On a walk last week, hoping to take some landscapes, I noticed this pretty bunch of daisies. As I moved closer I saw this wasp-like insect as well as a number of bees on the flowers. I didn’t have an ideal lens for insects but I took a couple of photos anyway. I imagine one of my last insect photos this year.
It didn’t look like there was too much goodness left in the flower but the bee had other ideas!
I took this photo earlier in the summer. Cabbage whites are some of the first butterflies we see in the spring and they’re still flying well into September. Given how cool the nights are getting you have to marvel at their tenacity.
The Japanese Beetle had a tenuous grip on the dahlia but managed to right itself. They are attractive beetles but are destructive and feed on a large variety of plants. No friend to gardeners!
The early bee gets the pollen. One of the first bees I saw this year on a wild rose.
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 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 😏.
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.
At the best of times, watching bees visiting flowers and gathering pollen is a good sign for nature and our part in it. In these troubled times, it’s reassuring to see that life continues, there is still order and more will return in time.
Ants and peonies seem to go together. Ants feed on the flower’s nectar and also keep harmful insects away from the plant. The ant was racing along the bud but I waited until it finally slowed down and took the shot.
As I said in my post last week, I took a lot of painted ladies last year. Here are two more. Who thought butterflies could pull a face. 😏
Last year was a terrific one for butterflies; monarchs and painted ladies seemed to be everywhere. Monarchs were a particular pleasure as we hadn’t seen too many in recent years. I took these in September, shortly they would begin their migration to central Mexico.
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.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 