Friday, July 15, 2011

Visitors in the Garden


 It has been really hot lately, and I am not out much during the day. In the evenings, when it cools down a bit, the kids are out in the garden with me making quite a bit of noise, so what few feathered and winged visitors we occasionally see leave in a hurry. Still, I managed to capture quite a few.


 One was a beautiful bog fritillary on a verbena bonariensis plant.  


It spent a lot of time going through the flowers, but never came back...



Another was a baby dove. A pair of doves made a nest under our eaves this year. I came upon the baby one morning when it was just beginning to fly. It flew down into the courtyard and couldn't quite get back up to the nest, so it decided to play dead and let me get quite close...


Our neighbors have 12 beehives, so we have lots of honeybees.



I like to think about the honey my neighbors graciously share tasting of the herbs the bees visit in my garden.


Our old tree was regularly visited by woodpeckers. Now that there is only a stump left, it was a relief to see them coming back occasionally. I wouldn't want them to go away for good....


I wasn't really interested in the insect below, but I found it distracted me by sitting there and staring at me, so I stared right back.


A California towhee checks out my garden regularly. I often find it walking along the perimeter of my house carefully looking for bugs along the foundation. 


And finally, a regulation shot of our hummer. He is almost a family member, and our garden would be a much sadder place without his insistent loud chirping.





34 comments:

  1. You have a great 'eye' for photography, Masha .I enjoy, all your pictures ... Roses, birds, butterflies ...

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  2. Your images are incredible, Masha. Oh what a lovely garden you have! Full of exciting finds! But 12 bee hives?! Anyone got stung?

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  3. You photos are outstanding of all your garden visitors. Even the lowly fly. I would love to have a neighbor with bees. I do get bees in the garden, but not many butterflies this or last year. Even at the farm, there is less than normal. The bog fritillary butterfly would be welcome.

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  4. Lots of patience and skill needed to capture all of those pictures!

    (Not pruning roses in winter sounds eminently more sensible. But they say, pruning stimulates growth? I would have to catch them as the season turns from summer to autumn. Got a blog or website link to Californian rose pruning in summer for me? What do you do about pruning?)

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  5. oh my goodness, these pictures are amazing! I love bees, but the hummingbird picture is really impressive and clear, especially because they move so quickly. Have a great day!

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  6. Wow, Masha! Your photos are great. Carla

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  7. the photo of the bee on the top of... salvia?- is brilliant. Also this with the fly under the arc... I invite you to my blog, because I prepared an English version this time!

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  8. Incredible pictures Masha. Love them all, but especially the baby Dove.

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  9. Awesome pics of the insects and birds visiting your garden, Masha! I love the shot of the Mourning Dove. We have these doves in our yard, too, and they are almost tame by now. When I walk around watering or filling their feeder, some let me come up very close to them. They have learned I am not their enemy!
    Christina

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  10. Oh Masha ~ What stunning photographs.

    I am just learning how to faze out backgrounds. What program do you use? What is the make of your camera also? If you don't mind sharing.

    Thanks for the lovely views into the lives of the critters that visit your gardens. How wonderful to have honey collected from your flowers.

    Happy Summer Gardening ~ FlowerLady

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  11. Your photos are beautiful! Love all your little visitors xx

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  12. Thank you for the compliments, Dani.

    One, we have all been stung, but not by honey bees, but by wasps. They are much worse than honey bees...

    Donna, I know what you mean. I only ever got to photograph that one butterfly. I saw a couple more, but definitely not a lot...

    Elephant's Eye, thank you. I will get back to you on the roses.

    Thank you, Greggo, Bumble Lush and Carla. I am so glad to hear from you!

    Megimoher, thank you. The bee is on a lavender stalk, and the fly on the Mexican sage. I will check out your blog, thank you for the invitation.

    Professor, thank you. The baby learned to fly and is away now....

    Christina, ours are pretty tame too. I saw mom and dad kissing last week, but didn't get my camera in time to take a picture...

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  13. Thank you, Christine, I appreciate your compliments.

    FlowerLady, thank you. I make blurry backgrounds with camera settings, not software. I don't have Photoshop or any other sophisticated software.

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  14. Oh, what fantastic photos! I love the baby Dove - we have had Doves in the garden for years but I've yet to see their babies.
    I've only seen a few butterflies so far this year - I hope they're just late and won't be scarce all summer long.

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  15. I'm even more amazed at your photography now that you say you don't have any "sophisticated software." These pictures are absolutely stunning. I have so much to learn when it comes to photography so I just live vicariously through wonderful blogs like yours!

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  16. It is so fun to see fauna instead of flora for bloom day. Happy GBBD.

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  17. Ginny, thank you, and I hope you are right about butterflies, I miss them too.

    Toni, thank you for your compliments. I take lots of pictures and post only a few. I am really happy to get two or three really good ones after hours of shooting, so I really appreciate it when someone understands how much effort is involved...

    Carolyn, happy GBBD to you too. One of these months I might join all of you with some rose shots :)

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  18. Masha, Each and every shot is just exquisite.

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  19. These photos are jewels, Masha. Incredibly beautiful!

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  20. Thank you Masha for such a beauty! I love the green fly (flies are not featured as often as other creatures!).

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  21. Jennifer, thank you, I am glad you liked them.

    Sherry, thank you, and I am happy to hear from you again.

    Tatyana, you are right, flies are not often seen :). I hope I don't stoop to cockroaches any time soon :)

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  22. beautiful macro photos, I'm very impressed by your talent.

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  23. Thank you, Olé and the Lazy Composter, I am glad you liked them.

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  24. Excellent photography.

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  25. Wow those are amazing photos to my great envy.

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  26. ...wow Masha! When i watch your photos i feel myself like a bee or a bug ...too!! I'm i allowed to ask what photo camera you use?

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  27. Your insect pictures are amazing!

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  28. Many thanks for those great pictures Masha, I love the butterflys!
    Gabriel

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  29. Incroyables photos d'une grande beauté! La dernière est à couper le souffle !!! Thanks you so much...

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  30. Kasha, I ditto everyone's comments on the roses and photographs. I too am photographing everything in my garden and put them in my blog. The hummingbird is my favorite. May I have it? No need to remove the annotation. You get the credit for such an exceptional photo.
    Brookesrosegarden.com

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I am so glad you have stopped by!