Unexpected Visitor

[LordV]

Found this Comma butterfly trying to sun itself on my garden path yesterday (it was fairly windy). Eventually persuaded it to climb on my finger and fed it some 20% sugar water. It then allowed me to do some closeups. All shots uncropped apart from #3.
Was actually very lucky with first shot- walked out with MPE-65 saw the butterfly- got my old 300D with sigma 105, decided to try some natural light shots, set camera to TV (so I thought) speed 1/100th, Iso 400 shutter around F4.5. Took quite a few shots- most came out fine but some were overexposed. Checked the camera- it was still in manual mode !
#1 and #4 are focus stacked (3 shots each)

Brian V.

Click on Pics for larger size

[lcpete]

Really nice shots Brian I esp like the first shot really nice colours,and you got the exposure spot on a bit of luck as well
Pete

[kallousa]

the sugar water definitely made it's job .. Excellent poses and shots
I love the hairy eyes in #4 and the blanket in #3 ..

Regards

[photobitz]

Oh my, what hairy eyes you have!

That's an impressive looking insect. So well camouflaged. I wish I had more flowers at the moment... all the butterflies seem to flutter straight over my garden.

[Bald Eagle]

Great find Brian. Excellent idea with the sugar water as well. All are very sharp.

[racketman]

Hibernating - wonder what woke it up, bit of a colder spell at the mo. Must have been the jingle from the sugar water van. Lovely detail of the rust colours on the wing.

[LordV]

Originally Posted by photobitz

Oh my, what hairy eyes you have!

That's an impressive looking insect. So well camouflaged. I wish I had more flowers at the moment... all the butterflies seem to flutter straight over my garden.

Thanks Dan,
Some bottle brushes and buddlias should do the trick- also like sedum flowers
Brian V.

[LordV]

Thanks for the comments all- a slightly lucky find, normally commas seem to be fairly nervous butterflies.
Brian v.

[inthedeck]

Nice...very nice. detail in the eyes is great, as are the rest of the images. Nice steady hand too, I assume, to be able to get pics that you can stack, for focus purposes? Wish my hands were that steady...but, no such luck.

[LordV]

Originally Posted by inthedeck

Nice...very nice. detail in the eyes is great, as are the rest of the images. Nice steady hand too, I assume, to be able to get pics that you can stack, for focus purposes? Wish my hands were that steady...but, no such luck.

Thanks, I do have fairly steady hands but in these shots I'm either resting the camera lens on something or I'm leaning on my elbows holding the camera, both methods stabilise the camera. Only trick I use is if I'm not resting the lens on something then I don't try to hold position- I'm gently moving the camera back and forth to get focus and actually shoot whilst moving- this helps prevent camera shake.
Brian V.

[inthedeck]

Interesting notion. For me, light lenses pose litle problem, with movement...it's the heavier ones that I can't hold still. Even with IS, it's sometimes difficult...though the IS helps me a significant amount.

I guess a little bit of technique goes a long way. Thanks for the 'tips.'

[LindaB]

Great images Brian. #3 is fabulous with that fur detail.

What a lucky find - I havent seen one of these for ages. I think its very unfortunate for any on the wing at the moment as there is so little around for them to feed on.

Changing the subject slightly (hope you dont mind) but relevant to the insects. You mention the bottle brush plant, well there is one in our garden (which we moved into last March) and I eagerly waited for it to come into flower, but nothing much happened. It had the flower pods on the branches and the plant is in full summer sun - do you think it was just too dry for it last summer? Any advice you might have on this particular one would be very much appreciated.

Thanks.
Linda

[LordV]

Originally Posted by LindaB

Great images Brian. #3 is fabulous with that fur detail.

What a lucky find - I havent seen one of these for ages. I think its very unfortunate for any on the wing at the moment as there is so little around for them to feed on.

Changing the subject slightly (hope you dont mind) but relevant to the insects. You mention the bottle brush plant, well there is one in our garden (which we moved into last March) and I eagerly waited for it to come into flower, but nothing much happened. It had the flower pods on the branches and the plant is in full summer sun - do you think it was just too dry for it last summer? Any advice you might have on this particular one would be very much appreciated.

Thanks.
Linda

Thanks Linda
WRT bottle brushes- I'd give it a year, I suspect the flower pods you mention are actually previous years seed pods (browny/grey). They flower on new wood but can be a bit erratic when young.
Brian V.

[LindaB]

Originally Posted by LordV

Thanks Linda
WRT bottle brushes- I'd give it a year, I suspect the flower pods you mention are actually previous years seed pods (browny/grey). They flower on new wood but can be a bit erratic when young.
Brian V.

Thanks Brian, thats quite helpful. I suspect its not that old as its probably about 3ft tall and I could see two previous sets of the brown pods. It is definately growing on the ends, so maybe this Summer it will bloom with a bit of luck

One for the early butterflies is a little shrub I have which I 'think' is a Daphne and highly perfumed, which was in flower in April last year, but has started to open the flower buds already (although I imagine this cold snap will halt it somewhat), it was pure nectar for the early Brimstone butterflies which is a real treat for me as they are so skittish. I really dont want this to flower too early as it will miss the early butterflies.

Linda

[bandit 1]

Hiya Brian,

Excellent series of ****s, love #1 looks just like a flake of bark it's no wonder they're so hard to spot but its #4 for me, the detail in that eye is amazing !! do you know as to what purpose those hairs on the eye are for, do they aid vision or protect the eye ??

Cheers for now
Mark