I spotted this yellow butterfly hovering around my Hibiscus plant. With his red tinged wings he was gorgeous against the red and yellow petal backdrop. So, like any curious ShutterQueen I snuck out the patio door armed with a camera and macro lens.
During my first two attempts the bionic little winged insect was onto me five steps from the door, causing him to flutter away. Nature photography requires a rare breed of patience not existent in my DNA but I make up for it in determination. It seems this bold Orange Sulphur butterfly was craving the sweet Hibiscus nectar as much as I desired to photograph him indulging in his liquid breakfast.
Photographing wildlife from the distance of a telephoto lens is one thing, but capturing this little critter involved an up close and personal encounter to illustrate the pale yellow delicate wings, extremities and bulging eyes. I guess hunger won out over fear enough for him to carry on with his feast, me at his side. Keeping one eye on me, he continued for about 30 minutes.
In between shots I noticed his mate fluttering over my head and circling around the Hibiscus plant. I realized she wanted to join her hubby for a morning meal. I, of course, was excited at the prospect of a rare opportunity to snap a photo of this beautiful pair dining side by side.
It took about 45 more minutes for her to trust that I was friend not foe. My hats off to wildlife photographers that park it in blinds for hours to obtain the ultimate photos and video of elusive creatures all over the world. Finally, she landed and eased in alongside her honey and WOW! Despite melting from the heat, I was one happy ShutterQueen!
Aren’t they adorable :) Butterflies are surprisingly friendly. I’ve actually had them land on my shoulder before, which is a little startling for a bugophobic like myself.
In their Caterpillar
stage they drive me crazy chomping on my dill and parsley plants. But once
they transform into these fragile beings flitting about pollinating and posing
for intruding photographers, I consider them a spectacular vision in nature’s
landscape.
Thank you so much! I designed the banner myself in Illustrator using my photos. The color and style is pick and choose in Typepad. The book cover uploads and subscribe information took some figuring out. The photo slide show was uploaded from Redbubble. I do not do much with html so it's not as customized as it could be but it's the most I can do myself.
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