The light fell nicely on the bee, highlighting its face. I took the photo in September, the flowers were fading but there was still plenty of nectar and pollen to go around.
Category Archives: Insects
PAINTED LADIES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
We saw many Painted Ladies last summer and I was fortunate to take a lot of photographs. The butterflies weren’t flighty but if one flew off there were many more to replace it. More photos to come.
METALLIC BEES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I took these photos early last fall. It was a good year for these brilliantly coloured bees. The first was taken in the woods and the second in a neighbourhood garden, both with my 300 mm lens, which I often use for close ups like these. It keeps me at a comfortable distance from stinging insects although these bees are usually too busy feeding to pay me any attention.
SPRING BEE
I took this photo early last Spring. The bee was slowly warming up on the lily; the air is still quite cool in the early morning and all insects need a little heat to keep flying.
JUNE DRAGONFLIES (THREE PHOTOGRAPHS)
I took a lot of dragonfly photographs last June. They tend to emerge in bursts and you see them everywhere. I particularly like to watch them when they land on lily pads and turn slowly towards the sun. They look like mini helicopters.
DRAGONFLIES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS
When I took the photograph of this mating pair, I didn’t notice the other insects in the frame until I downloaded the image. I did a larger crop to show the damselfly on the far left, and a few other hangers-on on the tree stump. It was a busy time of year for these insects.
SILVER-SPOTTED SKIPPER
I usually see more orange skippers than the silver-spotted variety shown here. I was pleased to spot this one though, he was as perfect an example as you could hope for. I like to keep my photos as natural as possible and the butterfly made that easy. I cropped in a bit and added some contrast and that about did it.
TOP OF THE TEASEL
Mimic flies are fun to photograph. If I had my macro lens with me, I would have concentrated on the insect but as I didn’t I took the shot I could. I rarely carry more than one lens when I go out so if I see something worth taking I’ll give it a go.
BEETLE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Another insect post. I miss these vibrant summer colours. We see a lot of white and grey in the winter but when the sun does shine, the sky never looked bluer.
These beetles tend to climb on long grass stalks which make for an attractive background and gather in groups too so photo opportunities are abundant.
GRASSHOPPER
Grasshoppers are always fun to photograph, when you can find one. I only saw this grasshopper because it jumped onto a stalk of grass as I was walking by. It gripped the grass as still as could be and I took my shot.
HUMMINGBIRD MOTH (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I saw a hummingbird moth just once this year, in mid-September. A friend introduced me to these insects a few years ago and every summer I keep an eye out for them. They are remarkable looking, and unlike many moths feed during the day, so if you’re really lucky you might just see one. In the second photo the moth looks like its had one too many. 😊
LADYBUG
A bit too cold for photography lately. I pulled this photo from my summer files. It was taken in August when everything was at its brightest and most colourful. A bit of cheer on this cold December day.
RED ADMIRAL
I didn’t manage to capture the butterfly with its wings wide open but this face on shot made up for it. Butterflies can fix you with a look so direct that you might wonder what you have interrupted😏
‘BYE BUTTERFLY
I saw the last swallowtails of the year in August although other butterflies were still around until early October. A very good year for them all. The swallowtail made picture taking very easy as it lingered on the Joe Pye weed, a plant they love.
METALLIC BEE
The bee was working on a deadline, busy collecting pollen in mid-September. Its colour is striking; among the most attractive of bees.
SOLITARY DAMSELFLY
I thought the season for damselflies was over for the year when I saw one a week ago, perched on a stem. We’re still seeing the occasional Monarch but this is the only damselfly I’ve seen in over a month. A wonderful sight indeed.
BEEZZ (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
The bees are making the most of the late summer flowers. They were everywhere that morning. Some worked together, some worked alone and some like the bee in the first photo didn’t want any company.
SULPHUR BUTTERFLY (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
It’s been a terrific year for butterflies in my part of the country. When visiting a local botanical garden, in among the clouds of painted ladies was this solitary sulphur butterfly. I went back a day later and I saw it again. Unlike the painted ladies who were constantly on the move, the sulphur, Pink-edged or Clouded (I’m not sure which) savoured the nectar for a while.
HUMMINGBIRD MOTH
A friend had some success photographing a hummingbird moth at a wildlife garden we frequent. Luck was on our side too on a recent visit. This moth beats its wings at great speeds so I was pleased to get this photo and several others in decent focus (of the hundreds I took). Not an easy subject but oh, when it works😊.
METALLIC BEE
This is a metallic or sweat bee. Their attractive colouring make them one of my favourite bees. We don’t see many of them but when we do they often have a dusting of pollen that makes them stand out even more. You might notice another insect making its way up the underside of the flower. Had I seen it when I was taking the photo I would have remained to witness the encounter.
