Wildlife pictures

[brancho]

Here are some shots from yesterday


This is a heavy crop as I was struggling to get a shot of this Chrysis Ignita ruby tail wasp


Chrysis Ignita by Alf Branch, on Flickr


Here it is again investigating possible nest sites I did not see a host wasp though


Chrysis Ignita looking out by Alf Branch, on Flickr


AQ very small wasp about 3mm long I took a few shots of this and it was in a cold place so I got it onto my finger and carried it outinto the sunlight where it flew off after a short while


Very small wasp by Alf Branch, on Flickr


A downlooker snipe fly posing for me


Downlooker snipe fly by Alf Branch, on Flickr




A dolly fly


Dolly fly by Alf Branch, on Flickr


An Empis Stercorea


Empis Stercorea by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Here is a buff tip moth


Buff tip moth by Alf Branch, on Flickr


All taken on a half hour walk on a very warm day in the North

 

[Wahboasti]

Lovely pics Brancho, I really like the Dolly Fly. apologies if its been asked before but what lenses are you using? looks like hugely expensive professional stuff.

 

[brancho]

Lovely pics Brancho, I really like the Dolly Fly. apologies if its been asked before but what lenses are you using? looks like hugely expensive professional stuff.

Less fancy equipment than you think may be needed have a look at this thread

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124513&page=2

Technique (focus and framing) and light can be more important

I may use fancy equipment but I focus manually and use a homemade flash diffuser.

 

[Arya]

That Buff Tip moth looks like a birch branch! Way cool!

 

[brancho]

That Buff Tip moth looks like a birch branch! Way cool!

Yeah Arya it does and if it had been in a different place I may never have spotted it.

 

[brancho]

This pair were playing piggy back rides and boy was it a rollercoaster of a ride.
He apeared from nowhere sntached her up up a took off did a huge loop and landed 10 yards away on the road and she was strugling.

Hover flies mating by Alf Branch, on Flickr

I found it is to find the this black spot lonhorn beetle as it flew into my face before landing.

Black spot longhorn beetle 1 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Black spot longhorn beetle 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

A sawfly after wallowing in a buttercup

Sawfly by Alf Branch, on Flickr

A small heath

Small heath by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[brancho]

A couple of shots of a female zebra jumping spider (salticus scenicus) on my hose wall

Salticus Scenicus hunting by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Salticus Scenicus looking out by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Some ladybird larvae that have just hatched

Ladybird larvae by Alf Branch, on Flickr

A springtail


Springtail Orchesella cincta by Alf Branch, on Flickr


A yelloow dung fly


Yellow dung fly by Alf Branch, on Flick

 

[Herbalist1]

Fantastic photos brancho - lots of people overlook our smaller wildlife but I think it is just as fascinating as the larger fauna and wherever you are there is always something interesting to see which means you can have a safari in your own garden! Thanks for sharing.

 

[brancho]

Fantastic photos brancho - lots of people overlook our smaller wildlife but I think it is just as fascinating as the larger fauna and wherever you are there is always something interesting to see which means you can have a safari in your own garden! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks mate I have had quite a few safaris in the garden on a small invertibrate hunt.

 

[delbach]

Greater Spotted Woodpecker chick having a kip

 

[brancho]

Nice one Delbach

 

[brancho]

here are some shots of a digger wasp investigating my house walls

It is a male Ectemnius species I am told by Dave_W_1971 on Flickr possibly E. cavifrons the knobbly antennae are the clue to genus & gender. The knobbles are different on each species.

Wasp_ by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Wasp 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Wasp 3 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[brancho]

I shot this the other day on my bin it is about 2mm long but I do not know what it is.

Unkown insect by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Unkown insect 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Both are 4 shot stacks handheld using a 25mm tube and Raynox 250 on my Sigma 105 and stil cropped heavily.

 

[brancho]

Another mite having a bite

Mite with a prize by Alf Branch, on Flickr

A honey bee at least I think it is

Honey bee in pollen by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Honey bee in pollen 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

A Barkfly

Barkfly by Alf Branch, on Flickr

A red mite

Red mite 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

and he was off

Red mite by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[brancho]

A lacehopper

Lace hopper by Alf Branch, on Flickr

A plant bug nymph

Plant bug nymph by Alf Branch, on Flickr

A small wasp

Small wasp by Alf Branch, on Flickr

A romantic meal for two

Aphids on petal by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Dinner for a bug

Bug feeding by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[brancho]

Here is a picture wing fly that is in for a bad time when these eggs hatch I am sure.
The wasp seemed to have had a tangle in a spider web and had damaged its wings and could not fly.

Picture wing fly and parasite by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Here is a potter wasp I think this may be Ancistrocerus oviventris previously known as Ancistrocerus pictus.

Wasp 1 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Wasp 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Wasp 3 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[brancho]

Here are some from the other day on safari


A Wasp ovipositing


Wasp ovipositing by Alf Branch, on Flickr


A latticed heath moth


Latticed heath moth by Alf Branch, on Flickr


A hopper hiding from me


Hopper_ by Alf Branch, on Flickr


A flying ant crawling around


Flying ant by Alf Branch, on Flickr


A Cicadella Viridis in a usual pose unusually still while I shot it.


cicadella viridis by Alf Branch, on Flickr


A very large looking Hoverfly Serocomya silentis


Large hoverfly- Serocomya silentis by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[Kitharode]

Friendly neighbourhood Dragonfly likes my jacket ....

.... and lets me get up close and personal:

 

[acheter]

Nice pics Stuart, thanks for sharing

 

[brancho]

Here are some shots froma short garden safari yesterday there are more but I do not have the time to process them.


The sedum coming out makes the bees easier to capture as they take thier time visiting the many flower heads. I am not seeing any honey bees though.



Bumble bee on sedum 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr


Bumble bee on sedum by Alf Branch, on Flickr


Here is a fly that was just hanging about.


Fly by Alf Branch, on Flickr