Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: hoverfly

(+10 insets!) (please view large) :D I woke up to a very wet day but happily it wasn't raining when I went out on my walk. It's such fun to be outside in the springtime because the birds are so busy! It seems like every tree is a-twitter with birdies, and though I cannot see any nests, I'm sure they are there, hidden in the branches. I was delighted to discover exactly where a pair of nuthatches have theirs--it's in a hollowed spot of trunk near the top of an oak tree just off the road. I saw them leave as a pair and could see where they came from! What fun! By the way, if you've been keeping up with my bird sightings at the feeders, we've got new species showing up! Finally the lovely Lesser Goldfinches have found the feeders and we're seeing groups of up to 6 visiting! Yesterday I saw a mourning dove moving around under the feeders and when I turned away, Steve laughed out loud and said, "Another mourning dove flew in and crash-landed on the first one…RUDE!" :D I'll show these new bird species as insets below my main presentation. Today is SATURDAY SELF CHALLENGE!! YES!! *pumps fist in the air* The theme seems to be made exactly for me: "Close Up In Color". OK, I think I can do that! :D Happily, Wednesday was the first day of spring and I went on a photo safari around our property looking for all of the flowers which were in bloom. I managed to find several few new ones and I got some pictures of saxifrage too. (This is a flower I've mentioned but haven't shown any pictures until now.) It's a fairly plain flower but I'm delighted to say that I got some very nice images to share. I also got a much better picture of a flower I'd photographed in the past called Hairy Bittercress. My main image is a tiny hoverfly (.3"/8.46mm) sitting in a sea of bokeh with just its face in sharp focus. It landed on a stem right next to me as I was photographing a buttercup and wasn't bothered by me at all. This allowed me to take many dozen pictures in various apertures and different angles. In fact, I was the one that left, not him! The thing that sets this little guy apart are those incredible iridescent wings! Aren't they amazing?! This picture is magical to me because the bokeh turned the colors of its wings into fairy dust! You will find two more angles of this hoverfly as insets but I'm also presenting most of the subjects I photographed on the first day of spring. What fun it was to process them all. It was extremely satisfying to add some better pictures of species I've photographed before. I am not much of a fan of either Saxifrage or Hairy Bittercress but I actually got some attractive images of them--not easy to do, let me tell you! :) Anyway, I hope you enjoy the show! (I actually had to trim down the number of pictures…far too many so I'll post another set in a few days along with pictures of new flowers I've found since!) :) Pam, it was easy to know what to search for and I went in figuring there would be plenty of choices--hoverflies are pretty brave little guys and make fantastic subjects because they often just sit there, asking, "Do I look more beautiful from the left, or perhaps from the right? Oh? You'd like an image of me hovering? Why of course, here you go!" :D I picked your beautiful Hoverfly on Bradford Pear Blossom image… what a stunner. The blossoms are right out of Cinderella and that hoverfly is the perfect model! :) I hope you have had a good day my dear!! *BIG HUGS TO YOU*!!!! Explored on 3/24/19, highest placement, #1.

Hoverflies are fabulous looking and they often don't care if you're close to them! They commonly hover long enough that you can get their picture, or else they boldly stay on flowers and allow you close access. This isn't always the case--plenty of them are so skittish you barely get a glimpse before they are zooming away. Besides making forgiving subjects, these flower flies are found in many sizes, colors and patterns (including bee mimic), which makes them a favorite!

I went out today looking for a mushroom and I found one! It was perfect and in a position that I could see under its cap! I got good pictures too... or so I thought... until I looked at them on my computer and found out that I made a Composition 101 error. When you find a non-animate subject to photograph, look at it closely from different angles to find the best position. I discovered upon looking at the pictures that the shape of the mushroom called for a shift in position and I needed get another set of pictures. LOL, live and learn! :D No worries, because before I went into the house, I went to visit the Goldenrod flowers that my friend Robin gave me, and as I approached, I saw a very pretty bumblebee crawling around with gorgeous markings on it. Then I looked again. It wasn't a bumblebee at all! It was a huge hoverfly! I've never seen one so large and pretty before, and I was lucky enough to get a few pictures before it zoomed away! Lucius Annaeus Seneca (often known simply as Seneca; ca. 4 BC – AD 65) was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero. While he was forced to commit suicide for alleged complicity in the Pisonian conspiracy to assassinate Nero, the last of the Julio-Claudian emperors, he may have been innocent. His father was Seneca the Elder and his elder brother was Lucius Junius Gallio Annaeanus, called Gallio in the Bible. Wikipedia: Lucius Annaeus Seneca Explored on October 1, 2013. Highest placement, page 4.

