Mark McCaughrean1d ago

It's sunny & warming today, but I can't say I'm looking forward to the 35ºC temperatures predicted this time next week 🥵

Anyway, we have some new visitors to the garden.

First, a nice macro stack of a birch catkin bug (Kleidocerys resedae; 🇩🇪 Birkenwanze).

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Show threadMark McCaughrean1d ago

Second, a black banded bee fly (Hemipenthes morio). The German name is much more interesting: it's the Zickzacklinien-Trauerschweber.

Nothing like as good a picture, because it ran me a merry chase from flower to flower, landing only briefly, then flying off when it sensed I was moving in to take a shot 🤷‍♂️🙄

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Show threadArmin Hanisch8h ago
@markmccaughrean That *is* a good photo, Mark! First one I see this good. If I hadn’t deleted them I could show you dozens of blurry „and there it takes off“ images of that little buddy 😆🤣🤣
(edit: typo)
Show threadMark McCaughrean7h ago

@Linkshaender Ha – thanks, Armin, you're too kind. I suspect that when it gets hotter (this week even 🥵), I may have a chance to catch it resting for longer.

Here's one I saw last year – closer, but still could be better 🤪

Show threadArmin Hanisch7h ago
@markmccaughrean Oh that’s also a great shot! I guess most shutterbugs (pun intended) are never content with their images. I am currently trying to get a good one from a Xylocopa violacea (Holzbiene) that visited us on the terrace, always when I have no camera ready 🤣😆
Show threadMark McCaughrean7h ago

@Linkshaender Oh yes, Xylocopa can be very hard to catch, in part because they're huge & hard to get good DOF on, but also because at this time of year, they tend to buzz around quickly.

In a month or so, they'll settle for longer on our sweetpeas, & I hope I can get some nice shots – here's one from last year with a bonus smaller bee & crab spider.

BTW, be careful with the ID: X. violacea & X. valga are very difficult to distinguish.

Show threadArmin Hanisch7h ago
@markmccaughrean Oh nice! Yes, that’s the Xylocopa that I‘m trying to get a photo of, deep blue wings. As I live in the south-east of Bavaria, both violacea and valga seem to be present. Need to read on how to distinguish them. Another challenge: I‘m strictly into „available DOF“ for macro shots, no stacking. 😎
Show threadMark McCaughrean

@Linkshaender Interesting. I played a bit with stacking using PS, but it was never really satisfactory. But I've been using ShineStacker recently, and it does excellent work. Of course, you need the right subject & good luck, but I've been pleased with the results.

Good luck with the Xylocopa – we have a bunch that whizz around in the summer, often dive bombing me while I'm shooting other insects.

1:06pmWeb
Show threadArmin Hanisch6h ago
@markmccaughrean If i get an image, I‘ll post here!