Syrphid fly and Daffodil

Daffodil
Narcissus
(nar-SIS-us)

Syrphid fly 

Toxomerus geminatus

This photo was from the spring, which after that last snowstorm is something I can only dream about. This type of photo is kind of what I call a commando photo. The opportunity presents itself very quickly and you have to shoot from the hip. The 60mm macro lens was already on the camera and the settings were for the available light around the little patch of Daffodils. So luckily the camera auto focused fast enough to catch this little guy as he alighted on the flower.

The Syrphid Fly is a frequent visitor to the garden and is treated as a beneficial insect. They don’t seem to bite or bother with humans but at a certain stage of development they have a voracious appetite for Aphids.

Giant Hornbill

Giant Hornbill
Buceros bicornis
Synonyms: Great Indian Hornbill, Great Pied Hornbill

Another bird from the Bronx Zoo’s World of Birds. The Giant Hornbill is impressive at 130 centimeters and is beautifully colored. Their native range is Southwest India, the Himalayas to Southeast Asia and there is an isolated population on Sumatra. It is an important seed disperser that can consume seeds as large as an Avocado pit.

The current captive population is 70 individuals and they are under study for squamous cell carcinoma, a cancer that affects the hornbill’s bill (casque). There were a pair at the Bronx Zoo and this is the male of the species. The female looks similar but is smaller.

I haven’t been posting many flower pictures but hope to get some this weekend. Here is a picture of a Cosmos flower and a Syrphid Fly. Remember Syrphid Fly larvae are beneficial in the garden, consuming aphids.