Ironwoods 52 Favourites 2017

Ironwood

Senior Member
After a suggestion from Blacktop Pete, I have decided to post my favourite shot of the week here.
There will be no topics, just the image that I like the most.
If all goes to plan, I should have 52 of 'em by the end of the year :)
 
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Ironwood

Senior Member
#1

Well, I haven't got many shots to choose from this week, its been raining pretty solid from new years day. We have had 425mm / 17inches of rain at my house this year.

I went out in the garden yesterday between showers and got a few pics of some Jumping Spiders.

This one is my favourite, the black sky annoys me a bit. I need to get in the habit of carrying a small sheet of blue paper to hold behind the subject to create a better look, hopefully I will work on that this year.

DSC_3305.jpg
 
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Ironwood

Senior Member
#2

I had another image earmarked for this spot, but after reducing the image to post here, it seemed to be a bit soft looking. So I have gone to plan B, and selected this image of my creek.

DSC_3452.jpg
 

Ironwood

Senior Member
They colloquially call the spider -an ant?

On this site,
Cosmophasis bitaeniata (Keyserling, 1882) Green Tree Ant Cosmophasis , it quotes-
Cosmophasis bitaeniata (Keyserling, 1882) Green Tree Ant Cosmophasis :- A jumping spider found in New Guinea, Australia and Micronesia. Cosmophasis bitaeniata is a myrmecophilic associate of the green tree ant, Oecophylla smaragdina. The abundance of C. bitaeniata on a tree or shrub is positively correlated with the number of nests of O. smaragdina on that vegetation. Experiments with captive spiders confirmed that the spiders prey on the larvae by removing them from the mandibles of minor workers. C. bitaeniataavoids direct contact with major workers of O. smaragdina in daylight. It is thought C. bitaeniata may be an exploitative chemical mimic of its host. (Rachel A. Allan and Mark A. Elgar Australian Journal of Zoology 49(2) 129 - 137)


Its definitely not an ant, but because it lives on the same trees as the Green Ants, has evolved to have the same smell as them, and feeds on their larvae, it is sometimes called the Green Tree Ant Cosmophasis.

I posted a series of shots of this spider in my "random" thread, some of them have the Green Tree Ants in the photos with the spider, click here - https://nikonites.com/project-365-a...ods-random-offerings-2017-a-2.html#post601683
 
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Ironwood

Senior Member
# 4

Late with this one as well, as I described in my "52 Altered" thread.

I have chosen one of the Red-backed Wren shots for this week.

They are a fairly rare sight at my place, I don't see them very often at all.

DSC_3756.jpg
 
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Ironwood

Senior Member
#6


I had a hard time picking one this week, nothing really stood out as my favourite of the week. I will go with this one, as at the end of the day I have to pick something....

Female Yellow-bellied Sunbird
DSC_4159.jpg
 

Ironwood

Senior Member
#10

I had a harder decision this week as there were a few that I would like to post, but the Goanna on the tree beside my house take it out this week...

DSC_5755.jpg
 

Ironwood

Senior Member
Very nice. I have to ask. What made you buy this lens instead the 70-200 f/2.8, if I may inquire?

I have wanted one of these lenses for quite a while because of their reputation and from the results I have seen from people that use it, its a fantastic lens, but always held off buying one because in the back of my mind I always thought I would end up going FX and would have to sell it. With the introduction of the D500, and now the rumour of the D7300, I have decided that for the foreseeable future I will stay with DX, so I am in the process of upgrading my glass with that in mind.
This lens came up at a price that I couldn't knock back, so I now have it. Next I want to get the Sigma 18-35.
I will sell my Nikon 105G macro, and my Nikon 70-300, thinking about selling my Nikon 35 f1.8, and 16-85. And hopefully sell my Tamron 150-600 and get something else, probably the Nikon 200-500.
I will keep my Tokina 11-16, and Nikon 55 macro.
 
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