Rather a good afternoon

I live alongside a canal and work at a marina about 200 metres away. It would be easy to assume that there isn't much to photograph and yet you would be wrong.This afternoon, I set off just before 2 pm and came across this little chap.



Come closing time we came across this character who risked setting off the alarms so we had to get him out of the workshop. It didn't stop him hanging around to say hello.



On my way home, I met with the first disappointment of the afternoon. There are now 3 hawkmoths which feed on the flowers in the baskets on the bridge, but they fly off as soon as I lift the camera. I will get them one of these days.

On getting home to the camper van, I found my little jumping spider friend and finally got to look him straight in the eyes. Can still see the reflection of the lens in the eyes.



All in all, a good afternoon when I wasn't expecting to see very much.

Carrying on from yesterday, this incredible photo-shoot presented itself. I've got several shots of this at different focal lengths so I may try stacking when I get the time.

Cool shots my friend! Way to go!

WeeHector said:

Carrying on from yesterday, this incredible photo-shoot presented itself. I've got several shots of this at different focal lengths so I may try stacking when I get the time.

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To stack you will need to have at the same focal length but different focus points to do focus stacking if I am not mistaken.

Don Kuykendall said:

To stack you will need to have at the same focal length but different focus points to do focus stacking if I am not mistaken.

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Sorry. That's what I meant. Just described it badly. I was about to correct the post when I found I had replies.

After 2 weeks of virtual non-stop rain, the sun has returned and, to make things better, it is the first day of a week's holiday. After a quick trip out this morning, I had a walk beside the canal and detected some movement in the undergrowth. A rather large Katydid (6 cm long) emerged and climbed up onto my hand.



He seems to have liked what I had been holding as he nibbled at my palm for several minutes.



Shortly after he flew off to his normal habitat where he is difficult to detect.



Later on, I came across some strange activity by a colony of wasps. I assumed at first that they had caught an intruder and were attacking it but this turned out not to be the case. Could it be something to do with the eclosion of new queens?

Excellent photos I wish my bugs would just "land" on me lol

Scott Murray said:

Excellent photos I wish my bugs would just "land" on me lol

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It doesn't make manual focus all that easy

WeeHector said:

It doesn't make manual focus all that easy

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Haha yes I know, tonight has been windy and all my photos are manually focussed. Makes it that extra bit harder

Today's session is going to require a number of posts due to the photos which need to be processed. Anyway, I think I have discovered the reason for the huddle by the wasps. It has nothing to do with new queens but rather carries on the good old Irish tradition of a "Barney". Basically, they have been feasting on over-ripe plums and are suffering from a hangover.

Now, down to the photos.

First up is a spectacular little guy. He began buzzing around me and then dropped to the ground. Known as the Rose Chafer he exhibits incredible metallic green and bronze colouring.



He sat happily on the tip of my finger for several minutes.



However,he soon took a dislike to the camera and ran straight towards it before flying off.

Next up was a red-eyed meadow Katydid.



Just in case you're wondering, his eyes really are red!



Finally, from this first stint, it is presently mating time for the crane fly and a number of couples were found beside the canal.

Once again excellent photos

Returning home, I discovered a hornets' nest and returned with the 70-300mm to get some shots but conditions weren't ideal so I had to bin a hundred shots. This later turned out to be a minor problem.

Next up was a "might have been" moment. I was following a winged ant and failed to notice a jumping spider sitting nearby.



Instants later, the spider jumped and the ant ran off, dragging the spider behind it. A quick jet of formic acid made the spider drop off at once.

At the tree which was causing the wasps so much trouble I found this little fly which I have so far identified as a Agromyzidae cerodoptha (I'm open to correction).



Then came along a friendly (did I say friendly? I meant BADASS) European Hornet. Can't believe I was photographing this guy from just a few centimetres.



Mesembrina meridiana ( the Noon Fly) sounds quite exotic but it lays its eggs in cow dung.



And finally, a Shield or Stink Bug.



So how was your day?