Misc Pics...Creatures, Close In:

[motordavid]

Hi Gang, Since I haven't posted pics in awhile, , and we are getting the itch to migrate north back to our Mtn Joint, I thought I would toss up some pics of CreatureStuff I took last late summer and fall at our NC Mtn House. All shot with my five yr old lil' Canon S50, point & shoot, as it has good semi-macro/close in capability.

First series is of the Eastern Pipestem Swallowtail, which are ubiquitous and almost "swarm-like" in some years up at our altitude of 5,000 feet. The caterpillars are everywhere, then literally thousands of chyrsalises,then, the beautiful Eastern Pipestem Swallowtail butterfly.
I shot this one specimen over his transformational span of several days, but I missed its emergence; thus, the butterfly is not the same one as the orig. caterpillar, I suspect. Followed by some other creatures, some of the many that inhabit the steep wooded Blue Ridge Mtns that we live on...



"Tieing Off" and shutting down for the chrysalis stage:




Chrysalis Stage:



It's done with metamorphosis and Gone!


The "finished" Pipestem Swallowtail:


On a Joepye Weed, one of their Faves, as pipestem weed is actually quite rare at this altitude:



An unidentified, (by me), butterfly...titz pic, if I say so myself:


An orb weaver spider...a tad too much flash, but she was a beaut:


Couple of Hummer Pics at our feeder:



Beautiful Mud Dauber wasp. The pair worked for a few days making these
tubes in which the female lays eggs, interspersed with a stunned insect so the hatching larva has a food supply. The pair were tireless...



And, my lil' buddy the salamander out on our front "walk" picking off
bugs and slugs and stuff. Thanks for looking! BR,mD

[x54.4blue]

Great photo, I never thought of a wasp as beautiful?

[B-Line]

Wow,

Now I understand why people retire. So they can take pictures of pretty bugs.. LOL...

Just kidding MD.. Great shots !

[Technomage]

I always like looking at your pics, STUNNING! i like the salamander

[X5audi]

Great pics! Thank you for posting--much appreciated! I like the salamander too.

[ncx]

We got our own little national geographic photog here.

Very cool pics

[ljnlaw]

Awesome pics MD

[Scottie]

great pics, for some reason though it made me itchy.

[AzNMpower32]

Great pics! But I only skimmed through them; I'm scared of insects. Yuck.

[PersonaNonGrata]

As always, titz pics MD. They're the fookin' catz azz. (That's my MD speak )

Imagine what you could do with a Canon 40D with a macro lens. Time to stop denying yourself and go get one. Seriously, for someone who enjoys taking good pictures, you will truly love it.