Photography Competition No 27

Whilst appreciating the honour of winning the last competition, it’s always a bit of a nightmare setting the next. So, working on the well known KISS principle, I am requesting photographs of “ Birds, Bees and Bugs”.

No no, Janus, I’m not interested in blurry shots of Authors’ intimate moments of experimentation, that is not what I’m after at all; just the small or large feathered chaps, furry flying pollinators and creepy crawlies of any variety. Now granted some of the aforementioned do move quite quickly but please do avoid resorting to superglue, dressmaking pins through their little hearts, or quashed specimens. If they died of natural causes, it is acceptable to take a quick respectful snap before burial. Extra points will be awarded in the unlikely event that someone manages to include all three in the same photograph! I haven’t been able to do this, so I have included some not wonderful examples to start you off.

Entries on this thread please before midnight, 14th June 2012.

41 thoughts on “Photography Competition No 27”

  5. The previous image, a touhing image of a friendly and sociable female black widow spider, was taken in the last moments of her life. She’s dead now having come out on the losing end of a battle with my walking stick, but behold! Moments of glory!

  6. The spider was still very much alive when this picture was taken, to be clear. She was living where she could easily have injured young children, hence her not living long after this picture was taken.

  10. Boadicea and Pseu: usually I do not bother spiders. Here they are mostly harmless and don’t really bother anyone. There are two, however, that are usually killed when found. One is the black widow, the other the brown recluse. The black widow is bad enough and, when near children, can be dangerous. The other is by far worse. The brown recluse’s venom will cause flesh to rot and is normally fatal if left untreated. The treatment, like for an Australian red back’s bite, is highly unpleasant.

  11. ‘Hold on a cotton-picking minute!’ (copyright Deputy Dawg). I thought that this competition ended last night.

    Ara, good evening.

    I sweated blood last night trying to find a reasonably interesting avian entry, whilst trying to avoid offering my most fave in said genre, due to it having been around a while, a former avatar and a photo of which I am far too proud. I thought that I had run out of time.

    Whatever. I rededicate myself to the fray and will try to find an entry with which to knock off your socks. Meanwhile, here’s my place holder. I hope to do better.

  12. Good evening, Mr Mackie, and Christopher.

    In my absence, I’m more than delighted to receive a photo of a heron, place holder though it may be, and a black widow spider!

    I’m not as upset by the demise of the latter as I would have thought; I do understand that small children are rather more important than the venomous arachnid, so, Christopher, you are forgiven. 😉 I’m sure they are lovely creatures but I’m not convinced that I’d want to share a house with one!

  15. I think macro lenses should be banned, mainly on the grounds that I don’t have one.

    OZ

  17. Oops, I had a feeling that someone might ask me, Nym, and I don’t know.

    I’ll add a photo of the shrub in a moment.

  20. OZ, I don’t have a macro lens either, I have a point and shoot and I have it on auto the whole time. It has a zoom which I didn’t use in my recent bug shot.

  23. Nym.

    I don’t think so, it doesn’t change colour at all. Once the blossom dies, that’s it until next year. The leaves remain green. I’ll ask my gardener next time I see him.

  25. I have one, but smaller and a little earlier… it finished a couple of weeks ago.

  26. This year it has been splendid, Nym, and it’s just reached its peak. I do chop it occasionally but it’s probably about six feet high at the moment. It is pinned to the fence and cascades.

  33. On mature reflection, I do believe that Segolene will enjoy a long, charmed life.

    OZ

  36. OZ: 😀

    Pseu: the hens have all been named after female political figures. There’s Angela, Segolene, Sonia, Margaret, Ursula, Dilma, Michelle, etc.

  39. Hi Ara

    The place holder heron hereon is withdrawn.

    Nothing a lot better to offer, but offered it shall be..

    Last year in Oz, one of the places that I really wanted to visit was Circular Quay. Lots of reasons.

    Came off the bus into The Rocks, walked down there and took this photo. I can’t guarantee this in the great scheme of things, of course, but I hope never to forget that day.

  41. Thank you all for your entries.

    I will look at them all again, and make my judgement as soon as possible.

    That’s the hard bit. 🙂

    Still time for any last minute entries, but I’m off to bed now.

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