Went to the lake to get this picture. At this time of year the tracks
down to the shore are about 30cm wide and you walk through a tunnel
created by 3 meter tall grass and plants on both sides. At the end is
always a sheltered fishing spot with nobody around in the middle of the
week. These are the only places where I am guaranteed to find a large
variety of dragonflies I can photograph close up. My favorite place in
the summer. Though with the mozzies out in force I’m usually weak with
loss of blood by the time I stagger out! This one though was worth all the sweat, toil and loss of my vital bodily fluids ;)
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.
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 ;)
