Late Summer Insects

Having only really been photographing Damselflies and Butterflies all summer its been nice in the past couple of weeks to get some shots of some other insect life. And a chance to use the Macro lens as well as the Telephoto. The first newbie for me was this Garden Spider placed perfectly in the middle of its web in some beautiful sunshine right outside the driveway.

Garden Spider

Garden Spider

Garden Spider

Although a lot of the Butterflies seem to have disappeared the numbers of Comma, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood seem abundant along side the river at the moment, although all a little flighty meaning no up close macro shots, but quite handy for the telephoto.

Comma

Comma

Speckled Wood

Comma

Red Admiral

I've been moaning all summer about not having any Dragonflies to take pictures of, as the River really seems to be absent of them, I guess its to do with the fast flowing water, as when visiting the RPSB reserves at Radipole Lake and Lodmoor, both Migrant Hawkers & Common Darters where everywhere on the still stagnant marshland. Which did however allow for some photography. I just love the colours!

Migrant Hawker

Migrant Hawker

Migrant Hawkers in Mating Wheel

Migrant Hawker

Common Darter

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A New Found Passion For Flutter-byes!

So with a new found passion for Moths I thought I'd start to take a little more interest in the different Butterflies that adorn the Garden and the surrounding River and Water meadows. Restricted to late evening walks the amount of Butterflies present seemed to have been restricted to just a couple of species with Large White's (Pieris Brassicae) everywhere, joined in certain areas by large amounts of Gatekeeper's (Pyronia Tithonus). I did manage to find a couple of different ones however. A Ringlet (Aphantopus Hyperantus) posed long enough in the late evening sun, the most random spot however was on the walk back home through the middle of the hamlet, a  certain large dark butterfly fluttered down to land on the road 20ft in front of me. A Purple Emperor (Apatura Iris) the mythological insect before my eyes, a butterfly I had never imagined to see in these parts let alone in the middle of the road. The light was terrible and I only had the 500mm lens, 2 shots later it was off disappearing into the nearby field. An unexpected surprise!

Ringlet Butterfly

His Majesty "Purple Emperor"

Gatekeeper

Gatekeeper

With the success of the first Moth trap outing we decided to give it another go, this time placing it a little closer to the river and underneath some trees. Mainly to stop the light illuminating the whole house for the evening. Another fairly successful session, My sister having been home during the day had the luxury of looking through what we had caught, by the time I had got home from work at 5, all that was left in the trap was a couple of highlights in the form of a rather photogenic Garden Tiger (Arctia Caja) and a Buff Ermine (Spilosoma Luteum). I really must start getting the full list off of her for the purposes of the Blog.

Garden Tiger

Garden Tiger

Garden Tiger

Buff Ermine

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