Photographic encounters from a week of paddling in the Adirondacks.

An adult mayfly trying to break itself from the surface tension of the water. This insect is a prime fish food, and a bug that many fishermen mimic when tying flies to match local insect patterns.

Silver-bordered fritillary butterfly on orange hawkweed.

Sheep laurel in full bloom. Each flower has ten pollen-covered, spring loaded stamen that are triggered when a butterfly roots around in the flower for nectar. The stamen whack the butterfly in the head, covering the insect's face in pollen. When the butterfly visits another plant, the butterfly pollinates it with the previous flower's pollen.

A loon approaches to escort us off his territory. Loons are extremely defensive and excellent divers. They have been known to skewer trespassing ducks from underwater.

Can anyone help with the ID on this one?

Canada tiger swallowtail drinking nectar from this hawkweed using its long tube-like proboscis.

A Northern Crescent on a goldenrod.

A carnivorous sundews in the bog. The pink hairs are tipped with a sticky glue that traps insects. This glue is a focus of some biotech companies seeking to reverse-engineer potent natural adhesives.

Evening bass fishing from the shores of Low's Lake.