This was what I saw when I bent down to look at these flowers. Check out this beautiful HOVER BUTT! :D This guy was about an inch long, definitely in the B-52 Bomber category! What a sound this one made, quite menacing actually, though I know it wouldn't hurt me! Thanks to Leapfrog (Art) for identifying this as a Dronefly or European Hoverfly! I really struggled about which picture should be Picture of the Day. I wanted to put this one up, but Steve thought the other one was the stronger choice. I don't know...do you have an opinion? :D

I was taking pictures of caterpillars the other day and while I was examining Milkweed leaves, I noticed a tiny Hoverfly on the edge of one leaf. I immediately began taking pictures but soon realized that it wasn't alone. In fact, it had just gotten caught by a spider which was injecting venom into it as I took this picture! AMAZING TIMING!!!!

2 more pictures in notes above! :) My garden is still in the middle of a poppy blossom extravaganza, and though I could have shared some really neat pictures every single day for the past several weeks, I think you guys would hunt me down and shoot me for boring you to death with Yet Another Poppy Flower!! :D :D I *HAVE* been taking pictures most days and it's been really hard to resist sharing pictures on many occasions... and today... well, there wasn't anyway I could refuse! It's not my fault that poppies glow so amazingly in the morning light!! Today I fell over when I saw this salmon-colored, double-layered poppy. Which was covered with droplets from my garden watering. And then a hoverfly landed on it. The last straw was some really cool bokeh and that was just too much! *Janet explodes and the picture gets Pick of the Day* Not my fault. Blame the hoverfly. :D Marcus Aurelius (26 April 121 AD – 17 March 180 AD) was a Roman Emperor from 161 to 180. He ruled with Lucius Verus as co-emperor from 161 until Verus' death in 169. He was the last of the Five Good Emperors, and is also considered one of the most important Stoic philosophers. Wikipedia: Marcus Aurelius Explored on July 26, 2013. Highest placement: page 2 (#34)

After wolfing down pollen from many flowers, this hoverfly moved over to a stem to rest, stretch its legs and carefully clean its proboscis. I am totally thrilled that I was able to get these nice pictures today, and I have several more that turned out nicely as well. Don't you just love it when that happens?!! :D Explored on July 17, 2013. Highest placement, page 3.

Even though this picture isn't perfectly tack-sharp all over, I think this picture turned out really well with the chicory bokeh beyond and the interesting, almost posterized quality of this hoverfly's back. And you gotta admit, this guy's got SUPERFLY written all over it! :D :D

2 more pictures in notes above! This morning I went into the garden, and what should I find but another hoverfly like I did the other day! This one was doing a LOT of hovering in place, and after being totally frustrated with autofocus not zeroing in on the fly, I decided to turn it off and use manual focus. What a perfect subject to practice on! I rarely use manual focus because autofocus is so accurate with the Canon 100mm 2.8L lens. However, I also know that I should use manual focus more than I do, because autofocus isn't always reliable and there are times--like this--when you won't get the shot without using your own two eyes to focus! Once I brought my camera up and looked through the eyepiece, I was delighted how well I could track him as he hovered and moved here and there, focusing in and out and sometimes peering around my camera to see where it was. Just like anything, practice makes perfect, and my first bunch of shots were all a blur. But when I saw this picture on my computer, I burst out laughing and clapped my hands in exhultation!!! "I DID IT!! I DID IT!!!" I shrieked in excitement! Tack sharp with manual focus...*SNOOPY DANCE*!!! I would have liked to have been a little closer, but it's a minor complaint!! I will DEFINITELY be using manual focus more in the future, now that I can see that I can get very good results with my own focusing!! :D Publilius Syrus, a Latin writer of maxims, flourished in the 1st century BC. He was a Syrian who was brought as a slave to Italy, but by his wit and talent he won the favour of his master, who freed and educated him. Publilius' name, due to early medieval palatalization of 'l' between two 'i', is often presented by manuscripts (and some printed editions) in corrupt form as 'Publius'. Wikipedia: Publilius Syrus Explored on July 17, 2013. Highest placement, page 1 (#27).

