Monday 11 June 2012

More Bugs

The beauty of bugs is that the weather doesn't have to be brilliant. There have been occasions over the last few weeks that if I had only been interested in birds I'd have been sat at home with my camera and lens still in their bags.

I have got soaked to the skin over the last week or so walking through wet grass etc but I have still been able to take the odd shot. Don't get me wrong sunshine is and always will be the best ingredient for excellent photography, but as I'm not out to win plaudits or awards I manage without.

So regular trips out with a small lens have been very enjoyable. I am going to surprise some of you now, as I have surprised myself, the majority of these shots have been taken with a lens that cost me very little, infact it was part of a package I got when I bought my 300D back in 2007. Its a Tamron 70-300mm macro. It is an excellent lens. I appreciate its not got the lens quality of a Canon but it allows me to get stuff from a little further away. I like it.


















Black Tailed Skimmer (fem).

I'd never photographed the female before, this is a beautiful specimen isn't it? Yet a couple of days later I got this rather less impressive pic of one, I presume its the same species at a slightly different stage.



















I also got this Cinnibar moth/


















and some lovely bugs, this is a Cassida Rubiginosa.


I managed to see and photograph a fantastic occurrence, I watched three Damselflies caught in a spider web, I watched the spider paralyse them all then wrap one up and drag it to its lair.



















A fantastic spectacle to observe.

I got this picture which I really like.

Its another Chrysopa Perla lacewing, truly delicate little bug.

Lots of Hoverflies around, this is a particularly nice specimen, Volucella pellucens.

























The star of the show this time though was this Spotted Crane Fly.

























I've got a relative that looks like that.