Taking the Kids on a "Bug Hunt"

Sometimes it's difficult to get my grandkids interested in getting outside and walking around, just looking at things and exploring. They'd rather play inside, play on the computers, other electronics, or boardgames. A few days ago I made them go on an "adventure" with me, a short walk in a nearby nature preserve. They didn't fall for the "adventure" gimmick so there were complaints... but then I got them looking for bugs and butterflies for me to photograph as we went along. Lots of butterflies were spotted but wouldn't stop to pose. A few dragonflies were the same, but then a couple decided to be perfect models.

Dragonfly

Dragonfly

Dragonfly

Dragonfly

Fall Arrives

And you can tell by all the spider webs around. Here's a spider and its web that I planted my face into. I went back the next day for the last two photos, after the busy big thing had repaired the mess my face made the day before.


A Mess of a Web

Hiding From the Prey Which Could Squash It Like a Bug

All is Repaired, Waiting for Suitable Prey

The Hunter Waits

Shelter From The Rain - Natural Umbrella Edition

I'm not good about getting up and going any further than my coffee pot in the morning, so I end up missing a lot of nice foggy mornings (such as today). However, on occassion I do make it out into the yard and garden after a rain. This orange cosmos has grown much larger than I expected and it's a favorite of bumble bees. Here a flower is being used as an umbrella.


Bumble Bee Takes Shelter from the Rain

The Ultimate "Bug Hunter"

I frequently go into my gardens "bug hunting" with my camera. I have a lot of fun and have loved learning about the various bugs I get photos of. I have a friend that helps me out if I get stuck. Because of her identification help over the last several years, that need for identification help happens less and less often. She still looks at almost all, and comments on many, of my garden photos that I post on a private platform.

Today, I came across a yellow garden spider. It's been a couple years since I've had a good one for photographs. Spiders are the ultimate bug hunter. Patient like the orb weavers, or stalking like the jumping spiders, I really like them and work to get my grandkids to like them instead of fear them. After showing the grandkids the actual spider and web, I also brought them to the computer monitor so they could see the spider up close. I hope over time, they'll learn to not fear bugs (except for mosquitoes, they suck).

Here are a couple photos of the Yellow Garden Spider, and two photos of "bugs" it may have been hoping to catch.



Yellow Garden Spider

Yellow Garden Spider

Wasp - Cicada Killer?

Skipper

Butterflies Are Free to Fly

Butterflies are one of my favorite bug "subjects". A few days back I was trying to get good photos of a Black Swallowtail, and especially trying to get it with a Yellow Swallowtail that it was sometimes hanging out with. I managed a couple decent shots of the Yellow, and none worth showing here of the Black. For one of the photos I tried to take of the two together, I was a hair too slow on the shutter, and the Yellow was flying away.



Taking a Sip

Profile, Environmental Portrait of a Butterfly at Work

And Off It Goes

"Bug Hunting"

I try to make it a habit to go out into the garden occasionally with my camera setup to get pretty close (usually a 70-200mm w/25mm extension tube) When the summer flowers are in full bloom is an opportune time. The echinacea, daisy, black-eyed Susan and mint are all especially attractive to "bugs". Late morning and late afternoon seem to be the best times. I've been a little slack this year, but managed to take time out of my day to do some "hunting" yesterday.



Bumble Bee on Top of the Cone

A Particularly Popular Cone

Bug Sex at the End of the Earth

Bumble Bee in a Rose of Sharon

Zoom in - Bumble Bee in a Rose of Sharon Like a Pig in ...

Printing

I had these photos printed 5"x5" on metalic paper a few days ago. Testing a concept/idea for small prints of my work. I am quite happy with the results.

Painted Lady Butterfly

Baby Mantis

Peony

Daffodil

Wasp

Wasp

A post...

Metallic Alien Spaceship Refueling