This is a female pelecinid wasp. They look like a cross between a dragonfly and a wasp. The males are rare but apparently these females are common. Taken at Hartman Reserve Nature Center.
Close up of an echinacea flower.
A chorus frog tadpole sitting contemplatively next to water lily flower. Notice tail is still attached to frog.
A Twilight lit day lily.
Trumpet Creeper at Giant City State Park near Carbondale, Illinois. The flash is on the outside of flower backlighting the image. I think I will use this effect more often.
Heron in a lone tree in a wetland that no longer exists in Wood Dale, Illinois.
I think these are Little Brown Bats. The photo is from a bat house attached to an osprey hacking tower. The tower is located next to Lake Shirey in Waterloo, Iowa