Patience and curiosity

If you look closely at this picture, you can see how red tones are repeated: the earth, the poppies, and the fresh growth on the oak. It was striking when I was there... I guess the mind is always seeking resonances and reflections.

Anyway, afterwards I sat down by another, older, oak. I was hoping for insight... I feel there's been rather little lately, though maybe I am misremembering and/or ungrateful.

Nothing came... except that I started watching ants and wondering if they were tree ants, a species that I guy I know has been wanting to record at the Reserve. I'm always hoping to say something smug like, Oh, yes: I've seen them at such-and-such. What an awful admission.

I do not know if they were tree ants, but as I was watching them I saw an incredible long, slim fly with immensely long antennae and a long whip-like tail. It used its antennae to feel about on the bark. I don't know what the tail was for. I tried to photograph it, but it was very shy and hid in crevices. Seems like it must have been some kind of parasitic wasp seeking some creature in which it would lay its eggs, via the long "tail", which is an ovipositor.

I also saw several leaf hoppers.

Curiosity and patience.