I took the West Ranch Road loop this morning without my camera, and I saw a nice patch of Columbine. My Goldenrod Crab Spider, after eating several bugs these past two days, apparently is taking time out to digest. So, I thought I'd head back to West Road in the afternoon with my camera to record those Columbines. However, the first bright red spots I saw in the woods at 20 mph turned out to be the Red Larkspur (above). If you can imagine five of these blossoms wrapped around a central core, perhaps you can imagine their relationship to the Crimson Columbine (below), which is in the same family, the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae.
An unopened Columbine looks a lot like the Larkspur.
Here's a fully opened one which really stands out against the background of dark forest.
Another view that I love is the view from below. But these were hanging over a muddy ditch, so I decided to get this view in another way.
Here's my front yard Crab Spider, apparently taking a rest from eating. I saw an ant crawl right over its body and it didn't even flinch. Either full from yesterday's feast, or maybe too tired. The clover blossoms are starting to turn brown and wilt, so I'm eagerly anticipating the spider's move to a nearby daisy.
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