Camera Critters #287

I saw a bumblebee Friday.

No, not the one pictured here.  The bumblebee I saw was crawling across the road.  I believe the mid 20s temperatures we have had the past couple of days is now taking it’s toll on the insect life.

The bee pictured below, is from a series of shots I made in late April 2013.  However, the one I saw ‘crossing’ the street looked very similar.



Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critters #241

Well, the time has come to sit back and look forward to coming spring (assuming of course, that we survive the Mayan Calendar end of the world prophecy) in the northern parts of the world. 

The insects we all enjoy, such as butterflies and dragonflies are hard to find if they are still around.  Other insects are also waiting for the coming spring weather in order to make their “buggy” appearance again. 

But the memories of the smaller critters remain in the form of photographs taken throughout the year.



Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critters #196

Several years ago, I was walking off trail, along the east wall of the dry canyon near me.  My eyes caught sight of a Sara Orangetip butterfly.  I had been chasing them for two years, and was hoping this was my opportunity to get an image of one.

But as I approached the Lepidoptera, my attention was drawn to a butterfly I had never seen.  I immediately switched gears and turned my attention to this new bug.

Later, I was able to identify the critter as a Zephyr Anglewing.  And so began a quest which continues to this day…photographing as many anglewings as possible.

In the photos below, the first image shows the butterfly with wings closed, the second partially opened and the rest full open.  Note the variations of markings in the critters.

 

For those who have followed my posts from the beginning, you might have seen these images before.  But the butterfly is beautiful, it deserves to be seen again.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critter #187

Being in a desert style climate, the major color I see here during my photo safaris is brown.  Weeds dry out quickly under the intense sun we get here.

But I also see other colors.  Yellow is very common.  And so is the color these eight critters are checking out.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critters #180

Several weeks ago, I walked the River Trail at Smith Rock State Park near Terrebonne, Oregon.  While there, I photographed a few things that looked good and something that was new.

I came across the following wasps on what could be American Wintercress having a great time pollen hunting.  As I looked at the critters, I realized there was some beauty in them…bluish wings and brown, hairy bodies, were something I didn’t remember seeing before. 

So I shot them.

 

It took me quite sometime to identify these wasps, but I do believe they are Scoliid wasps, possibly Scolia nobilitata.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critter #176

These days, I often hear Cicadas on television shows and even heard them in the background when I was talking to my mom a while back.

But this year, one place I haven’t heard them (so far) is around here.  Last year, I heard a few, and even got a photo of one.

But this year, the homestead has been rather Cicada quiet on the home front.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critters #174

A couple of years ago, I spotted a beetle rapidly moving around sage in the Dry Canyon here.  My attempts to photograph it didn’t work out.

In October of 2008, I noticed a similar bug, again in the Dry Canyon.  However, this time it didn’t escape my camera.

After several years of here and there checking on its ID, I believe it is an Hippodamia apicalis.  The speedy little critter is a member of the Lady Beetle family.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critters #157

The past week here has been a strange week.  A week ago Friday, it was 74 degrees…our first 70 degree temp of the year.  Then Sunday and Wednesday, it snowed.  This is suppose to be spring!  8v)

It has me wishing for the hot days of summer.  I can’t wait for the 95 degree plus, cloudless skies we get here in the high desert.  And when those days come, I’ll hopefully be able to improve upon the photos below.

Wasps of different species abound here.  Most I can determine the species they belong to.  However, the black wasps are a different story.  I need better images to ID them.

And then there are bees.  I see so many different types of bees here.  Anything from bumblebees to honey bees to carpenter bees.  I shoot all of them and hope to shoot a lot more images of them this summer.

But that all requires for winter to end in the high desert!

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critter Meme #39

It's 2009 and that means a new year of nature photography for me.

I always look forward to a new season of shooting, as I am always trying to get that perfect shot.

But I have had good shots in the past, and for Camera Critters this week, I present my top 10 shots from, not 2008, but 2007. I selected 2007 as that is the year I really began to get serious about my photography.

Next week I'll present my best of 2008, but for now, check out my top 10 favorites from 2007.

You might ask why I like this Yellow Warbler photo. Well, the simple fact is, I like it because the critter is framed nicely in the branches and is looking off to the side, giving me a nice profile of his head.

This Roseate Skimmer was the first one I had seen during a trip to Texas that year. It was gorgeous and I had to get a good shot of it. I followed it around and when it landed on a weed with a small stream as a background, I knew I would get a good shot of it.

I was seeing Flame Skimmers throughout the area where I took this shot. But most of them were too far away and to get closer meant trudging through some mucky ground cover which I wasn't keen to do. But then this one landed 10 feet away and gave me not only a nice profile, but a nice background also.

These Flower Beetles are nothing special, and the photo is nothing special, but I like it. The yellow of the Cactus Flower, the darkness of the background and the bugs combine to make it something special in my mind.

This Gulf Fritillary was sunning in the perfect shaft of sunlight for a photo. The upper wing surface was well lit, while the background ranged from green to dark, highlighting the subtle colors of the critter.

I was leaving my yard, heading off on another photo safari when this Juba Skipper landed on one of the dark Irises in our garden. I couldn't help being struck by the color contrast and took this photo. I still pause and smile at it every time I see it.

I had just arrived at my favorite spot of Fireman's Pond when I noticed something strange happening to one of the cattails near the water's edge. As I approached, this green Sweat Bee came around the side, digging like crazy, tossing particles everywhere. I tried to capture the moment as it was happening and even though this photo doesn't do it justice, I like the shot.

I had seen large Thread-waisted Wasps in the Dry Canyon of Redmond, Oregon many times, but was never able to get a good shot of one. So one day, I decided I would go in search of this elusive creature and found a patch of sage where six or seven of the critters were working over. Though not the best shot, I like it mainly for the way the wasp stands out from the background.

I was walking along the badlands between a road and the old golf course in Redmond, when I noticed this Tule Bluet flying nearby. It suddenly streak in near me, made a quick course change and darted off to the end of nearby dead twig. As I approached, I saw the reason for the critter's rapid movement as it was enjoying a meal it captured near me. I was able to get a lot of shots of the bluet eating and this is one my favorites.

Finally, this Braconid Wasp looked out of place in this golden field of sage...so much so, I had to prove it by shooting the scene.

If you liked my critter photos, head to Misty Dawn's Camera Critter page and check out some of the other entries. And if you have the time, join in on the fun!