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My Best Bird Shot

Don Ellis

Member
That is really beautiful, I love the softness of it.

I have an image of what looks like a similar pair of insects to your friendly "fly/bee". I was quite proud of it until you posted your shots which make me realize I get a bit carried away with the levels and unsharp mask on my macros.

Posted this before I'm sure but the similarity of insect is interesting perhaps.
My guys have been a little more discreet than that, but perhaps they're just good friends. Yes, they do look at lot alike.

I'm always surprised at the similarities of animals over here and back in the States -- whippoorwills immediately come to mind. I haven't seen one, but I hear them regularly and they sound just like they did in Kansas. Maybe I'm not the only migratory animal. :)

I sent some photos and a description to an entomological website in Hong Kong... we'll see if I get an answer.

Thanks for the photo.

Don
 

4season

Well-known member
Great shots, Don! Also a pretty good demo of how hand-holding a macro shot can sometimes be the only way to get the picture. I've found Ricoh cameras in particular are outstanding for this sort of thing.
 
O

Oxide Blu

Guest
How the devil did you ever get the bee to pose for you? Super glue? Amazing.

There used to be a comedian that would put a dot of superglue on a house fly and attach a thread to it, then tie the other end of the thread to his finger, making a pet house fly.
 

Don Ellis

Member
Great shots, Don! Also a pretty good demo of how hand-holding a macro shot can sometimes be the only way to get the picture. I've found Ricoh cameras in particular are outstanding for this sort of thing.
Thank you... yes, I've certainly had better luck handholding, for several reasons. First, these animals move. Second, there is such a shallow depth of field that you can half-depress the shutter to lock focus (on something), and then, keeping it half-depressed, you can move the camera in and out to decide exactly when to focus on (nose, shoulders, body, tail).

But I could see tripods working in some situations and with greater depth of field because you could use smaller apertures.

I've had good luck in the past with the Canon Pro 1 and the Canon Macro Lens 500D... but with the G9, I've found that you can stack the 250Ds and 500Ds and still get quite good edge-to-edge sharpness -- something that's not possible with the Pro 1.

Cheers,
Don
 

Don Ellis

Member
Drone Fly -- Syrphidae Eristalis

So... the bee mystery solved. It's not a bee at all. My breakfast report from the local entomological website tells me...

"This is a hoverfly (Syrphidae). The bee-like hoverflies are called Drone Flies and are of the genus Eristalis."

So now we know.
Don
 

Don Ellis

Member
Stop Presses! Not a fly... maybe.

This just in from my guest entomologist:

"I have been taking a further look at your pictures and my reference books as I missed some of the wing venation so my initial ID is not correct. Whilst it is very like a dronefly the wing veins do not match up. Interesting puzzle and I’m just doing some cross checking. It is looking more like a carpenter bee or leaf cutting bee. I’ll delve back into it later on today when I have more time to cross check."

We could be back in BeeLand.

Bee Patient,
Don
 

Don Ellis

Member
Identification -- Carpenter Bee

Stuart Morton at http://www.biocycle.com.hk reports...

"This is a Carpenter Bee -- Xylocopa collaris.

"Yes, those are mites you can see. Here is a link to some information on bee mites:
http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/acari/frames/beemites.html.

"Your guy that is hovering around is a male. They may look aggressive and can dive around but they are harmless and have no stinger so your wife is still OK. The female is normally around the nest and can sting but only really if provoked and handled."

Cheers,
Don
 

Don Ellis

Member
No gold star for me then (though I did spot the mites ;) )
Gold stars aren't worth as much today as when your teachers were handing them out, so no great loss. And you can skip study hall today and go straight to recess for your mite insight. :p

Don
 

pollobarca

New member
Don,
I hate wasps and bees. I was never stung until I was 36 and I got stung 3 times at once under my shirt while riding my Guzzi round a nice tight curve. I really can't look at them without shivering.
For you an exception , great shots and in the frst the beast looks almost cuddly, you really caught her well.
all the best

paul
 

Don Ellis

Member
Don,
I hate wasps and bees. I was never stung until I was 36 and I got stung 3 times at once under my shirt while riding my Guzzi round a nice tight curve. I really can't look at them without shivering.
Don't focus on the stings... just remember how manly you were not to have laid the bike down under the sudden pain. I bet you wouldn't even give up your serial number under interrogation. :D

For you an exception , great shots and in the frst the beast looks almost cuddly, you really caught her well.
all the best
paul
Thanks, Paul... that's very kind. And it still looks like a fuzzy bird with a tiny beak to me. :p

Don
 
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