A Strange Little Critter: New Wasp on the Block

 My, what big eyes you have! This little creature was pollinating the Angelica Sylvestris. It has something strange going on on its thorax. This is one time I wish I had netted it so I could check it closer. It has a damaged wing, so it looks like it has been through the wars.

 This blurry photo shows the pattern on its back. It's tiny--about a cm long.

ETA: Phil from the blog Cabinet of Curiosities has helped me identify this as a digger wasp, maybe the square-headed digger wasp like this one taken by Terry Thormin: http://www.pbase.com/terrythormin/image/128851647

 I love the way this wasp was balancing its back legs on a sunflower leaf to feed on the fennel nectar.

Here's another small wasp with a distinct pattern, a kind of window pane on its thorax.

 This is dangerous-looking milk thistle.

 I am really enjoying the shades of the hummingbird sage I planted from seed. It blooms in shell pink, white and scarlet.

A honey bee landed on my glasses and then crawled onto my hand and tried to stick its tongue in between my fingers. I think this is because I had a gig as the Queen Bee in the morning. I use a witch hazel with lavender to remove my makeup and the bee must have been attracted to the scent of the lavender. This has happened to me before when I rub lavender blossoms with my fingers. So you need to be aware that your cosmetics may attract bees!