Rose Pest

 

One of the serious problems for rose growers,an infestation of Aphids, (Aphidoidea).

1/200 - f/11 - ISO200 - diffused flash - reversed 55mm

Not A Bee - Drone Fly

 

These large Drone flies, (Eristalis tenax), are often mistaken for bees, but are easily distinguished by their larger size and eyes. It is the most widely distributed syrphid species in the world, and is known from all regions except the Antarctic.

1/200 - f/9 - ISO200 - +10 close-up filter

Garden Orb Weaver

 

There are many species of orb weaving spiders. The Australian Garden Orb Weaver, (Eriophora transmarina), is the most common in Australia, ranging in colour from off-white through tan, brown to almost black.

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1/200 - f/8 - ISO200

Skink Lizard

 

The Common garden Skink, (Lampropholis guichenoti), is a species of small common skink endemic to Australia.

1/640 - f/5.6 - ISO200 - 200mm

Common brown Butterfly (Heteronympha merope)

 

Common brown Butterfly, (Heteronympha merope), basking in the sun on the leaf of a eucalyptus tree.

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1/500 - f/8 - ISO400 - 135mm

Golden Wattle

 

Full flower head of a Golden Wattle, (Acacia pycnantha), in early spring.

1/800 - f/8 - ISO200

Wildflower or Weed

 

Considered a weed in most parts of Australia, the Scarlet pimpernel, (Anagallis arvensis), produces a small orange/red wildflower.

1/250 - f/11 - ISO200

Stingless Bee

 

A tiny Australian native stingless Bee, (Austroplebeia australis), collecting pollen from a rose flower.

1/200 - f/9 - ISO200 - diffused flash - reversed 55mm

Long Legged Macro

 

Macro photograph of a Long Legged Fly, (Condylostylus longicornis), resting on a leaf of  clover.

1/200 - f/9 - ISO200 - diffused flash - reversed 55mm

Egyptian Beetle (Blaps polychresta)

 

Egyptian Beetle, (Blaps polychresta), found at the local nature reserve.

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1/400 - f/7.1 - ISO200

Painted Lady (Vanessa kershawi)

 

There are always butterflies around on sunny days during late spring and early to mid summer. The Painted Lady, (Vanessa kershawi), is a common visitor to our area.

1/320 - f/9 - ISO400

Quick Quote

"What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that's gone forever, impossible to reproduce."

Karl Lagerfeld

Blue Flower Head

 

Many plants produce flowers, which gives us a plethera of subjects for photography. The blue hydrangea Evergreen produces small florettes, forming a large flower head.

1/200 - f/8 - ISO200

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)

 

Feeding wild birds in the garden is possibly the easiest way to photograph them. The sulphur crested cockatoo, (Cacatua galerita), is one of the more common wild birds in my area. A piece of stale seed grain bread is all it takes to keep them occupied.

1/1600 - f/8 - ISO200 - 200mm

Elegant Mr Lincoln

 

Keeping an eye on the background when taking a photo can mean the difference between a good image or a "snap shot". Even with bright sun light covering part of the background, this Mr Lincoln rose still has elegance.

1/125 - f/8 - ISO400

Shooting Birds

 

Photographing birds in the backyard is just a matter of leaving them some food, then moving a distance away. To shoot this Australian Magpie, (Cracticus tibicen), I threw a hand-full of small pieces of bread on the ground, then moved back inside the shed door and crouched down.

1/2000 - f/5.6 - ISO400 - 100-200mm lens

Bumble Trap

 

A common house spider, (Badumna insignis), has trapped a European bumble bee, (Bombus terrestris), in it's web formed on the leaf of a rose bush.

1/200 - f/11 - ISO100

Flies, Flies and more Flies

 

This time of year in Australia, flies are everywhere. Most people don't realise just how many different types of flies there are. The four examples above are from left, Hoverfly (f. Syrphinae), Tachinid fly (f. Tachinidae), Flesh fly (f. Sarcophagidae), and Blow fly (Lucilia cuprina).

Hoverfly, Bush fly, Flesh fly: 1/200 - f/8 - ISO100 - diffused flash

Blow fly: 1/200 - f/10 - ISO400

Cabbage White Butterfly (Pieris rapae)

 

The Cabbage White Butterfly, (Pieris rapae), is probably the most common butterfly found in Australia. The velvety green caterpillars are considered a pest because they feed on cabbages and other plants found in vegetable gardens, such as cauliflower, brussel sprouts, broccoli, radishes and turnips.

