Butterflies and Demselflies

[Ally]

I think I heard the cuckoo, but I was too anxious, think I scared it away. Got out anyway, saw 6 or 7 Eastern Tiger Swallowtails

[Ally]

got another one too, but very blurred pic. Hope someone can ID.

[Ally]

Are these males?

[Shortsighted]

Stunning Tiger Swallowtail, just fabulous.
Hint: with the very dark damselfly you need mucho light, especially when direct
sunlight is already giving you mucho light from only one direction. Fill light may
help, such as a flash emitter choked with a single layer of tissue, or some other
diffusing material, or by the use of a mirror (any highly reflective surface) held
as ancillary fill. Tricky business when holding a heavy lens. I've used one before
clamped to a pointed stick, which gets stuck into the ground near the subject.
I've also used a powerful LED light attached to a headband (MEC) and play with
aligning that. It's hard to compete with the sun. Nonetheless, good stuff!

[Dinusaur]

Wonderful photo of the Swallowtail. The blurred one is most likely a Red Admiral.

[Shortsighted]

[Ally]

Wonderful photo of the Swallowtail. The blurred one is most likely a Red Admiral.

Thanks. so glad to make a lot of winged friends

[Ally]

Stunning Tiger Swallowtail, just fabulous.
Hint: with the very dark damselfly you need mucho light, especially when direct
sunlight is already giving you mucho light from only one direction. Fill light may
help, such as a flash emitter choked with a single layer of tissue, or some other
diffusing material, or by the use of a mirror (any highly reflective surface) held
as ancillary fill. Tricky business when holding a heavy lens. I've used one before
clamped to a pointed stick, which gets stuck into the ground near the subject.
I've also used a powerful LED light attached to a headband (MEC) and play with
aligning that. It's hard to compete with the sun. Nonetheless, good stuff!

Hint indeed! I didn't understand much of it, again    Thank you. I followed the tip of having the sun behind me, not an easy thing to do. they move faster than I do.

[Howieh]

Hi Ally,

Your blurred butterfly is actually a painted lady. The others in that post are viceroys. Very nice shots btw; I'm still looking for my first viceroy this year but it's been a great year for tiger swallowtails and I have a flowering shrub (small white flowers - I think it's some type of lilac?) that will be covered with butterflies in a few days.

[Ally]

Hi Ally,

Your blurred butterfly is actually a painted lady. The others in that post are viceroys. Very nice shots btw; I'm still looking for my first viceroy this year but it's been a great year for tiger swallowtails and I have a flowering shrub (small white flowers - I think it's some type of lilac?) that will be covered with butterflies in a few days.

Thank you. I googled and it fits painted lady. I thought butterfly would be easier than birds. Am I wrong again! how about your hummers, do they go to flowers? There are lots of roses in front of the window but only bees and bumblebees visit them.

[Ally]

Oh my god! I have to share this, I just stepped out with my coffee and stood in the yard for a little bit. A Eastern Tiger Swallowtail came and perched on me for a few seconds. I'm wearing a rose color top, but there are hundreds of roses 2 meters behind me. He chose me instead! That was quite a feeling.

[Howieh]

There are no flowers in my yard and my neighbour has honeysuckle but they always go straight to the feeder and then head back to the woods across the street. I've seen them poking around the snapdragons at the side of the house but I don't think they get much nectar from them. Yesterday was super busy with hummers visiting 2 or 3 times a minute and I still haven't seen any fledglings so July and August should be lots of fun!

I just saw your post about the tiger swallowtail perching on you. That's pretty cool! Red admirals do that all the time but I've never had a swallowtail check me out.

[Ally]

That is such a sensational pic with vivid colours and serious expression of the hummer. I love it!

[Shortsighted]

Arresting shot of a male RT Hummer. The lighting is painterly in quality and the
pose very compelling. I have not seen many males yet and have not been able to
photograph the couple of times a male did appear on the feeder. Getting a shot
on a natural perch is very exciting. Well done.

[Dinusaur]

My goodness Howieh. Please send a Hummer my way.