Wildlife pictures

[Robson Valley]

I caught a Mantis in the house in Melbourne, Australia. It lived for months on my bedroom windowsill.
Very effective weapon for the hoards of bush flies that follow people everywhere.

 

[Wander]

Hoot Hoot!
I was out for a stroll today and, for no reason I can think, I happened to see owls.
Not just the one, but three!

A long eared owl:

A short eared owl:

And a (rather ****** off looking) little owl:

 

[Broch]

Great spots! I'm lucky to see one in a week in the daylight.

Every Little Owl I've ever seen looks like that - real 'ard

 

[brancho]

Here are some shots from a macro safari last August that I never processed or posted any of all were taken in my garden

This is one of those I only know exist because I photographed it and it appears to be a many plumed moth

Many plumed moth by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Some of the few honey bees I saw last year in the garden

Honey bee on sedum by Alf Branch, on Flickr


Honey bee on sedum 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

A couple of bumble bees the second one may have a mite on its tongue I have seen that before and bee couldn't retract its tongue these mites are usually just hitching a lift


Bumble bee on sedum by Alf Branch, on Flickr


Bumble bee on sedum 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Finally a spider siting waiting but having something to eat


On the lookout by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[brancho]

A couple of shots from my front garden


Goldfinch by Alf Branch, on Flickr


Goldfinch 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[brancho]

A solitary bee from the garden i have occasionally seen individuals like this sunning themselves on our laurel hedge (maybe they visit the extra-floral nectaries too) but I do not know where they nest

Solitary bee by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Here is a shot of a wasp collecrting for nest building

Wasp making paper by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[brancho]

A large red damselfly

Large red damselfly by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[brancho]

Here are a coupe of shots of a male jumping spider Salticus scenicus taken on our house wall with another spider as prey

Male jumping spide with prey by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Male jumping spide with prey 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[brancho]

Here are some shots from my walk out yesterday of Dragonflies I usually use macro kit for such attempts but I decided to us my telephoto set up. Shot with my Olympus OMD E-M1ii and 40-150 f2.8 and MC14 teleconverter.

Broad bodied chaser male 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Broad bodied chaser male by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Four spotted chaser male_ by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[brancho]

Here is a set from a macro safari walk last week it was rather windy

Damsefly by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Sawfly by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Spider on a wire by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Here is a rather small wasp that was in the house about 4mm long

Small black wasp by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[Bishop]

A mix of camera and cell phone pics taken by Jules of the family at the bottom of the garden.

Youngster male?


Mom

 

[brancho]

Here are some shots from my latest macro safari late saturday afternoon on a cold and windy day


Micro moth by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Caddis fly by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Fly by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Empis fly by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Nice one Brancho, you will be getting some of the mayflies soon I expect, we have had a few showing here in yorkshire

 

[brancho]

Another view of that Caddis fly it appears to be Limnephilus lunatus

Caddis fly by Alf Branch, on Flickr

This wasp intrigued me as it was in an open position and not moving and the pose is odd I was wondering if it was under fungal attack

Ichneumonid wasp by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Not a great shot of this caterpillar but OK for an ID

Orange and black caterpillar by Alf Branch, on Flickr

A spider in her retreat with a parasitic wasp larva attached

Parasatised spider by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[bobnewboy]

I just downloaded my wife's camera. These are two shots she took from our kitchen window a couple of weeks back:

at 105mm:

..and then at 300mm:

Looks like a smallish roe stag to me, but I'm happy to be corrected

 

[brancho]

These are from yesterday and a week or so ago

My first Male scorpion fly of the year probably Panorpa germanica

Male scorpion fly by Alf Branch, on Flickr

A whole bunch of plain golds on a buttercup

Plain golds by Alf Branch, on Flickr

An alder fly

Alder fly by Alf Branch, on Flickr

A downlooker snipe fly

Downlooker snipe fly by Alf Branch, on Flickr

A fly

Fly 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

A mayfly next to its exuvia this was over 20m from the water

Mayfly by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Nice one Brancho! That Mayfly is what is known as an olive, note the two tales. Not sure on species though, there are loads of em.

 

[brancho]

Here are some bees feeding on the extra floral nectaries on our laurel hedge

Bumble bee feeding 1 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Bumble bee feeding 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Bumble bee feeding 3 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Honey bee feeding by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[brancho]

Here is a wasp I spotted capping a hole in our house wall that will have at least one egg in
Possible Eumeninae SP. but I would welcome an ID

Wasp capping off 1 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Wasp capping off 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Wasp capping off 3 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[brancho]

As a non bird photographer here are some great spotted woodpecker shots taken at a nest in a wooden power line pole

Great spotted woodpecker 1 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Great spotted woodpecker 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Great spotted woodpecker 3 by Alf Branch, on Flickr