Macro Monster Butterflies

 Went on one of our summer safari's to the nearby woods and found several of the trees covered in butterflies of several types, mostly of the swallowtail variety. Because of the heat several trees were weeping a sweet sap which the butterflies and several other kinds of insects (for later posts!) find irresistible. In fact, they love it so much that it is possible to get the camera within a centimeter of them without any effect whatsoever. Normally even if I'm around when they land it's near nigh impossible to get a decent shot of them before they're off again so today was a rare chance to get up close and personal so to speak.

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We've been back on several occasions since to get more photos and cam footage, each time with different insects clamoring for the nectar that seems to flow faster with the rise in temperature - currently 36C! Got some great shots as well. Apart from the stuff on display here, I'll be putting up later posts of battling butterflies and this years midnight safari. For the moment hope you enjoy the spectacle of monster butteflies ;)

Frog Heaven

This is an addition to the previous post. Went out a long way on the bicycle today to a place I haven't been in a year or two. Really beautiful nature park teeming with wildlife of all kinds some of which will crop up in later posts. Just came across this guy sitting on the side of a small stream. It looked an idyllic place for a frog and for a change the wee amphibian didn't jump at the first sign of my approach which gave me chance to play around with the lighting on my new camera. Very pleased with the result :)

Contemplating life from the amphibian perspective.
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A Frog in my Pocket

At this time of year there are frogs in every paddy field and pond and tree from the gigantic bull frogs which are more heard than seen down to the fingernail sized green frogs of the pictures below.

Most summers we keep one or two as a pet for a time, but as they're difficult to feed we usually just catch and let them go.

The first time I saw one of these I was by myself wondering around the nature reserve when I found one looking at me out of the water. The Professor had asked me to get one a week previously but I wasn't good at spotting them at that time. They blend into the background very well! With that one I was in a bit of a quandary because I hadn't anything to carry it in. Eventually after rooting through my bag I found a soft plastic tube I'd used for my toothbrush. This got chucked out and with a bit of water in the bottom it made a great temporary container for the first of many summer frog visitors to the pocket zoo.