Who doesn't love hoverflies?! They are so beautiful and it's so incredibly cool how they can hover in place, perfectly still, and then, quick as a flash, disappear in a burst of speed! These insects are also known as "flower flies" because adults eat nectar and pollen for their diet. They are excellent mimics of bees and wasps, and are often mistaken for them, though hoverflies are actually harmless! :) Did you know there are over 6,000 species worldwide?! They range in size from smaller than a grain of rice to larger than a bumble bee! If you would like to know more about these super cool flies, Wiki has a great page here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoverfly

I saw a very tiny insect buzzing around a blindweed blossom (they are a small wild morning glory) and when I looked closer, I saw that it was an itty bitty hoverfly, about the size of a grain of rice! I cannot resist a challenge so I tried to get a clear picture to share. I really didn't think I'd get one because when it was in motion, it was crawling all over the flower really fast, and when it stopped, it was on the opposite side of the stamens and I couldn't see it! However, when I looked at my pictures, I discovered that I actually got a clear shot! HOORAY!!!

2 more pictures in notes above! :) Yesterday I was delighted because a new flower is blooming in my little garden, and I was very excited to feature it for my Picture of the Day! In fact, I'd finished taking pictures and was appreciating the beautiful poppies that are all blazing away in red and pink when I saw a hoverfly zoom up to a poppy! I LOVE HOVERFLIES!!!! They make me hyperventilate in excitement, and I instantly zeroed in on my new best little buzzy buddy and started taking pictures! It was actually very mellow and let me take all the pictures I wanted as it crawled around and posed for the camera! "Do I look better from the left? Or from the right? Head in the pollen? Oh, I know, I'll hover for a second or two and give you a challenge!" :D :D I got lots of wonderful pictures, and I have another one to share today, as well as ANOTHER hoverfly just larger than a grain of rice! (This hoverfly was about 3/4" in length) Plato (BC[a] – 348/347 BC) was a philosopher in Classical Greece. He was also a mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the foundations of Western philosophy and science. Wikipedia: Plato Explored on July 12, 2013. Highest position, page 4. Also Explored on Flickr on July 13, 2013. Highest placement: #113.

This image was taken during my trip to San Francisco during September 12-15, 2011.

This image was taken during my trip to San Francisco during September 12-15, 2011.

This picture makes me want to kiss my camera!!! Before I got my Canon 5D Mark II with this most awesome 100mm lens, I had Canon's superzoom SX30 camera. It's a fabulous, powerful camera, with awesome macro capabilities, but in order to get macros, you must get close to your subject. Imagine my frustration. No, don't...you'll throw yourself out the window, and we don't want that! :D Let's just say it was a trial. I got very good at moving extremely slowly, doing what I call the "creep and click" method of sneaking up on my subject. Trouble was that just when I got reasonably close, my subject would look at me, laugh loudly, and make a raspberry before zooming off into the wild blue yonder. *CRY* Armed with my new camera and prime macro lens, I not only get the luxury of being much further away, the size of my pictures is much larger (from 14k with the SX30 up to 21k megapixels with the Mark II ). This translates to Seventh Heaven for Janet and her quest for cool critters! I would have NEVER EVER EVER gotten this picture with my old camera, but with my new one...just take a look!!! *Janet does the Gopher Dance from Caddyshack * When I first looked at this insect on my computer, I thought it must be some sort of short dragonfly because of that long abdomen. But it's actually a type of Hoverfly! They are very common and can be found in Britain, Europe, North Africa, Asia and North America. As can be seen here, these flies enjoy feasting on pollen from flowers and grasses. If you'd like to know more about Syphrid Hoverflies, Wiki has a page here: Wiki: Syphrid Hoverflies

[best appreciated at full size against black] There's an old, overgrown dirt road which parallels the gravel road up to our house, and this road travels next to the seasonal creek. It's shady and pretty here, and walking along one day I found a buttercup with a little friend atop it, feasting on the pollen! I got lots of cute pictures as it walked around and in the end, it turned away and flew off to another sunny destination! I hope you enjoy this collage! This image was taken in April, 2012.

This hoverfly was so intent on wolfing down pollen that it didn't mind me getting as close as I wanted to. Nice for practice, I got over a dozen shots and a handful that turned out nicely. This one is my favorite because of the shallow depth of field. Hoverflies are also known as "Flower Flies" or "Syrphid flies" and there are over 6,000 species found world-wide except Antarctica. They often have coloring which mimic bees and wasps, but they are harmless. They are a beneficial insect and eat garden pests such as aphids and leafhoppers. Hoverflies get their name from their ability to hover in place, and often do so when visiting flowers for the pollen and nectar they enjoy. If you would like to know more about these pretty flies, Wiki has a very nice page here: Wiki: Hoverfly