Ladybirds!

Spring - Ladybird in Flight
Originally uploaded by paurian

We have a ton of ladybirds in the backyard! Of course, when I sent daughter for the Handbook of Nature Study (after she had promptly grabbed the bug catcher, put the catch as well as a leaf with aphids on it in there for his/her lunch), she began looking in the index for "lady bugs." I cannot believe we had not taken the time to teach her these are also called by their more common (and in my opinion more elegant) name - ladybird.

My beloved took this amazing shot back in 2006, when my daughters were begging him to take pictures of the ladybirds. He snapped the picture and God blessed him with this amazing shot!

But how PERFECT it was to show AA the wing cases and wings hidden underneath! I am hoping to get her to do some observation drawings. We have gotten out of the habit of doing them. She was getting REALLY good there. Need to get back into practicing! :D