It’s the only one we’ve got.
HAPPY EARTH DAY.
Look what I found buzzing around in the garden the other day. Well, actually Little Monkey found it first. I chased her inside in case she tried to eat it!
It was a massive insect and clearly having some trouble, as it flapped around on the ground, occasionally buzzing in my direction and causing me to spring back with my camera!
At first I thought it was a Blue Black Hairy Flower Wasp.
On further investigation I think it is more likely a Carpenter Bee.
Specifically, a Violet Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa violacea.
I thought, “Shame man. Poor bee struggling in this wind,” and I put some sugar water out for it. It went straight to it, but I didn’t see it drink.
Then I went back inside and read some more about this amazing insect. Apparently they emerge now, at the end of winter or beginning of spring. “Oh, that’s interesting,” I mused. “Maybe it’s just emerged from a dead tree somewhere.”
I then found out that they bore massive holes in dead wood. “That’s cool,” I think, “I’m sure there’s plenty of dead wood around the neighbourhood.”
Then I thought; “Hey, wait a minute. All my window frames and doors, not to mention all my furniture inside the house, are wood; dead wood! Ooopsie. What have I done?”
I checked outside again, but the Violet Carpenter Bee had buzzed off!
Hopefully to a new destination, far away from my dead wood.
post script: On the fascinating subject of insects, did you know that there was a new type of beetle discovered in Cape Town last year?
Flower Power
Flowers are much easier to capture than my dog Little Monkey, but there was a strong breeze the day I was shooting (I’m not complaining mind; we needed to cool off a bit!) and the flower was bouncing around merrily. I had to time my clicks carefully.
Continuing my self-education with the Nikon camera, the above photo was taken using Mode A: Aperture-Priority Auto. In this mode, I can choose the aperture, while the camera automatically selects the shutter speed for best exposure.
I don’t have a zoom lens, but with this setting, you can achieve a similar effect by using a large aperture (low f value – here 5.3) to reduce the field depth. This gives a really clear close up with a nicely blurred background.
Below is my Also Ran.
The above photo, on the other hand, was taken on Auto with the ‘flower’ or ‘close up’ setting. The camera does all of the setting adjustments automatically. While it’s still a decent close up of the hibiscus, it just doesn’t compare to the first photo.
post script: I realise there are many awesome photographers out there, with great skill, producing beautiful pictures. I follow and enjoy many photographic blogs.
Here, I am not trying to say how to take photos. All I am doing is documenting my own slow progress in learning how to use a more complicated camera than my little point and click Canon.
Thingies on my poinsettia.
They look like tiny little Muppet creatures to me!
Actually they are called cyathia.
Haiku 18
Scorching sun beats down
Petals burning lava bright
Fighting fire with fire
post script: If you really want to watch the rose catch fire, tilt your screen away from you slowly.
I’ve been searching for a heart of gold –
And I’m getting old!
post script: Neil Young singing Heart of Gold
Tiny acorns beginning to emerge on my oak tree.
Well, you’ve got to start somewhere!
This oak tree was planted as an acorn in my garden, by a squirrel, about 20 years ago.
Jasmine
Tiny stars against the sky
Send your fragrance way up high
Twinkle as the sun goes down
Till the moon shall be your crown
Plethora – Definition: A large or excessive amount of something.
I give you my daughter Pix’s Floribunda rose bush –
That is excelling itself this year, with a plethora of beautiful blooms.
Apparently, heavily pruning the syringa tree in my garden has made a world of difference to the amount of life-giving sun now reaching this hardy rose bush.
And it has amply rewarded me.