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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 😊
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😏
