I don’t know if monarch butterflies are appearing in significant numbers this year. As I haven’t been to our local nature reserve this summer my observations have been limited to what I see in the city. I saw this butterfly in a nearby garden and hope it was one of many.
I could have cropped in closer but I thought the flowers and the bee shared the stage.
It’s been a good summer for bees. This sweat bee or halictid bee was one of three different varieties I saw in the space of a few minutes. More to come…
Cabbage White on the fly.
A nice pair, they complement each other.
I like to watch bees as they fly between the flowers. Unlike other insects, they’re not scared off easily or bothered by my presence.
It seems to me that damselflies often look suspicious when their photos are taken. 😏
A local business association maintains a small garden on a busy city street. I stop by frequently to see what’s in bloom. They only plant native species and I’m always pleased to see the insects they attract.
I’ve yet to get to the lake where I normally see dragonflies, so I thought I’d post a photo from a few summers ago.
This was one popular rose patch on a recent sunny day.
I saw the daisies before I saw the bee but he seemed to have his eye on me as I took the shot. Summer is fast approaching when these two team up.
Another reason to like dandelions. They attract beauties like these.
I took this photograph in May 2019. It’s the first time I’d seen a clearwing so early. A pleasant surprise.
I believe this is a mimic or hoverfly. Wasps have four wings, while a hoverfly has only two so that would be my best guess.
Though very small, it’s hard to miss these orange butterflies especially against the green. It won’t be long before the fields are full of skippers.
After a bit of research I found out that this is a two-spotted grass bug. (The spots are on its back which made it a bit difficult to identify. 😏 ) When I started out in photography I never thought I would take an interest in insects and enjoy photographing them as much as I do.
Damselflies are quite comical when you can catch them like this. I wonder what they make of us. 😏
I like to watch ladybugs as they make their way though the greenery. They appear to be hard working beetles. Though attractive to look at their bright colour warns potential predators that they aren’t good to eat. The brighter they are the more poisonous.
This is the first time I’d seen an insect with such fancy head gear. It turns out it’s a male non-biting midge. They fly in swarms and can be very annoying on early summer mornings as you walk along. Not sure how I spotted this individual, just lucky I guess.
Damselflies – a sure sign of warm weather. They begin to appear in late spring and remain throughout the summer. Looking at the blue skies and sunshine right now, you can almost imagine it’s warm out, until you step outside that is 😏 .
After photographing certain subjects for a while you begin to anticipate their behaviour. In the case of damselflies (and dragonflies) they tend to return to the same perch you might have startled from as you approached. So if you don’t get the shot the first time your chances are good the second time around.
This pretty little beetle was inching its way along the leaf when I spotted it. I might not have noticed it if it weren’t for its colour. The leaf gives you a good idea of the insect’s size.
Pretty good advice for the times we live in 😏.
The bluet damselfly is a common visitor in early summer, often seen near bodies of water. Like many birds and insects, when they become accustomed to your presence they’ll often linger for a portrait.
I like to watch bees as they work their way among the flowers. This one had just gotten started as it hadn’t pick up much pollen yet. I took this photo with a long lens, you can get quite near to the insects without disturbing them or getting too close for your own comfort.
Although very small there is no overlooking these brilliant green bees. This one was gathering pollen, and its legs are well dusted with it. Nothing says summer more to me than a scene like this.
I waited for the mimic fly to turn around and face me, it was acting like someone who just didn’t want to be photographed. After a five minute stand-off I went looking for a more willing subject 😏.
As the first light snow of the season falls outside, what better time to revisit a scene like this. I can almost feel the sun on my face and hear the bees buzzing 😏.
I haven’t taken too many grasshoppers. If you manage to scare one up when walking along and see where it lands, you have a chance at a photo. That’s why this shot was particularly lucky. I came across these two when focusing on something else in the grass and saw them frozen on the stalk.
Summer has just ended but I already miss sights like these. There are still a few bees and flowers about but their numbers are dwindling as the temperature drops.
The metallic bee goes by several names, the least attractive being sweat bee which doesn’t do it justice. This one is a female, as its able to carry pollen on its back legs, the male is not. Their season is drawing to a close so it was nice to catch sight of just one more this year.
The swallowtail was flitting from flower to flower when I caught it in flight looking my way. It lingered for quite a while and so did I.
Yesterday was the first time I’ve picked up a camera in a long while. We spent the morning with friends in their wonderful garden. As we walked and talked I took a couple of photos. I was pretty pleased with the results, and was happy to see that I could still shoot a moving object. 😊
I enjoy taking shots of mimic flies. They are cute subjects and well worth the challenge of photographing something so small. This fly was playing king of the castle on top of the wild grass.
A gardener friend introduced me to these insects a few years ago. She had seen a hummingbird moth at a nursery and I joined her the next time she went. I saw one that day and most summers since. Hovering as they go from flower to flower they do live up to their name.
This little beetle is always on the move which makes taking their photo a bit of a sport. If you see one on a plant, wait a minute and you’ll probably see a few more. A good thing too, as it means you get more than one chance to take a photo.
Our woods, roadsides and gardens abound in these daisies throughout the summer. The mimic fly was on a common daisy while the fleabane stood on its own. Both attract pollinators but only one did that day.
I’ve never seen a monarch feeding so intently before. It would have been nice if it had turned slightly but I caught its beautiful colours and its position added interest.
Summer is short here, a whole lot of living has to be done in a brief period of time. True for many creatures, particularly damselflies. Normally skittish but not on this day.
I’m more accustomed to seeing orange skippers (the Least or European) in my area so I was pleased to see this new variety. As the summer progresses, many butterflies linger as they feed and don’t seem to be bothered by the passing photographer.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 