A bee and a catcher

kw: photographs, nature, bees, spider webs

Of the "nature photos" I took around the yard this year, these are my favorites. Click on either image for an 800x533 version. Both pictures were taken July 16, 2011.


I was a member of the Great Sunflower Project for a second summer this year. That means I spent 15 minutes at a time, a few times weekly, standing around waiting for bees to visit my sunflower blooms. Of course, when the nearby Hydrangea was in bloom, it got all the attention (it has nectar, and sunflowers don't). Among the visitors was this large bumblebee, and I got this great shot of it.


The same day that I took the picture of the bumblebee, I noticed this orb web attached to blackberry canes and fern stems, blocking my way to the faucet. I took several photos, including this one that shows the whole web in reflected sunlight. My best photo ever of an orb web. I waited until the next day to remove the web; didn't have the heart while it was still nearly perfect!

Dewy Webs

kw: photos, spider webs, dew

The fog and dew this morning limned the spider webs most beautifully. I managed to get out to take a few photos before the dew vanished. This side-on view of an orb web was taken at the angle of maximum reflection on the web. The depth of field is a bit narrow because the overcast skies made too little light to really boost the f/stop. Click on any of these images to see one about half the size of the original 6mpx image.

Same web, face-on view. It was hard to focus on the spider. This is the best of several tries. I boosted the contrast a little on both this and the pic above. I have heard of people collecting webs. They carefully spray them with white spray paint, then lift a piece of black paper against them. I suppose you could laminate the result to make it longer-lasting. All you are really preserving is the painted pattern, because the web material is water-absorbent and soon rots away.

The third photo is of a funnel web. Some bushes had dozens of these. This is a more isolated one that shows the structure better.