Insects in the garden

When you are not using a macro lens, taking insects and getting something you can see is not easy. This afternoon I wandered quietly around the front garden with my Olympus in my hand and the 40 - 150mm lens and ND2 filter attached. To begin with my spirits rose as I heard the sound of Blue Wrens and one by one three little birds flew out from the vegetation just in front of me - but that was the trouble. They flew out and they didn't return! The wrens are not in the garden all the time, they must migrate to other places because we haven't seen or heard them for months.

Dejected I walked round and round the garden very slowly with eyes peeled and spotted a tiny dragonfly. Carefully I lined him up and focused and fired. Hmm, wrong setting, turned the dials and had another go. Much better. Once more try - but it had gone! Will it turn out? Here it is.....

Then I notice two yellow and black hornets mining for mud to build a nest. I had several tries at capturing them but I really needed to get closer and my camera would not let me. Wrong lens for the job. Oh for a macro lens!!! The insects would carry off their mud and return for more so I would have had plenty of opportunity to get good shots - but my attempts with the 40-150mm are not worth keeping.Another dragonfly was sighted and I kept far enough back for the lens to be zoomed in and focused and managed to get two shots before this energetic insect disappeared. When I processed the shots of this dragonfly I could see that it was different from the first one.

Summer is a busy time for insects. In close up they are fascinating to look at. (All except the cockroach!)

AJ