Macro Garden Critters.

[Tig]

These were taken on a Fujifilm Finepix S8100 fd Jas, I also still have a Finepix E900, and my first digital camera, an Olympus Camedia C350 - all are used fairly regularly, but for different purposes

x Tig

[Tig]

In between showers, I spotted this, and odd as it may sound I had the camera to hand





I think it is a Ruddy Sympetrum (I'm not swearing - that is its name ) I am not 100% sure though as it wasn't quite the same as the illustration in my book

x Tig

[Barbara]

is it a type of dragon fly tig

[Tig]

Yes Barbara, we have marshes not far away from us, we get a few of them this time of year, it is also called the Ruddy Darter.

x Tig

[Ruthie]

We have 633 squadron of Dragonflies in our garden these evenings (when it's not raining that is) Absolutely loads of them flying round looking for flies and stuff. It's wonderful to stand on my top lawn and hear them as well as see them. No photos tho'. They're not the sort which sit for more than a second at a time. I like to think they have bred in our pond and I think that is quite likely.

[Tig]

Just found this on my hydrangea ...



R.I.P. it is no more

[Ladygardener]

Good pic Tig but those blighters terrify me I can hardly go near them to kill them eeekkk.

[Tig]

It was huge lng - bigger than most I see anyway, over half inch long. I must admit that it was removed with a piece of plastic into a little bowl I use for collecting any nasties, then stamped on! I reckon there are hundreds out at night - I have never treated that container, but I will do now.

x Tig

[Weeterrier]

Recently I posted the photo of a bumble bee with mites. Lo and behold, after rescuing this beetle from a bucket of water, I noticed it had companions too. I tried to flick them off, but they just scampered away from my fingers. then the beetle started 'crying' really loudly, so I just let him go. It was amazing to hear. As you can see, the beetle ones are far bigger.

[Tig]

Ooooh that makes me itch Poor things

[Weeterrier]

I'm not sure that the mites bother them Tig. I hope not anyway.

[Tig]

If you don't like spiders - close your eyes now

The garden seems to be heaving with them at the moment - all shapes and colours, these are the best I could snap today ..





















Tig

[Tig]

I've been very lax of late when it comes to finding things worthy of a macro photo

I have no idea what this alien being is - I was just glad it was a lot smaller than me







x Tig

[torontotrini]

I think it might be some species of praying mantis, tig.

www.insecta-inspecta.com/mantids/praying/

Great shots. Did you say you have a macro or micro lens?

[Tig]

Thanks for that TT - I didn't know we had any native species in the UK, it was only just over three quarters of an inch long

I now have a Fujifilm Finepix S8100 fd which includes a super-macro function - it is 10 mp so I can cut the photos quite a bit to get more visible details. Good job too, with my failing eyesight I could have just taken a photo of a dead leaf ;D

x Tig

[Ladygardener]

Wow it's scary Tig.
I don't have a macro lens but took this at the weekend. Anyone know what it is.?

[Tig]

It's one of my little darlings - a juvenile shield bug - still got a bit of growing to do ;D

x Tig

[Ladygardener]

Thanks Tig for your help with identifying it. I'll be able to tell son in law it's friendly then I hope ;D.

[torontotrini]

Oct 7, 2008 18:50:19 GMT Tig said:

Thanks for that TT - I didn't know we had any native species in the UK, it was only just over three quarters of an inch long

I now have a Fujifilm Finepix S8100 fd which includes a super-macro function - it is 10 mp so I can cut the photos quite a bit to get more visible details. Good job too, with my failing eyesight I could have just taken a photo of a dead leaf ;D

x Tig

I could be wrong of course, tig, but a praying mantis is the closest resemblance for me. Not that I look like a praying mantis, mind. I mean the bug in the pic to me resembles a praying mantis. ;D I used to see a lot of them when I was growing up in Trinidad; different sizes, different colours, mainly green and some brown.

From the quality of your pics tig, I would say your eyesight is pretty good; not to mention the steadiness of your hands. Keep 'em coming. They're great.

I've got a Nikon 55mm micro lens (bought it in London, used, at a great price quite a few years ago) that was great for taking quality close ups of small critters, but it is for a 35mm film Nikon and it can't work on my "new" digital Nikon. I've got a 60mm macro for the digital, but it doesn't give me quite the kind of dimension that the 55 micro did. I still have the 35mm film camera and a few lenses for it, but I don't use it anymore.

