good for it!

 

Woodland Delights

This amazing looking fungus has come up in the same shady, mossy, damp area of our yard for quite a few years. It looks like ocean coral in shape and form, and ranges in color from violet to amethyst. Though it looks pink in the pic below, it was actually more purple in the deep shade. It's called the violet coral, or Clavaria zollingeri.

It's so small, and easily overlooked. This next pic is included to show how small this organism is, by including the acorn cap for scale.

It's important for breaking down organic material, and is found throughout the world. Isn't it beautiful? It shows up really well against the haircap moss.

The Scream

Have you ever screamed with fright into your swim mask and snorkel? I have! It's quite a noise!

I was gliding along amongst the rooted aquatic plants, admiring their beautiful leaves infused with light. The stems were floating gracefully around me in a serene and calming manner. It was almost mesmerizing. But suddenly, a large (probably only about 9 inches long) painted turtle zipped up in front of me and out of the way. I wasn't expecting activity, or a sudden darting movement of this nature, and reacted instantly with a loud scream - I was the only one who heard it, enclosed within my snorkel and reverberating through my mask. The amplification of it made me more freaked out.

After recognizing what it was, and not feeling threatened or nervous, I could only laugh at myself. This is how I imagined it:

Hat tip to Edvard Munch

Lunch Art

Al fresco lunch in summer