LADYBUG (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
As the end of summer approaches it was nice to see this ladybug. Ladybugs hibernate over winter. Here in Canada, if they hibernate in your garage, it’s said to be a sign of good luck. Many would disagree 😏. The ladybug was racing along the stem and I kept my lens trained on it as it dodged in and out of sight. I hope to see a few more of these insects before the cold weather sets in.
THE GALL OF IT ALL (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
This damselfly perched on a plant that contained an insect gall (the growth you see on the stem).
We are getting to the end of the damselfly season although dragonflies will continue to emerge into September. It feels as though summer has barely begin but I sense the change of season. The days are warm but the evenings are cool and the wildflowers are beginning to fade.
LOVE BUGS
The ladybug is a a pretty common beetle, although I’ve only seen a couple this summer, including this pair. They come in many varieties and are useful insects as they eat a lot of garden pests.
DRAGON’S VIEW
It’s a summer with more bugs and insects than birds. Happily, dragonflies are attractive subjects that I like to take. This one looks like he’s King of the Meadow.
WIDOW SKIMMER
The Widow Skimmer is a big showy looking dragonfly that we’ve been seeing a lot lately. They are known to be territorial and aggressive but you’d never know it to look at this one.
RED SOLDIER BEETLE
I believe this is a red soldier beetle. I saw one then a few more on surrounding plants. It’s been my experience that you never see just one. I took this with my 300mm so I was pleased that I got a decent shot with a bit of cropping.
HIGH-FLYER
I’m not a great fan of flies but they can make engaging subjects, particularly the pollinating kind like this one. There’s a tiny garden maintained by a local business association that plants a variety of wildflowers every summer. I was walking by when I spotted the fly on some milkweed.
EYE TO EYE
We got to the park in the early morning when it was still cool and watched as the swallowtail landed on the plant. If we had been an hour later it would have led us on a merry chase; as the temperature warms, butterflies speed up and don’t stay still for long. We see a few of these butterflies every year, always a pleasure.
SKIPPER 2
I always see skippers low to the ground in bright sunlight, tricky conditions for photography. If you can spot them before the day gets too warm, they are more slow moving and easier to photograph. This variety of skipper is tiny, the clover gives you an idea of scale.
DRAGONFLY 2
Another dragonfly from earlier in the week. I took this photo with my 300mm lens and although I could have cropped the image more, I thought the background was as integral to the image as the insect was.
SKIPPER 1
It’s a season of firsts. The other day I featured my first dragonfly photograph, today it’s a skipper. As I walked next to a field, I saw one, then several more of these butterflies. You rarely see a solitary skipper so you usually have several opportunities to take a photograph, always nice.
DRAGONFLY 1
Although we’ve seen some dragonflies this summer, this is the first I’ve photographed. There seem to be fewer this year, perhaps the fault of our cold wet spring. When you do nature photography you tend to celebrate the first returning bird, sight of a flower, even the first insect! This dragonfly was particularly welcome as he posed so nicely for the photograph.
FLY WITH TALENT
I thought this little fly warranted a return visit in black and white. I don’t care much for flies but in nature they can make for amazing subjects. A case in point, a fly blowing bubbles!
LOOKING UP
There are few things more pleasing than the colours of early summer. The ladybug was slowly making its way up the blade of grass. I watched it for a while before walking on. It’s a bit early yet for scenes like this but things are slowly coming into bloom; sunny days ahead.
IS IT OR ISN’T IT
I’m not sure whether this is a bee or a wasp. If anyone can identify it, please let me know. It was not at all threatening in appearance so I took a photo. Another close-up shot with my 70-200mm lens.
DRAGONFLIES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Although dragonflies can be challenging subjects, in watching them you become familiar with their behaviour and can often anticipate where they will land. The dragonfly in the first photograph was on a perch just above the water which made for a pleasing background. They are one of my favourite insects to photograph.
DAMSELFLIES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
It will be a few months before we see any damselflies or dragonflies, members of the Odonata species of insects. We begin to see the first dragonflies in May, followed by damselflies a little later. They are delicate looking insects and small, the leaves provide a good sense of scale. I took these photos with my 70-200mm f/2.8. I use it often for close up photography because I tend to walk around with only one lens (I don’t like to carry much gear). I had to crop but still managed to get nice detail.
SKIPPER
Another cheerful summer memory. We’ve reached the half way point of winter but it’s still too cold to get out with my camera. I’m waiting for +0 C temperatures. If and when that ever happens I’ll be out there😏.
AT HAND
I took this photograph with my 70-200 mm lens. I do a lot of close up photography with it. As I’ve written before, I usually go out with one lens for the day. I had planned to photograph wildlife but I saw this shot and tried it. It goes to show that you don’t necessarily need a macro lens to do this kind of photography. If the subject is within range, I’ll always give it a go.
GOLDEN
This scene is a perfect antidote to this late December day. I thought the image looked like a corsage designed by nature. The photo to me is less about the spider and the flower and more about the colour and delight of summer.