[Tig]

Lng I have loads of shield bugs (as many members will recall ;D) and I don't class them as the enemy!

TT - I too have rather a lot of obsolete camera equipment - including my original SLR with all the 'extras' I had bought over the years, including the lenses and filters Cost a fortune (well we didn't have a lot of dosh so it was a luxury, many birthdays and christmas prezzies to get all the bits ) But when I think back to how much I spent processing the films, often to find I had missed 'the' shot I wanted, I am happy to have my digitals

Nice to know you think the little critters are worth sharing!

I'll continue to look for my little alien - or maybe some else might have a clue?

x Tig

[torontotrini]

Hi tig. At the end of the day, so to speak, It was the cost of the processing and printing that did in my enthusiasm for the 35mm film camera. That and the fact that I no longer travelled around as much as I did in earlier years. I used to do a lot of slides as well as prints and the cost just kept going up and up. I too am quite happy with my switch to digital. My one wish is that the Nikon (Nikkor) 55mm micro lens could have worked with my Nikon D50. I was a bit ticked off with the sales clerk when I found out that it didn't because when I bought the camera he told me that it would. I don't mind too much about the other lenses that don't work with the digital, but I really liked what I was able to do with the 55mm. I've been told recently (yes, by another enthusiastic sales clerk) that the 55 mm and other older Nikon lenses can work with the higher-end, newer Nikon digital cameras. Who knows, I might just test it out at some time if the spirit moves me enough, and make a switch. I'm sure I wouldn't get much on a trade in for my D50 though, so I'm not likely to be moved in that direction for some time. But you never know. ;D Good luck on your alien hunt.

[Tig]

Thank you TT - not found its name yet!

But here is another one I spotted today, and a few other little things out and about in the sunshine



I don't know what this was either ..



Young Green Shield Bug



A bee (I think :



I spotted a dragonfly but it flew off before I could get close enough!

And then I spotted these ...





What are they doing munching whats left of my lilies at this time of year!!

There were four of them - now very flat!!

x Tig

[Ruthie]

Oh Tig. I spotted loads yesterday on my Lilies. Thought it was too late for them so had been off my guard. Anyway, there will be about 10 less Liliy Beetles in my garden next year!!!

[torontotrini]

Great pictures again tig. Although I must admit that the sight of the lily beetles almost got me into a "stomp and squish" mood. I really don't like them. How come you managed to get two of them side by side instead of on top of one another. They never seem to quit. And BTW, your pics prompted me to go talk with the camera people again about a model digital Nikon that could work with my old 55mm micro lens. The bad news is that it would fit but only work to a limited degree with a couple of the higher end model Nikons (metering would work but not the auto focus function). The good news is that since it would only work to a limited degree, I don't feel any pressure to trade up from my D50 to one of the higher end models. ;D

[Tig]

My lily beetles are quite refined TT - they don't do it if they have an audience

Glad you found out about the usefulness (or rather not!) of your old lens - not much point in spending more if you won't get the quality Stick with what you have, I think your photos are brill

x Tig

[torontotrini]

I'm beginning to think that we should send out a "Lily Beetle Red Alert" or something. Seems like they are out and about this year later than usual. I found a couple of them last weekend "frollicking around" as usual on my more or less dead lily stalks when I was doing some end of season cutting back/tidying up. No need to mention what happened to them, eh. But if they're still about and "active" this late in the year, is that a sign that we're really going to be in for it next season? Hopefully we'll get less snow than we did last winter. Seems like they just snuggle up under the snow warm and comfy and come out chomping in the spring.

Hi tig. I'm quite content with the digital camera stuff I have now so not likely to be spending any money on getting anything different. But I do miss the opportunities that the 55mm micro lens used to give me as far as neat close ups of wee things/critters. I must say it would have been a temptation if the 55 worked - metering and auto focus - with say, the D60 which is within a reasonable price for an upgrade. It does'nt so I've put that to bed.

[Tig]

Todays finds were a goody ..



And a baddy ..

[Tig]

Well look what I 'spotted' today



x Tig

[Ladygardener]

gosh that's an early sighting Tig, good shot well done.

[Tig]

Loads of insect activity today, even saw my first butterfly (bl@@dy cabbage white!)

Think this monstrous looking thing (or its parents) were around last year ..



x Tig