Red looking red

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The young leaves of Texas red oak, Quercus buckleyi, look red*—not just any red, either, but a fuzzy one; and if this emerging leaf is fuzzy, so are parts of the tiny bee I found on it in Balcones Regional Park on March 13.

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* At least they usually look red; but glance back at the previous picture and you’ll be reminded of how different the leaves on the same young tree can look when bright sunlight turns them translucently yellow. Now I’m suddenly reminded of the way we can make a hand look red by holding it up to the sun.

© 2013 Steven Schwartzman