Butterfly: 1/200 - f/10 - ISO200

Caterpillar: 1/200 - f/10 - ISO100 - diffused flash

Rufus Net-Caster (Deinopis subrufa)

 

The Rufus Net-Caster Spider, (Deinopis subrufa), forms a net web between it's front legs and uses this to scoop up unsuspecting prey as it passes below.

1/80 - f/8 - ISO200 - flash

Fully Loaded

 

This honey Bee has been busy collecting pollen as indicated by the orange coloured buldges on it's rear legs.

1/500 - f/14 - ISO800 - +4 closeup filter

Butterfly in the Sun

 

Sunny days are great for photographing butterflies, like this Meadow Argus, although not easy to do with a short lens, it can be done successfully by carefull stalking.

1/640 - f/9 - ISO200

After The Rain

 

After a short rain shower and before the sun and wind dry everything, there is plenty around the garden with raindrops. Roses always photograph well with water drops on the petals, like this "Charles De Gaulle".

1/400 - f/8 - ISO200

Gumleaf Katydid

 

The Gumleaf Katydid, (Torbia sp.), is much larger than the garden Katydid featured in a previous post and can be found resting on leaves of various plants, including a rose bush, like the one pictured.

1/200 - f/11 - ISO200 - diffused flash

Weeds and Logs

 

A pile of old tree branch logs with Oxalis weed, (Oxalis corniculata), growing through the gaps shows the contrast of texture and color.

1/200 - f/8 - ISO100

Blue Grass Butterfly

 

There are many types of butterflies around during summer. The common Blue Grass Butterfly, (Zizina labradus), is one that seems to be everywhere.

1/200 - f/7.1 - ISO200 - diffused flash

Green Bush Cricket

 

Dusk is when all types of crawlers and critters come out to feed, including this garden Katydid, (Torbia viridissima), also known as a Green Bush Cricket.

1/200 - f/8 - ISO100 - diffused flash - cropped

Candy Stripe Rose

 

During the spring and summer roses are in full bloom and are one of the most photographed flowers in the home garden. The rose in this image is "Candy stripe".

1/80 - f/7.1 - ISO200

Potato Plant Flower

 

Home grown vegetables not only taste great, but produce some colourful flowers. Potato plants produce different coloured flowers depending on the variety.

1/200 - f/11 - ISO100

Buttercup and Clover

 

Looking around the garden for flowering weeds, I usualy find something of interest. Buttercup and clover flowers together produced a nice floral display.

1/320 - f/13 - ISO200

St Andrew's Cross

 

During the summer season spiders are abundant around the garden. The St. Andrew's Cross, (sp.  Argiopinae), stays suspended in it's web waiting for flying insects to be trapped in the sticky net.

1/200 - f/11 - ISO400 - diffused flash

False Garden Manits (Pseudomantis albofimbriata)

 

These False garden Manits, (Pseudomantis albofimbriata) both brown and green, are regular visitors to our garden in the summer months. This one stood motionless on top of a Crassula tetragona succulent plant.

1/200 - f/9 - ISO200 - diffused flash

Snail's Pace, Waiting in Patience

 

Getting a decent shot of a snail means lying on the ground. This common garden snail, (Helix aspersa), was crawling along concrete pavement, which made taking the photo a little easier.

1/60 - f/5.6 - ISO200 - diffused flash

A small Lynx spider, (Oxyopes elegans), lurking at the tip of a mint leaf, waiting for un-suspecting prey.

1/200 - f/10 - ISO200 - +4 closeup filter

Water Drops On Rose Leaves

 

After a rain shower, raindrops make an interesting subject. Here, the raindrops have beaded on the leaves of  a rose bush.

1/125 - f/10 - ISO200

The Honey Bee and The Mint Flower

 

Photographing bees around the garden is a favourite past time. This European honey bee, (Apis mellifera), is collecting pollen from the flower head of mint.

1/800 - f/6.3 - ISO200 - +4 closeup filter

Afternoon Rose

 

A "Candy Cream" miniature Rose in the light of  late afternoon.

1/125 - f/8 - ISO200

Woodlouse eating spider (Dysdera crocata)

 

Searching around the garden today I found this Wood Louse Eating spider, (Dysdera crocata), under an old piece of timber. As I understand it, this is a female that has created a nursery web to lay her eggs.

1/200 - f/9 - ISO100 - +4 closeup filter - difused flash