Lenses

My macro lens is great for taking pictures of bugs. I keep it on my camera most of the time, because that is mostly what I take pictures of. I almost never switch to my zoom lens just to go out in my backyard. I only put that lens on if I already know there is something I want to photograph with it. That means that if I am out on my bug walk, and have a great shot of a bird, it won't be a great picture, because the macro lens is not the right lens to use for a picture like that. But when a hawk flies in and lands in a tree nearby, there isn't time to go back to the house and change lenses. There is very little chance that the hawk will sit and wait for its closeup. So, I miss out on those great shots. But I usually take the pictures anyway.

Backyard Bird of the Day:

Backyard Bug of the Day:

Leaf hopper, possibly Agallia quadripunctata

Other Bugs:

Fall webworms. It is beginning to hint of autumn outside...

I am not confident of an identification of this, so I'll just say I think it is a lacewing larva.

Bristletail

Milkweed tussock moth caterpillar

This particular shrub is a very popular perching spot for dragonflies, but while they are quite cooperative at times, they rarely seem to let me get close when they are perched here.

Arachnid Appreciation:

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These webs are often right at the height of my face, and I have often walked right into them. Since they are mostly found in the woods, I rarely spot them in such perfect lighting to avoid them.

I think it is a male spined micrathena. The only one of my insect guides that has the species only has a picture of the female, but this fits the description of the male.

It probably looks obvious in the picture, just because I took the picture, but I had to look really closely to tell if there was actually something on this dried up leaf on a vine, and then I wasn't even sure until I touched the vine and the spider moved.

Six spotted orb weaver. Spiderling; it was very small.